Radiobiz

After five weeks of singing, dancing and acting, Lotus FM and Chatsworth centre hosted the Grand Finale of the Chatsworth’s got talent competition. 16 year old Anneline J Govender walked away with the title and a R12 000 cash prize. Lotus FM presenter Lloyd Paul, said he was happy that Anneline won. “I am happy that she won. I knew that it would be her from her first audition”.  Asked what she would do with the money Govender said she would put it in a savings account for her future.

A firm crowd favourite, the Durban born singer further said the most exciting moment of the competition was definitely the win and thanked Lotus FM and Chatsworth centre for the opportunity to make her dreams come true.  Other winners included “SAChina” a group comprising of Jani Sabeso, Sphelele Dhengu, Mzi Mtono and Kwazikwakhe Jani who were second runner up. Beat boxer Branon Joseph came third.

Lotus FM Marketing Manager, Donne Henry said, “I was stunned, firstly by the talent that Phoenix has and even more taken back by the hundreds of people who lined up, cheering and routing for their favourite contestants.   It was quite evident that this community initiative has taken the Chatsworth by storm, and Lotus FM will definitely think of making this an annual event.

Source: SABC

By Abongile Zizi  

In a country nearing complete readiness for Digital Terestrial Television (DTT), the same transition for radio is still far off. This is because digital radio would only be a necessity if all analogue frequencies were full and no more FM stations could be licensed. It is a misconception that analogue radio will have to give way for a digital transition, the question then becomes, what does digital migration mean for radio?

South African radio audiences seem satisfied with the current AM and FM signals which are analogue and widely used for radio broadcasts. The obvious advantage that goes without stating is that with the digital migration more radio channels can be accommodated on the spectrum.  This gives room for radio to grow and diversify to cater to a variety of interests and audiences.  Radio stations are moving to using digital equipment in production but this does not translate to a readiness. Currently, ICASA is working on revising the Frequency Migration Plan for South Africa as the implementation of DTT has a notable influence on radio frequencies. Because of DTT, ICASA has to now efficiently plan how they allocate frequencies to radio communications. The regulator has already approved two digital technologies for digital radio in South Africa: Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) and Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM).

Debates around the type of technology to be implemented for a move to digital radio are pivotal in understanding what a possible radio migration would entail. Part of the appeal of radio is that unlike television, it is an exclusively audio based medium. Some digital radio standards allow for data streams to accompany the audio in the form of text with programme information and web-cam like pictures of DJ’s or advertising, this change the exclusively audio element of radio.

As a country far from an audio digital migration, it is fair to note that digital audio is being delivered to audiences through other mediums. In a paper titled “Challenges and perspectives of digital migration for African media, Professor Guy Burger, Director for Freedom of Expression and Media Development at UNESCO states; “Even if digital terrestrial broadcasts for radio do take root in African countries, eventually it is likely that audio will actually travel via a patchwork of technologies, such as satellite for remote areas, and cell phones for outdoor listening, while indoors would be via internet or even digital TV.”

It is an exciting time for the country with the strides we have made in relation to DTT and although digitised radio signals are still far off in terms of implementation, digital technology in the country is revolutionising radio from production to reception.

East London in the Eastern Cape was abuzz this past weekend for the first time the South African Traditional Music Achievers Awards took place in the province. At a star studded affair that attracted many traditional music lovers ranging from politicians, traditionalists and SABC TV celebrities.

Local SABC station Umhlobo Wenene FM walked away with two awards for Best Traditional Music Radio Program (PBS) and Best Traditional Radio DJ for Saba Mbixane’s show, Lavutha Ibhayi. Mbixane was also nominated for Best Traditional Radio DJ for PBS and Traditional Music Radio Program, he won both awards.

In other categories, Inanda FM’s Mzothule Shembe walked away with Best Community Radio DJ, Best Traditional and Cultural News Journalist for Print media went Charles Khuzwayo of Isolezwe while Best Traditional and Cultural News Journalist (Electronic Media) went to Sphamandla Goge.

The award ceremony is an all-inclusive annual celebration of South African Traditional Music Achievers with categories ranging from Best Sicathamiya to Best Boeremusiek. The SATMA’s were founded in 2005 in order to uplift honour and promote traditional music and musicians across racial and ethnic backgrounds. Since inception, the SATMA awards were hosted in Kwa-Zulu Natal at the Durban ICC. This year, the event was an equal success after having been moved to the Eastern Cape. This year’s SATMA ambassador was afro pop artist Ntando Bangani who calls the Eastern Cape home.

