In January 2004, East Coast Radio Newswatch teamed up with well-known Consumer journalist, Wendy Knowler, to launch Consumerwatch. This exciting new feature first aired on 15 January and goes out on a weekly basis at 1.40pm. In it, Wendy Knowler tackles various consumer issues. And incidentally, in the first six months of Consumerwatch airing, an extra 50 000 East Coasters tuned in to listen to the show!

Wendy - who has some 20 years experience as a journalist - began focusing on Consumer issues in 1998 in the Mercury’s column, Taking Issue. In 2003 she embarked on a second weekly column, Consumer Watch for the Daily News.

She has since received national recognition for her consumer journalism. In 2002, Wendy won a regional journalism award for a piece she wrote on how a major national chain store hoodwinked its accountholders into acquiring funeral policies.

She also scooped a national Vodacom award in 2003 for a Fair Lady feature on domestic workers. In 2005, she was voted the DTI’s Consumer Champion in the Journalism category, while in 2007, she was a finalist in the same category.

In September 2004, Wendy left the Independent Newspapers stable after a rich 17-year history - to join the crew at Fair Lady.

In April 2006, Wendy returned to the newspaper world, re-joining Independent Newspapers as Consumer Editor. Her weekly columns appear in the Daily News, Cape Times, Pretoria News and The Star.

Wendy also writes a monthly column for Metro Beat magazine.

But as far as radio is concerned, Wendy is East Coast Radio’s watchdog!