But it was the power of talkback, which became apparent during his early days of hosting a late-night heavy metal program in the '90s, that entrenched his love of the medium.

"I started doing weekly topics like teenage suicide, alcohol and drugs that directly affected the kids who were listening. Suddenly they had a place where they had a voice and people cared about what they thought."

The veteran presenter wants to promote the same sense of involvement on his weekly program on 97.9FM, which airs on Tuesdays from 4pm.

He sees it as a chance to give ordinary people a voice, "to try and sort out things they see as being wrong or right where they live".

"Those are the things I like to tackle. I know there are loyal listeners who may not call in, but I know they follow the program because later I might get a comment sent through."

When he isn't hosting or preparing for his show, Jman is kept busy studying criminology.

"My ultimate goal is to study law."

Already a radio and audio engineering graduate, he says the challenge of learning is enduring. The law has always been a passion, especially relating to child protection and domestic violence.

"Someone made up my nickname. The J stands for judge because of my study background ... but although I might be the judge, the audience is the jury."