The awards were hosted in partnership with the Eastern Cape Provincial Government, SABC, National Heritage Council of South Africa (NHC), Ilanga newspaper, Premier Hotels Group and the Buffalo City Metro.

For the full list of winners follow this link: http://www.satmaawards.co.za/docs/Winners%202012.pdf

ADJUDICATION NO: 51/A /2012

NAME OF PROGRAMME: SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT, 21h58 ON 2.10.2012

BROADCASTER: SABC 3

COMPLAINANT: TANYA BOSHOFF

ADJUDICATOR: BCCSA ADJUDICATOR

COMPLAINT

Complaint that promo showed the method how to smoke Tik at a time when children could still have formed part of the audience.

APPLICABLE RULE

Clause 6(1) of Free-to-Air Broadcasting Code of Conduct:

Broadcasting service licensees must not broadcast material which is harmful or disturbing to children at times when a large number of children are likely to be part of the audience.

ADJUDICATION

[1] The complaint refers to a promo for a Special Assignment episode that was broadcast on 2 October 2012 at 21h58. The complainant contends that an explicit scene shows exactly how to smoke Tik. The complaint reads as follows.“Promo showing how a woman abuses the drug Tik. Visually shows the woman (supposedly a mother) putting the drug, Tik, into the pipe, lighting it, and smokingit. No warning was given of the nature of this promo prior to the promo being shown. People are not able to decide whether they want to see how this drug is abused by watching the “Special Assignment” show. People already see the sensitive content of the show promoted without any warning. Most teenagers are still awake after watching the TV show “The Good Wife” and would have caught the promo straight after the show. Previous addicts could also be watching TV and would not want to be reminded of this. This promo is so graphic that someone who does not know how this drug is abused suddenly is taught how to abuse it. Not everybody wants to see the show, but now everybody is subject to the sensitive content of the show unexpectedly. Surely this content can be kept for when the show is aired after warning of its content. I assume the reason for the show is: 1. awareness to try and combat the Tik addiction in the Cape flats; and 2. awareness of an increase in Tik babies due to addicted mothers, but airing such content in an promo defeats the object. This promo is harmful to the general public and in my opinion must be amended to not show such harmful content.”

The broadcaster responded as follows: “The promo for Special Assignment was broadcast well into the watershed period at 22:00. The promo displayed the episode’s advisory of PG13. We submit that there has been no contravention of the BCCSA Code.” I watched the promo and understand the complainant’s concern about the scene showing the direct use of Tik. However, it must be borne in mind that Special Assignment is a current affairs investigative documentary series, with the aim to uncover the truth about news events and the people involved in them. The promo in question can be described as cautionary since it is quite clear that it relates to a film intended for adult audiences which will be broadcast after the start of the watershed. It is also clear that the destructive effects of drug abuse will be addressed in the programme and that people who use Tik need to carefully consider their behaviour and the consequences of their actions. Typical of the genre of television advertising, the scene is also very fleeting of nature. The Code of Conduct specifies that promotional material which contains explicit scenes intended for adult audiences must not be broadcast before the watershed period. In this case the promo was broadcast after the watershed and the programme’s advisory of PG13 was displayed.

The issue of drug abuse is of great importance and concern to our nation, and part of the educative and informative task of the SABC is to reflect reality accurately and to raise awareness about destructive behaviour. However, as long as such behaviour is not presented as the norm, or approved of, it may serve an educational purpose. In the case of the scene under discussion, the promo makes it clear that the behaviour of the character is definitely not approved of and the use of drugs is not glamorised, condoned or encouraged. The complainant raises the concern that many teenagers could still have been in the audience after watching “The Good Wife”. It is possible, but in today’s world, it becomes more and more difficult to shield teenagers (and younger children) from the social ills of society and it serves no purpose to turn a blind eye on reality. One of the aims of current affairs programmes is to open the eyes of viewers to the dangers of life, a task which is not always sufficiently addressed by parents with regard to their children. The media provide a context for interpreting the world around us. This is one of the consequences of living in a media-saturated society and also the reason why content advisories are provided. In this case, if children under the age of 13 were exposed to the promo accidentally, hopefully they would not have understood the scene for what it was, which would reduce the possibility of imitation.

