Radiobiz

[by Abongile Zizi]

Community radio in South Africa is enjoying a strong foothold on audiences that is growing daily. SAARF RAMS released in August 2012 show that community radio listenership sits at 8720’000 listeners. Around the same time last year, total community radio listenership sat at 84466’000. These numbers indicated a slight growth from 24.8% to 25.0%. A single percentile might not seem like a drastic jump but the steady and consistent climb of this type of radio is very telling of the impact community radio is starting to have on audiences. The consistent growth of community radio is due to a myriad of factors that intrinsic to its very nature. The existence of agencies like the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) which give financial and structural support to community based media organisations has created a fertile environment for community radio to flourish. Earlier this year, the oldest community radio station in South Africa, Bush Radio experienced severe financial difficulties; this is not a unique situation. Many community radio stations experience financial difficulties because they are funded through grants, sponsorships and the little advertising revenue they generate.

Community radio is for the community, by the community. In this instance community is a broad term as it refers to both geographical communities and communities of interest. Catering to a niche market is part of the reason why there’s a growing listenership base for community radio.  Within communities localised media serves to create a common ground for the group to explore their shared concerns in depth and on their own terms be it through language, religion or shared geography. Within geographical communities, community radio further extends the already intimate relationship that radio stations share with their listeners as it speaks directly to their needs in a language they can understand.

While PBS and Commercial radio cater to a multitude of interests that are relevant to their target market, the ground level approach and localised content provided by community radio has a stronger appeal to audiences because of the localisation of the content. The foothold that Commercial and PBS stations had on audiences has been shaken by community radio because these stations compete with them for audiences and enjoy somewhat of an advantage.

Currently, there are over a hundred community radio stations in South Africa, these stations cater to multiple communities with multiple needs. In community radio not only is content aligned with national interest, content approach is focused on localised impact. Isolated communities have found a voice though community radio. Most community radio stations are made up of volunteers from the community who can be seen as a representation of the community within which these stations function. They also nurture raw talent by affording interested community members an environment to learn and grow as radio presenters, producers, reporters and newsreaders. Radio personalities like Metro FM’s DJ Sbu and 702 Talk Radio’s Niall Collie started off at community radio level. Community radio not only trains and produces media practitioners who can rival those of PBS and commercial stations, it gives communities a voice.

Sources: MDDA, SAARF

Picture taken from: www.Bushradio.wordpress.com

This month, renowned financial journalist and Radio personality Bruce Whitefield will be joining CNBC Africa. The television news channel will be introducing two new shows Squawk with Bruce Whitefield and Share Shootout. Chief Editor at CNBC Africa, Godfrey Mutizwa said the appearance of Bruce Whitefield was a testament to the channel’s commitment to work with only the best in financial journalism. “Bruce brings with him a story-telling ability matched by few and a wealth of industry experience earned over nearly two decades.

Whitefield has won multiple awards for his work in print, radio and television. The awards include a Sanlam Financial Journalist of the year award, Citadel and Citibank’s South African Financial journalist of the year and MTN awards for best financial broadcaster for three years running.  He also presents The Money Show with on Talk Radio 702 and 567 Cape Talk each weekday between 18h00 and 20h00.

Squawk with Bruce Whitefield is a new show that will be highlighting and analysing important and interesting market events and activities both locally and globally. Every week the show will feature investment experts, fund managers, traders and other investment experts. Bruce will also act as the “sheriff of the shootout” an exciting element of the show that will involve two fund managers or traders who will come in every week and try to convince him and each other why three shares  they live by are worth buying. Bruce will then decide who remains and who is eliminated. .

Don’t miss Squawk with Bruce Whitfield every Thursday at 21:00

Source: DSTV online

Picture taken from: eventsource.co.za

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

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

[Written by Chloe Smith]

Thomas Msengana’s career in radio began at Good Hope FM in Cape Town. It seems like a lifetime ago when Thomas Msengana joined YFM. The year was 1997 and the station had just been launched. co-hosted the Harrambe Show with Lee Kusumba, Msengana was instrumental in communicating the YFM lifestyle, reaching the youth of South Africa through great conversation, a knack for being brave in his own right as a DJ and a love for the radio industry. He left the station in 2006 to join Metro FM. Fast forward to 2012 and the DJ formerly known as Bad Boy T had a candid chat with Radiobiz’s Chloe Smith about YFM then and now ….

Apart from a charming tendency to call me darling whenever the call was breaking up, Thomas Msengana (formerly known as Bad Boy T) is down-to-earth and real in a way that you wouldn’t expect a nationally renowned and loved radio personality to be.

You were with YFM from the inception of the station. What made you decide to throw your lot in with a (then) brand new station? – Randall was the station manager in Cape Town at the time (at Good Hope) and he said to try YFM. It was my first opportunity to get out of Cape Town and I took it.

Do you feel that your experience at YFM helped you grow as a DJ? – Y was a station that was very progressive at the time, brave in its approach to broadcasting. It couldn’t compare to other stations. It had great tactics for gaining listenership. It was true in its essence and what it stood for as a youth station.

Over the last 15 years, how do you feel that the station has grown? – Y is now confined to rules of radio. Back then, YFM was brave enough to play songs that other radio stations weren’t playing, walking away from what record companies suggested they should play. Y and 5 are the same now, which is disappointing.

