Today on the Buzz I speak to the very popular radio duo who have kept it Lankan and Cool with their morning FIX. I sat with the two from YESfm to get to know more about their 7 years together on the 101 frequency.

How has radio transformed over the years? Radio is not a mystery anymore; you can’t pretend to be something you’re not. That is why the Morning Fix decided 7 years ago that we are not going to be something we are not.

How have listener needs changed over time? Listeners now crave that genuine human connection and that is what The Morning Fix has always offered. They have latched on to that “realness” of radio that we broadcast and that’s something that we will see as a constant in the industry.

What has been the highlight of your career so far? The fact that we have been able to continuously innovate and think out of the box, not only with our show but with our brand promotions.

You are known for your unconventional promotions; what stands out? 
 Outdoor Broadcasting from Galle Literary Festival
 “Driving under the influence” - We broadcast the radio show live while driving a vehicle, taking listeners to work through the morning traffic!
 Lockdown Special: Live from Anderson Road - The curfew didn’t stop The Morning Fix as we uprooted our studios and transferred it to Asanka’s living room for two weeks.
    Interviewing Sri Lanka’s 16 top CEOs as a part of the SheWorks project, a movement to bring gender equality to the Sri Lankan workplace.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learnt? Time is money and always be nice to the little guy.

How would you describe your radio journey? With over 26 years of combined radio experience between us, we’ve learned that if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life – unless someone gets sick and you have to work on a Saturday! 

What is the biggest prank you’ve played? One April Fool’s Day, we left our mics on, on purpose during a song and had an intense conversation speaking freely about the politics of the radio industry. No one knew it was a prank except for our immediate boss and that includes the upper management and our families – who both thought this was definitely a cause for termination. The fans really showed their love and support that day by trying to alert us of our “mistake’’, while we were having a good laugh. 

What do you think you’ve achieved so far? We are fairly certain we’ve cultivated a new audience on radio, starting from Kindergarten kids to senior citizens that listen to us, not only for the music we play but for our unique style of storytelling.

Will we ever see you on Tik Tok? We’re already on Tik Tok – that is until someone calls us Uncle!

What do you do when you’re not on Radio? We both have our own startups that take up most of our time. 
Dom: I work on my own traveller app 
Asanka: I manage a marketing consultancy startup. 

What do you do in your free time? 

Dom: I feed my passion for world cuisines.
Asanka: I produce music. 

What advice would you give someone trying to break into the radio game? Back in the day when we started, this wasn’t the most acceptable profession. It was always labelled as a part-time job or a hobby by parents who dreamed of their kids becoming Doctors, Lawyers or Engineers. But now we’re glad it has become a respectable and rewarding profession with many avenues for growth and we encourage those wanting to enter the industry to give it a shot!

What do you hope to achieve in the next five years? A lot of people believe that after 10 years in radio its customary to either get into politics or start their own radio station, but we have learnt that you’re only as good as the station you belong to.