The legal test in determining whether material is permissible or not, is based on whether the reasonable viewer, who is broadminded, balanced and not overly sensitive, would allow the material to be available to other viewers even if he or she would not choose to be exposed to it. The contemporary South African level of tolerance is thus taken into account, as well as the contemporary mores of society. The test is not whether the BCCSA would regard material as appropriate or not, the question is whether the broadcaster has exceeded the limits of its freedom of expression. In this case the promo may seem risqué, but is not sufficiently over the edge to be in breach of the Broadcasting Code. In case children or teenagers were exposed to it, it might even have provided an opportunity for parents to discuss the consequences of drug abuse with them. The complainant mentions that “previous addicts could also be watching TV and would not want to be reminded of this”.

Cases where a complaint is lodged on behalf of other people are difficult to judge since it is unknown what these people’s reaction might have been or whether they are even aware of the broadcast. It would be presumptuous for the BCCSA to come to a decision without hearing their personal views. Broadcasters should nonetheless bear in mind that children and teenagers may form part of the audience at any time and exposure to promos are effectively impossible to control because there is no schedule available for when they are shown. Although the scene in question is fleeting, it was nevertheless quite clear. The broadcaster is urged to be extremely careful in the choice of clips that are used in promos and in the choice of timeslots for promos carrying disturbing material of any nature. In the result, no contravention of the Code could be found and the complaint is not upheld.

SOURCE: BCCSA

RSG celebrates 75 years of Afrikaans radio with a couple of surprises and glimpses into yesteryear.  For an hour Losplip disappeared and former RSG presenter Nickie Van Der Burg kicked off this action packed weekend.  For two hours listeners reminisced about their memories from steam to internet radio. Other surprises include the news bulletins being read by the beloved Riaan Cruywagen who started his career on RSG.

75 years is a long time on air and many on- air personalities have been part of the RSG family.  People like Marius du Plooy, Dawid van Lill, Nic de Jager, Gerda Coetzee, Anita Armand, Monica Breed, Dolf van Niekerk, Corrie Huyser, Daniel Hugo, Barbara Jooste Jan Snyman and Pieter de Bruyn will be gracing the airwaves on the RSG frequency once more. Part of the programming includes a lot of guests who made a considerable contribution to the station programming over the years like Marx Du Preez a forerunner of talk radio.  The station has come a long way since the days of a B service broadcast from the Union Buildings in Pretoria.

During the course of the weekend, listeners will also be entertained by the likes of Leon Schuster and Cobus Robinson. Sports lovers are also in for a treat, many of the sports commentators and presenters that have graced the airwaves under the banner of RSG have an action packed sporting afternoon planned.  Radio in South Africa is still a very powerful medium; stations like RSG are changing with the times, a walk down memory lane will serve to remind us all why RSG is still the one.

source: RSG

CASE NUMBER: 49/2012

DATE OF HEARING: 11 OCTOBER 2012

DATE OF ISSUE OF JUDGMENT: 19 OCTOBER 2012

J COMPLAINANT

vs

HEART 104.9 FM RESPONDENT

TRIBUNAL: Prof Henning Viljoen (Deputy Chairperson)

Dr Linda Venter

Ms Zenobia Africa (Co-opted member)

The Complainant was invited but was unable to attend.

For the Respondent: Mr Vernon Adams (Programme Manager)

Complaint that the privacy, dignity and reputation of the Complainant had been impaired by the Broadcaster – personal information about the Complainant was disclosed regarding her divorce – although her name was not mentioned, the presenter described her as the ex-wife of the presenter’s only brother – Tribunal finding that Complainant was sufficiently identified and finding that dignity and reputation of Complainant had been impaired by being portrayed by presenter as someone who came into marriage with nothing but relieved her husband of everything at the divorce – the fact that the topic of discussion was of public interest did not save the Broadcaster from a finding of contravention of clause 15(1) of the Code – complaint upheld and a fine of R 5 000 imposed – J vs Heart 104.9FM, Case no: 49/2011(BCTSA).

