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How Twitter helped 987FM DJ Gerald Koh propose

SINGAPORE — Can you tweet and talk at the same time? MediaCorp Radio 987FM DJ Gerald Koh can.

SINGAPORE — Can you tweet and talk at the same time? MediaCorp Radio 987FM DJ Gerald Koh can.

In fact, while you’re listening to him live on air during his show, Itchy Pajamas, it’s likely he is simultaneously checking his social media updates.

“I’ve learnt the art of multitasking,” said the 29-year-old. “I’ve got tweets coming in. ‘How is it that you can talk and tweet at the same time?’ But I can.”

Being social media savvy is one of the skills a DJ has to have in this day and age. “It’s a totally different ballgame right now for radio personalities today. Back then, it was, ‘I tell you, you listen.’ Now, it’s more conversational; it’s two-way. Back then, we had ‘SMS-in’, but DJs didn’t usually SMS back. Now, on social media, you can re-tweet, you can talk back. And it goes on after the show as well,” he said.

When Koh first started his Twitter account six years ago, he didn’t expect One Direction to help him gain followers. “I heard their first single and I was like, ‘Wow, this is awesome.’ I felt like this band could go very far. So, on Twitter, I asked, ‘Anybody knows who One Direction is?’ From about 200 followers, that night, my followers increased to 1,200,” he recalled. He now has 32,000.

But it’s not only about growing his influence. Koh sees the platform as a way to inspire others, too. For example, he recounted, for one listener who could not make it to a 987FM picnicking event in time because she had had an operation the day before, Koh specially brought a picnic basket to her house. “That story went on Twitter and there was a video, and it went viral,” he said. “I don’t think these things are attention grabbing — I just want people to know that you shouldn’t be talking about how much you hate school or how much you don’t like life, because there are things that you can do to be happy.”

Of course, weird things have also happened over Twitter. “This girl wanted me to be her tuition teacher,” Koh said. “She tweeted, ‘I’m stressed. Can you teach me math?’ So I retweeted and joked, ‘Of course I can teach you. I’m very good at math.’ She said, ‘This is my father’s number. Can you call my father and talk about money?’” She was serious. I thought it was a joke. Because why would you want a DJ to give you tuition?”

But more than complicating his life, Twitter has enhanced it — especially when it comes to his love life. “I used Twitter to propose to my girlfriend,” Koh revealed. The two were in Disneyland in Paris when Koh planned to pop the question. “I tweeted, ‘Guys, I’m very nervous. I’m going to propose to her right now. It’s 7pm in Paris and the fireworks are going to come on at 8. Could you help me tweet this?’ And the hashtag was, ‘Say yes to Gerald’. Within half an hour, it trended. So before I went down on one knee, I showed her. Then, I pulled out the ring.”

He added: “It was fun because, these fans, they hopped on and they were part of my life.”

 

Catch Itchy Pajamas With Gerald Koh from Monday to Thursday at 8pm and Friday at 10pm on 987FM.

 

Who’s your favourite DJ to follow on social media?

Gerald Koh: Jean Danker. I love her pictures on Instagram. And The Muttons because they’re always very funny. They don’t have to talk. You look at their pictures and just laugh.

Yasminne Cheng: My favourite radio DJ on social media is Jean Danker because I love her to bits and it keeps me updated on what’s going on in her life, since I do the lunch shift while she does evenings and we never meet! Plus, I love the pictures of Biscuit (her dog) — he’s such a cutiepoo!

Jean Danker: Of course Glenn, lah! Because he, like me, posts cute pics of our darling dog Biscuit. Also, sometimes, if I don’t know Glenn’s schedule and where he is, I look at Instagram and may see him hosting an event or something! Yeah, we both have very busy schedules and can’t possibly know where the other person is at all times of the day.

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