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Today's the last day that the popular radio
programme Morning Express will air on 95FM. Co-presenters Rod Monteiro, Glenn
Ong and the Flying Dutchman (Mark van Cuylenberg), made the shocking
announcement over radio last Monday morning during the programme. |
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Since then, the DJs have divulged very little
about what will happen to the trio. Will they part ways? It's anybody's guess. |
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Midweek, Vernetta Lopez, whose programme
Lunchbreak runs immediately after the Morning Express, told a concerned
caller during her programme that these chaps had their personal things to do.
That remark certainly didn't tell us anything. |
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Ng Hui Hui, writing in The Straits Times under the
heading Split Personalities? on 13 Jan 2005, put up the following
teaser: |
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"Are they really splitting up?" |
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Yes, indeed, are they splitting up? |
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My hunches tell me they aren't. First, these guys
are still in good spirits during the Morning Express programme the whole week.
Unless they are dead good actors - by the way they are DJs, not actors - the
fact that they are still in jovial spirits tells us everything is okay.
Perhaps, as Hui Hui has guessed, "they are rebranding the show with a new
name". |
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Moreover, although the Flying Dutchman was on
leave yesterday, leaving the two 'brothers' Rod and Glenn to run the show, he
called in during the programme to chat about how the foot massager that they
were promoting on their programme was making him feel good. He was indeed in
high spirits during the call. |
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Listeners who have followed the Morning Express
over the years will remember the Flying Dutchman has had partner changes. On
29 Sep 2000, Joe Augustin, the other half of Joe And The Flying Dutchman
in Morning Express, left the then Radio Corporation of Singapore (RCS).
Following Joe's departure, the Flying Dutchman took in a new partner, Class 95
deejay Petrina Kow. |
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Rod Monteiro and Glenn Ong are the latest partners
of the Flying Dutchman in a relationship on air that started in May 2003 when
the two 'brothers' came over from Perfect 10 radio station. |
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Since then, the Morning Express has become
immensely popular with many faithful followers, including this Editor, who
never fails to tune in to the programme every weekday morning. |
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There is no press release on the Morning Express
happenings on the MediaCorp Web site, and also on Class95FM's micro-site. |
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So, we are all left guessing. But, come Monday,
everything will be clear. Then, many anxious Morning Express fans will no
doubt be awake right before 6am, with their ears glued to 95FM eagerly waiting
for the Majullah Singapura song to finish, and for the first voices to crackle
over the airwaves. This Editor will certainly be one of them. |
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But, let us not forget the aim of today's
FrontPage - to document the last day of the Morning Express radio programme
today. |
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As I listen to the Morning Express this morning, I
hear Rod proclaiming "the last day of broadcast" repeatedly on air from 6am to
7am. Then, at 7.33am, he lets out a clue with the remark "all will be revealed
at 9.52am". |
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Today's FrontPage is really special in that it's a
'live' summarising of what is going on, on air, on the Morning Express this
morning. |
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Unfortunately, we have our appointments to keep so
we can't stay listening to the Morning Express till 10am. We'll have to depend
on the local papers for the latest news. |
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Subsequent Update: |
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"True to form, the trio clarified on the show
yesterday that they were taking only a one-week break from work... |
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"FD, when contacted, insists that it was just a
harmless joke. |
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"We created a stunt and it worked. I seriously
think that Singaporeans have a sense of humour..." |
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Excerpted from 'DJs Say It's Just A Joke' in The
Straits Times 15 Jan 2005 (L3) |
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Clarification by Joe Augustin via email on 22
April 2005 |
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"By the way, on a point of history... The Morning
Express goes back to when Melissa Hyak (yes from CNA) was the host. I joined.
Then she left and was replaced by Jessica Soo... Who was then replaced by FD." |
Morning Express ending successful run on radio?
