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Daryl Ilbury. The story so far...
It started with a dare.
In 1981 Daryl was challenged by his colleagues at university to audition for the campus radio station. Knowing he was a naturally shy person, they were utterly convinced the concept of talking to the entire studio body would fill Daryl with dread. But he walked in, and, in his words, "switched on the mike and was hooked". It seemed that lurking within him was a natural radio man.
He was soon presenting Breakfast as well as the Top 20 and after a year was appointed Programme Manager. He was influential in the repositioning and rebranding of the station and in steering the station towards becoming a commercial venture. By the time he left university, the station, Dome Music Radio, was the most profitable campus radio station in the country. He was also involved in the setting up of radio stations on neighbouring campuses and responsible for drawing up the presentation guidelines that were adopted by many stations around the country.
In 1986, after leaving university and attending the obligatory national service he was offered a position at Radio Port Natal to present the afternoon show. After a year he found himself in Breakfast again, a position he held (except for a requested break when he and Chantell got married) until he left the station in 2003. (Click here for audio samples of Daryl in action)
During this time he was also offered the position of Programme Manager to oversee the station's transition from state to independent broadcaster (East Coast Radio) when it was sold to Kagiso Media. He accepted, but declined the offer to stay full-time in the position, preferring to stay on-air so that he could spend more time building his own successful science communications company - Scienceworks.
Daryl enjoyed consistent audience growth until his show accounted for the bulk of the station's 1.6 million listeners, making it the biggest independent English radio station in the country. Despite requests for him to stay on, Daryl decided to leave at the end of his contract in May 2003 to concentrate on his writing. (Click here to see what his peers say about him)
But it was not to be. Three month's later he was offered a position to present weekend Breakfast on the Johannesburg-based Talk Radio 702, South Africa's top talk radio station. "But I live in Durban", Daryl pointed out. "Don't worry", they said, "We'll fly you up and back every weekend." And so in September 2003, Daryl found himself in Breakfast. Again.
Daryl discovered a different energy in the challenges of talk radio. It was a fertile ground for his irascible British wit and slightly offbeat style of presentation. He also enjoyed the opportunity to connect more with his audience.
By this time he was writing for the Sunday Times where his knack for getting a reaction found a voice in another form. As he made his mark in the highly competitive Johannesburg market he was offered the chance to be an op-ed columnist for the Saturday Star. He naturally grabbed the opportunity with both hands...and, of course, his keyboard. (Click here to go to his columns)
Again, his audience soon started climbing; but after 17 months Daryl found the consistent shuttling between Durban and Johannesburg a little too much and so he regrettably left Talk Radio 702 in January 2005.
Daryl is married to Chantell Ilbury - one of South Africa's top scenario strategists and co-author with Clem Sunter of the best-selling books The Mind of a Fox - Scenario Planning in Action and Games Foxes Play - Planning for Extraordinary Times. (Click here for Chantell's website) Daryl and Chantell have two children, Roxanne and Mitchell.
Outside of radio, Daryl holds a degree in Clinical Psychology and a post-graduate diploma in counseling and clinical assessment. He has also lectured in journalism and business communication and is often called upon as a programming consultant. He is currently enjoying making a noise as a journalist.
What they say about Daryl:
"...Daryl is passionate about radio and he is very creative and professional. He performs any task to the best of his ability. In my dealings with him, I found him to be mature, honest and open. He is well-read and can relate to any issue easily. Daryl has long experience in radio and he knows the medium well..."
"...Daryl displayed a great understanding of people and his dealing with colleagues was always commendable. I have no hesitation to recommend him to any organisation/ institution..."
Terry Volkwyn, CEO, Primedia Broadcasting.
"...without a doubt one of this country's most successful and respected broadcasters. This is evident by his enviable career and the impact he has made on the radio industry..."
"...Daryl is possibly best known for his energy, wisdom, intelligence and his razor sharp wit; and it is this, and his thorough understanding of the magic of radio, that has contributed to his continual ability to attract audiences..."
"...he is also, more importantly, a natural leader...and has an uncanny knack of quickly assessing a situation or concern affecting the station and then offering viable and exciting opportunities, not only for himself but also for his colleagues and the station team..."
Gavin Meiring, CEO P4 Radio, Cape Town
"...Daryl is the only presenter I have ever worked with who has the uncanny ability to be in touch with his audience every second of his show. His command of the English language is impeccable which allows him to choose the right words to gain reaction from his audience..."
"...his comedic timing, wit and ability to be charming make him a natural radio entertainer. He also possesses the unique ability to run with an idea and gauge reaction almost on a whim, which is a credit to his vast and ever-increasing knowledge base. Few radio entertainers possess the formatics skill to ensure a flawless show - Daryl is one of them..."
Naveen Singh, Programme Manager, East Coast Radio
"...Daryl Ilbury is truly a radio legend...I learnt more from him, then any other on-air personality to date...he understood what it meant to be professional and was never scared to let others shine..."
"...Daryl could roll with the punches, handle any situation and his sense of humour had me in tears on many occasions...'
"...in his words: "Let's make amazing radio!"..."
Alexander Frank, Producer, Talk Radio 702