From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 17, no. 3, November 2002.

The hottest young voice that is being broadcast on the 89.1 FM airwaves everyday belongs to 20-year-old Melinda Fetuani.

If you are a regular tuner to 89.1 FM then you have no trouble agreeing that her easy-listening voice is one of the best from the FM Stations in Nuku‘alofa.

Melinda says the secret of her success is that she does not linger in talking too much on the air but would rather, “play more Music and do less talking.”

Listeners do not want to hear you pouring your heart out about something that they are not interested in, says Melinda. “I think that’s what makes me popular as an FM announcer.”

Melinda comes from Havelu, where she grew up with the love of listening to the capital’s radio stations, just for the fun of keeping up with the latest in the music charts, and checking out the hot voices of announcers.  

Melinda became fascinated with the thought that one day she might become that voice on the radio. “I wanted to be an announcer, and I never gave up thinking that I would eventually become one, ” she said.

Melinda joined 89.1 FM Station in 2001 straight after leaving school.

“I was only looking for a part-time job to cover small expenses like bus fares, and lunch money, because I was taking courses at the University of the South Pacific,” she said.

Melinda believes that what makes her different is how she re-mixes the music so that it can appeal to the different tastes of the audience, like putting together a mix of pop, R&B, reggae, rap, country, and Tongan tunes.

“And I think one of the major keys to becoming a good announcer is that you listen to what your listeners want, whether it is in the music or the program you put in the air,” said Melinda.

For the future Melinda has her eyes set on becoming a news broadcaster.