SUMMARY

A complaint was received by the Complainant that her privacy, dignity and reputation had been impaired by the Broadcaster during a Morning Show when a discussion was broadcast about pre-nuptial contracts. During the show a copresenter in an emotional outburst quoted the divorce of her only brother as an example why she is in favour of pre-nuptial contracts. During the discussion personal information about the Complainant was disclosed regarding her divorce. Although her name was not mentioned, the presenter described her as the ex-wife of her brother. Evidence before the Tribunal is that the presenter is a popular person with a large Facebook following. The Tribunal found that the Complainant was sufficiently identified because some of her friends, family and colleagues phoned her after the broadcast to tell her that personal information regarding her divorce had just been disclosed in the broadcast. The Tribunal found that the dignity and reputation of the Complainant had been impaired by being portrayed by the presenter as someone who came into the marriage with nothing, but relieved her husband of everything at the divorce. The fact that the topic of discussion (prenuptial contracts) was of public interest, did not override the rights of the Complainant. The Tribunal found a contravention of clause 15(1) of the Code. The complaint was upheld and a fine of R 5 000 imposed.

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Click here for the full judgement: http://www.bccsa.co.za/images/hearings/JUDGEMENTS2012/PDF/HEARTFM/case%20no%20-%2049-2012.pdf

The job involves selling premium advertising space on our website to suitable clients. You will be required to identify and contact clients, set up meetings, present and close deals.

Job description

• We are looking for well-spoken, energetic and dynamic sales professionals to sell online advertising space.
• Suitable candidates who are highly motivated, self-starters and target driven need to apply.
• Candidates must have a proven track record with own vehicle
• Previous face-to-face sales experience is necessary.
• The person will be responsible for driving new and existing sales to both agencies and client direct.
• Initiate contact with potential advertisers; maintain relationships with customers and explaining the advertising opportunities offered by Radiobiz.
• Act as the liaison between clients and Radiobiz and perform various other duties in facilitating the relationship with clients.
• You will be required to make your own appointments during the morning and afternoons in order to fill your diary with your five daily appointments
• You will have to reach monthly sales targets in order to qualify for commission

Successful applicants will have strong presentation skills, be driven by meeting sales targets, have extensive knowledge of the media industry and have an existing client base within the mass market both within agency and client directly

Personal Skills/Attributes

The ability to meet sales targets
Increase revenue streams with existing clients
Creatively identify new revenue streams
Customise and implement specific solutions for key clients
Strong people skills
Team player

Reporting capabilities

Education level: Matric or similar
Own transport required: Yes
Type: Permanent

Remuneration: Basic plus Commission

If you believe that you meet the requirements, e-mail your CV to info@radiobiz.co.za

Closing Date: 30 November 2012

By Abongile Zizi

Immediate, live and area specific, these are some of the aspects of radio that have been drastically changed by the growth of radio podcasts, cell phones and PVRs. Internet access in South Africa has grown rapidly with the growing use of smart phones and the influence this growth has had on media consumption and production is unmistakable.

Researchers put the numbers of South Africans with access to the internet at roughly 39% of the urban population and 27% of the rural bearing in mind that these figures are growing daily. With the integral relationship being formed by radio stations with their audiences through social media, the ability to reach segments of these audiences who are outside the immediate broadcast area speaks directly to the rise of radio consumption because the location barrier is broken.  Cellphones and PVR are a driving force in the breaking of the broadcast location barrier. Growing internet access and the creation of cellphone applications allows us to listen to audio streams of our favourite radio channels on the go and from anywhere in the country. PVR has introduced a dynamic to media production that allows for audiences to record their favorite television programs and watch them at their own leisure; this creates an opportunity for them to catch live radio broadcasts while recording television content for later viewing.

Podcasting has introduced another dimension to the consumption of radio.  Traditionally radio broadcasts were live, thus making them immediate and limiting the impact of content to the people listening to the radio at that specific time. The ability to access segments of broadcast material long after the fact and at audiences’ own leisure has increased the “shelf life” of radio content. Content is easily accessible for download and reaches a wider audience and thus has the potential for greater impact.  Youtube has also revolutionized content consumption and content shelf life. Earlier this year, 702’s Redi Thlabi had an interview with President Jacob Zuma that was simulcast on air and youtube, the interview was then podcast and was available on a myriad of platforms after it aired live. This is just one example of how these mediums can be used to further influence the consumption of radio content.

The evolution of radio consumption has run parallel with the growing accessibility to the internet and modern technologies. The incorporation of online media into traditional ways of broadcasting is an evolution on its own when considering its implications on content production, branding and advertising. Accessibility plays a major role in the steady rise of radio consumers in the country at all levels and this has been demonstrated by the SAARF RAMS released in August 2012. These show a steady climb in radio consumption.  They also showed that the percentage of people listening to radio through other devices had increased by 24.7% for cellphones and 3.7% through the internet. Content production trends are evolving rapidly to cater to the changing radio landscape and the shifting consumption patterns.  It looks like radio is evolving and the transformation is a site to behold.