Do you feel that YFM is catering to their target market? – That’s hard for me to answer to answer cuz (sic) I’m not their target market anymore. Whether they want that style of music or conversation is not for me to say.

You left YFM before the Y Academy was initiated. Do you feel that the programme is providing Young South Africans with an opportunity to break into the radio industry? – Yes definitely. I wish we had an opportunity like that when we were starting radio. But it’s hard to teach someone radio – you either have it or you don’t.  You need to have your own personality, be creative in your own style and find your own style of broadcasting. It’s hard to teach someone that. Everyone sounds the same nowadays and that is the danger of radio. But [the programme] is great thing.

Where do you see YFM in 15 years’ time? – I hope it will go back to basics. Listen to their target market and be brave enough to have its own sound and identity. Sponsors and advertisers will come. Coke was our only advertiser at the beginning – people said the station would never grow. Coke saw the future in the station and I hope they get back in touch with that vision.

The man formerly known as Bad Boy T is a bad boy no more; a married father of two, Thomas says he is now a man who plays golf.

Image sourced from:

http://www.cheektochic.co.za/galleries/picture/africa-cup-polo-2011/414-veuve-7

Exciting events are afoot for Phalaphala FM next month. On the 17^th of November the station will be hosting the first ever Tshivenda Music Awards (TSHIMA) in Thohoyandou.

In a statement, the station manager Mr. Freddy Sadiki said the Awards have been conceptualised and positioned as the annual event that will provide a platform to recognise, promote and reward local artists who pride themselves by singing in their indigenous language, while contributing to the overall growth and development of the entertainment industry in the region.  Sadiki further said that as a public broadcaster, preservation of language, heritage and promotion of indigenous music are the core pillars of their mandate not only through the playlist but by contributing to the growth and development of local artists”.

Nominees in some of the categories have already been chosen and listeners will be able to vote via sms. The results for Best Tshivenda Gospel, Best Tshivenda Tradition, Best Tshivenda Hip-Hop and the Vodacom Power to You Song of the Year will be chosen by listeners while the rest of the categories will be chosen by a panel of judges.

The event is sponsored by Vodacom and Khoroni Hotel.

source: SABC

It is world literacy month and radio stations are stepping up to the challenge of education in our country. The “Midday Spice” on Lotus FM and the Midday show on Ligwalagwala FM are doing their bit to answer to the call of education and literacy.

To assist in the plight of libraries in Kwa-Zulu Natal dealing with book shortages, Lotus FM has embarked on a book drive to assist libraries in and around the province to better cater to the literacy needs of their communities. Lotus Fm’s “Midday Spice” programme hosted by Varshan Sookhun and produced by Pravina Maharaj is the driving force behind the programme. The station has appealed to communities to assist by dropping off any unwanted books at selected libraries in the province be it fiction, non-fiction, encyclopaedias, children’s books or textbooks.

Ligwalagwala FM is taking a different approach to the challenge of education and literacy. For many South Africans, financial difficulties are a common hindrance in the pursuit of higher education. Fourth year Psychology student Khetiwe Munsa has received a much needed boost from Liwalagwala FM. Munsa is a student at the University of Limpopo and the winner of a competition currently being run by the station aimed at financially aiding tertiary students to further their studies. “Vul’ ingcondvo (open your mind)” is a competition hosted by Sweetmike on Ligwalagwala FM’s Midday show and airs every Friday. The station has released a statement detailing the competition as one that encourages students to read books, newspapers and other sources of information to expand their knowledge. Contestants from different tertiary institutions are asked general knowledge questions to win. R10 000 will be paid directly into Munsa’s account who hopes to use the money to register for her Master’s degree next year.

Catch the Midday Show on Ligwalagwala FM, from 12h00 till 14h30 and Lunch with Varshan on Lotus FM daily.

SOURCES: Lotus FM, Ligwalagwala FM

By Abongile Zizi

The role community media can play in improving the communication between local government and communities is a vital one and the Eastern Cape Communication Forum has embarked on a project that is set to strengthen it.  It is the media’s responsibility to be the voice of the people and to bridge the communication gap between government and citizens. Community radio and newspapers have a key role to play in community development through facilitating dialog by spreading information that educates citizens on the inner workings of government and their role in participatory governance.

Established in 2006 the Eastern Cape Communication Forum is a non-governmental organisation playing a vital role in the communication network between media and government in the Eastern Cape, it is within this context that the Municipal Matters reporting project operates.  The project is being run in five municipalities in the area and involves community radio stations and newspapers.  ECCF coordinator, Bongi Bozo says the project is starting to yield good results and is now in its second phase. The first phase of the project involved training reporters from participating media organisations on how to report on municipal matters. This training focused on how government structures are set up and how they function in order to know how to access and disseminate the information. The second phase of the project is the enhancing of citizen participation in government and community engagement in newsrooms.

In the Buffalo City and Nquma municipalities the second phase of the project is well under way.  Community Indabas have been organised in these areas. These spaces of dialog are going to go a long way in fulfilling part of the mandate of the project which is to improve municipal reporting and the community engagement of the small local media organisations involved.