Ten years after signing off from his last radio show, former award winning radio personality and station head Cruz Teng makes a return, resuming the role of a bilingual host for digital content and ‘live’ events, and launching his own content and communications consultancy DZY.
The DZY Show is now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and major streaming platforms. With new episodes weekly, the podcast features entertainment commentary, behind-thescenes stories, news analysis and reflections from his career in media and the corporate world.
The show will mirror the tone of his former morning broadcast — light-hearted yet thoughtprovoking and with substance beneath the humour.
In the debut episode titled: “10 Years Away from Radio: What Has Cruz Teng Been Up To?”, Cruz shares how he once oversaw a seven-figure brand and communications budget and had to provide regular management updates. He had his team prepare a monthly “show-off slide”, highlighting key performance metrics such as brand awareness, public sentiments and share of voice. He encourages listeners to do the same — to regularly track and showcase their own progress, not just for external validation, but to recognise their own achievements and invest time and resources in areas that really matter.
DZY, representing Cruz’s Chinese name in hanyu pinyin, Ding Zhiyong, is the culmination of his three-decade journey in media and communications. He said: “Most people seem to know me by my Chinese name. I’d introduce myself as Cruz, and months later someone would suddenly go, ‘Wait, you’re Ding Zhiyong? Why didn’t you say so earlier?’”
The consultancy will provide strategic and tailored counsel for C-suite and emerging leaders to help them navigate public speaking engagements, media interviews and crisis communications with greater clarity and confidence. In its early phase, DZY will focus on supporting small and medium enterprises and startups, along with their leadership teams.
Having started his career behind a microphone, Cruz believes deeply in the power of voice and the art of telling a good story. “Whether you’re a shy executive, an overwhelmed spokesperson or someone with an incredible story yet to be told, DZY can be your starting point,” he said.
From 1996 to 2015, Cruz was one of the most recognisable voices in Singapore, producing and anchoring iconic radio broadcasts and a television talk show. A four-time recipient of the Most Popular Radio Personality award, he was appointed station head in 2013 and delivered higher year-on-year core audience ratings and advertising revenue.
Cruz said: “It has been a privilege to work behind the scenes and support numerous CEOs, whom I deeply admire and respect. Being in the trenches shaping strategy and managing outcomes has been very fruitful and memorable. However, the desire to connect with the masses hasn’t diminished. Radio shaped who I am, but podcasting could very well let me be who I have become – wiser, with a few more battle scars and certainly a lot more to say.”