By Helen Phushela

All-news radio is a form of a 24hour News radio station.  Unlike television which caters for the eye, radio writes for the ear, where producers and show compilers need to create an image in the listeners mind. 24Hour radio news broadcast would require most, if not all to adapt and make longer than 15minute news bulletins. This form of 24hour news has already been introduced in the United States where they have all round radio news stations. In South Africa we have what is called Talk/News radio stations. Talk Radio 702 and Cape talk, SAfm etc. all these stations play music to an extent.

A 24hour radio news station might sound like a good idea, if all is taken into account.  Graveyard shifts would be re-runs of day time heated debates about current affairs. With political developing stories daily, the station would have the leverage of breaking news. Writing for the ear would prove to be a challenge as people need to visualise the scene or the situation that is described by the reporter. In journalism broadcast jargon this would be referred to as “Say what you see”.  The reporter solely relies on good written scripts to pass the message to the listener.

Pro’s of radio as a medium

Radio is the second oldest form of media; it is usually overlapped by television capabilities. Radio is still the largest mobile medium, which allows people to interact with hosts.Cell phones and online radio station archives allow for the public to take radio with them everywhere they go. With the Digital Terrestrial age, radio will also experience change. Radio stations such as Metro Fm will use the same frequency country wide. This influences frequency distribution thus making room for a 24hour radio news channel.

Con’s of 24hour radio station

Radio as a medium has been compromised in its traditional form, instead of it being dominant with people choosing to use it as a news source people now use the internet. 24Hour radio news station will have to compete with Graveyard shift DJs who already have a fan base. With the new nature of station hopping, the content of the station would have to cater to everyone. “Strike while the iron is hot” motto will not apply to the station programming, 7pm breaking news will be stale at 10pm. As other news channels would have exhausted all the story angles.

Radio capitalises on current affairs and breaking news, as a short written medium.  A 24hour news radio station would only appeal to a certain segment of the audience and with the changing news consumption patterns, a 24 hour news radio channel would need to break news constantly in order to compete with the internet. For a 24hour news radio station to survive it must never be news starved, to guarantee success and increased listenership

By Helen Phushela

On the 1st of October 2012 the public broadcaster (SABC) deepened its partnership with money-web the AltX-listed media company. The relationship between the SABC and money-web started when business radio was introduced in South Africa back in April 1997. That was when SA fm launched Market Update, hosted by Alec Hogg. He was then the SABC head of news input for SABC TV.

In the past Money-web outsourced its sales operation to United Stations in 2006 November. Money-web CEO Alec Hogg stated that the relationship between them was successful and united stations played a big role in building their brand.  Money-web has been handling SABC s daytime radio business shows since 2004, they will now in addition to that provide breaking business, investment and personal finance reports within RSG, SAFM and LOTUS FM programming. This will also expand to SABC owned stations. The SABC stated that it only made sense that money-web take over the sole responsibility for the public broadcaster’s sales. Hence it is a mutual beneficial agreement helping mostly empower and educate the 20million SABC listeners in South Africa.

The previously provided shows will remain while new changes are brought to is light, with hour long phone in programs concentrating on personal finance. These will be aired by RSG and Lotus FM.  As much as every person in South Africa is well aware of the financial constraints that the country going through, educating people on it is still vital, most people relay on the public broadcasters radio stations for news and information. The partnership between the two bodies will benefit the majority in South Africa. The popular Gildsake met Money-web on RSG has been on air for 8yrs, hosted by Andries Van Zyl. Gildsake has by far the highest listener-ship of any business show in the country. Its time slot switched from 5pm to 6:30pm during the radio revamp in April. The AltX-listed company’s relationship with Lotus fm has been refined; the previous 15minute programme has been replaced by more integrated offering with six business news updates.

Money-web is an inter-grated media company that focuses on producing independent and high quality investment information. Half of the company’s revenue is generated by their internet properties; the balance is divided almost equally between radio and print. It is South Africa’s most dominant online source of online investment information. Their online revenue is generated by their international brand moneyweb.com. Money-web produces leading South African radio finance shows. They offer independent thinking financially which now all South Africans will benefit from, through this strengthened relationship with the SABC. This can only mean fruitful and great outcome for those involved.

Source: Moneyweb.co.za