DJ Chew Soowei of 987fm taken off air for bad english.

StarDust

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Taken from : http://forum.jobscentral.com.sg/showthread.php?t=2596




Seems like radio DJs in Singapore have very little job security.

Chew Soowei, who some of you might know as one of the hosts for Channel 5's "Live 'N' Loaded", is leaving 987FM. Basically, the radio station released a new schedule recently, and Chew is not on it.

Below is a message she sent to fans of her radio programme "Pillowfight with Soo" on Facebook. Do you think she has been treated fairly?

Dear friends,

I wish I had told it to you in person but I wasn’t given the chance to.

My final show “Pillowfight with Soo” concluded Sat July 12 at 3.00am on 987fm.

Why? I’ve had a few people message me on Facebook asking me why I am not part of the new schedule out on 987FM. Let me give you the short version of the story.

The Monday after the July 12th episode of “Pillowfight With Soo”, first day of my annual leave, I received a phone call stating that I’d been taken off air and when I do come back from my leave I was coming back to a work situation where I was basically just “Helping Out/Subbing Others” around the office. The main reason as it was given to me for being taken off was that my English Language isn’t proficient enough and my hosting is and I quote “Just like I learnt it from the Outdoor emcees in Orchard Road”.

In the last year I was in and out of the office, been constantly told that there were really bad grammatical errors with my language and yet so many times when I asked for an example and help it couldn’t be produced. One of the few times it was produced, he had to call a fellow colleague to confirm the error because he didn’t know what was really truly wrong with me saying: “If only Shan sings as well as his cousin.” Out of these times, my favorite one would be an email stating that my diction was really bad and I should listen to American Radios Jocks and learn an American accent.

If my Spoken English is bad, people wouldn’t understand me. If people cannot understand me inevitably they wouldn’t tune in.

If so, how do I explain a steady increase in my listenership (bearing in mind I started on a shift that did not exist before I went on)? Why has my public profile increased in the last year? Why do I have more clients coming to me for public shows more than ever? And lastly, if my English is so bad, why did clients sponsor “Pillowfight With Soo” over and over again in a back-to-back fashion?

I have a long way to go with my spoken language and I am far from perfect. But Radio to me has always been about connecting with people. I chat with you… you chat with me. The rest of the world listens in on our conversation in a voyeuristic fashion. I’ve always done my shows with the idea that I am speaking to only one person and if that one person gets me… we’ve connected. I am who I am. If you bumped into me in the streets I will sound like how you hear me on Radio. No pretense, No announcer-ish bravado and certainly no fake American accent. As far as Radio is concerned, if you understood me on a human level, I’ve done my job. You might hear some poetic justifications on why I was removed or maybe how loved I was in the station or how much has been done to help me out…so I’m writing this note so you will get a glimpse of the truth rather speculate the situation. I hope you don’t think that I’m just venting my bitterness. There is none looking back at the great times I had with my 987 family. So with all that said… I am taking myself out of the “Equation” and my last day will be on 4th August 2009.

In light of the situation, I’m writing you this letter to thank you for the wonderful magical times I’ve had on the show.

Staying up late was never an issue; I’m a creature of the night. Somehow, the world awakes to a different light after the stroke of midnight. It’s the conversations we had that I will miss most of all.

“Scandal anonymous”, this segment is the most fun a girl can have at night. In case, you wonder what the fuss is all about…the listeners call in with a nickname and share a deep dark secret or something embarrassing. I’m going to share some of my personal faves. By the way, the names I’m using below are merely nicknames, so as to protect the real identity of the listeners.

Sarah is a young and restless teenager working at a convenience store for some extra bucks, one day she was so bored...she started using needles to poke at condom boxes.
:p
Tim broke up with his perfect girlfriend of 10 years because he couldn’t bear the burden of the secret anymore. He couldn’t bear to lie to his parents and friends that his girlfriend used to be a man…and that they were from the same all-boys school together.

Peiling has been chatting online with this guy for the past 10 months now and the guy initiated a meeting with her. After all, they have fallen in love over the Net. The only problem is, Peiling has been lying about her physical appearance. She has been on a strict diet for the past 10 weeks and still kilos away from her virtual description.

I could go on forever about the dirty secret video tapes to foamy lovemaking sessions at Zoukout to a pregnant girl carrying her boyfriend’s best friend's child to a mischievous boy peeing into a cup and trying to make his least fave uncle think it’s chrysanthemum tea etc etc. The drama is relentless every night and I loved every moment of it.

With all that fuss, it’s just good old telephone conversations and a connection between 2 complete strangers…I may not know you now but I’m getting closer to your life with every conversation. I love chatting with you. Thanks for opening up your heart to me late into the night and talking about your pet hamsters. Your stories, I will carry them in my heart. But I also have to be honest; sometimes I do get really frustrated, when you have little words but strange noises in between. Sometimes I get really scared as well, when you put on a demonic accent and say lewd things I cannot air.

It’s been a good fight.

If you‘ve been chronicling my life from an ambitious wide eyed driver wannabe to a licensed P plate maniac on the road, I hope you’ll look back and laugh at the stories of my great inability to parallel park or try to beat my 20 min struggle to reverse in a tight spot. For those who ever turn on the stove and tried to make a meal before, there are some videos of my experimental dishes tried by the Muttons. They are currently still alive. If you’ve been part of my life somehow, going through a tough time or a celebratory moment, thank you for sharing my life. If I’ve been part of your life, going through a break up or mad study night, thank you for having my voice in your ears.

I’ll be moving to a different, perhaps, more adventurous chapter of my life and I hope you'll think of me fondly from time to time and always remember that if I ever have the chance again, I’ll pick up your call and have a good old friend’s heart to heart chat.

Till then,
Soldier on
Soo
 
Ye, read of this i think at least a week or so back.
She and Daniel Ong have been trading remarks about this, where she claims she has been working on her English for a while already but Daniel still seems intent on making this move. Of course like all things we do not know the real reason behind it all, but its sad cause i remembered listening to her show when i was working part time before NS. Kept me updated with new songs and lastest news when my Internet was down for a period of time as well.
 
To me, Soo Wei is a very nice lady. Who loves local music so much. That maybe cause I see her at local shows. And her 987 HOME kick ass...

Hope she will be on air somewhere. Now listening 987fm at night seems boring. Sorry desiree.
 
Well, the 'fake' american accent isnt that bad, it actually sounds quite ok.

On the other hand if you look at CNA's newscasters imitating the "british accent" its kinda unnatural and constipated.

Do chinese DJs attempt beijing accent?
 
If you broadcast the news or official stuff or writing for a newspaper then it's for sure important to have proper english. but if you have a show where you connect to the normal people on the street then I don't see why you can't use a more local english language approach, not singlish but still understandable. Or should taxi drivers, customs officer at the airport or sales persons in shopping centers all learn american accent?
would any listener call the radio and complain about the one grammar mistake?
I think this is a very strange reason to let someone go who seems to be successful and even attracting sponsor money as she claims.....it doesn't seem we know the whole story.
 
Empathise

I empathize with Soo Wei's situation, sincerely.

Met her once when Red Jumpsuit Apparatus stayed in the hotel I was working in. She probably had too many name cards to keep track off, and maybe she wouldn't even remember.

She's got no air, no pretense (no fake american accent either) and behaved just like a regular sheila who appears on radio (more regularly than others) and she's got to have one of the most sincere smiles, ever.

Soldier on indeed, Soo Wei. You'll find light at the end of the tunnel.

ROCK,
TF
 
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Read this a week back.

All the best Soo. You're the greatest DJ on 987 (too many late night guard duties caused us to buy a portable radio. And Soo's show was always one of the best at midnight plus!)
 
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