A big thank you to all the biker’s, clubs and individuals who came out to support the launch of the Bush Radio Biker Show Winter Charity drive this past weekend (27 April 2013). Almost 2 tonnes of non-perishable food as well and blankets and clothes were collected!
Please remember the giving does not stop – we will be posting information regarding more collection points in the near future.
Today marks the 20th anniversary of Bush Radio‘s illegal broadcast (25 April 1993) which forced the issue of community broadcasting onto the legislative agenda in South Africa and paved the way for the airwaves to be opened and the development of a vibrant community radio sector.
Within days of the broadcast, authorities (police, members of the security branch and post office officials) seized the station’s equipment and arrested two staff members. Following intense local and international lobbying efforts, however, the case was dismissed and Bush Radio was granted a broadcast license on 1 August 1995.
Winter is approaching fast and to assist those who need help the Bush Radio Biker Show in association with the Wings Motorcycle Club will be launching the BIKER SHOW WINTER CHARITY DRIVE.
The drive will take place on the 27 of April 2013 (Freedom Day) at the Shawco Hall, 12th Avenue Kensington from 1pm to 7pm.
The aim of the Freedom Day event is two-fold: To get 1,000kg of tinned food and 1,000 blankets on the day and to launch the Biker Show Winter Charity Drive. Our ultimate target is 2,000kg of tin food and 2,000 blankets, and a bakkie-load of winter clothing.
Biker’s and non-bikers are welcome to support this event.
Collection points will be pubs, shops, restaurants, churches, etc – are in the process of being identified.
Kensington / Factreton Meals on Wheels Organisation is an organisation that deals with caring for the home-based senior citizens and children. It includes nutritional support, healthcare and general wellbeing.
The Bush Radio Biker Show will also broadcast live from the event.
For more information or to get involved contact Trevor Davids on 074 475 2082
Some of the members of the 2013 CREW radio programmes
Tomorrow, Saturday the 6th April 2013 sees the relaunch of the on-air part of Bush Radio’s Children’s Radio Education Workshop (CREW) project which has been running since 1996.
For the past week at the Bush Radio studios a group of young people drawn from various parts of Cape Town have been receiving introductory radio training and workshopping various topics for the programmes.
The CREW on-air programmes (Tots, Kids and Teens) are produced and hosted by the young people themselves – they are responsible for generating the content. It will be broadcast on 89.5FM as well as online.
Please show your support by calling into the studio on 021 448 6266 or sending an sms to 32158 or via Mxit (go to Tradepost > Entertainment > Radio > Bush Radio.)
The tots start at 9am, kids at 10am and the teens at 11am.
The CREW 2013 project is made possible with the support of FES Media.
To stand a chance of winning the double weekend passes for you and your partner for Friday and Saturday, all you have to do is:
SMS the keyword JAZZ, your name + surname, and the name of one of the local artists performing at the 2013 CTIJF to 32158 by 12pm today (5 April 2013).
The winners will be announced on Sakhisizwe by 12h25 today.
Enter often to increase your chances of winning as this is a lucky draw. You will need to be able to collect your tickets by 3pm today.
UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) has declared the 13th February 2013 as World Radio Day. As Africa’s oldest community radio station project we at Bush Radio fully support this intiative as we believe in the power of radio to help build communities and improve lives.
Whether it is through our Children’s Radio Education Workshop (CREW) launched in 1996 where young people learn to use the medium to develop their skills and understanding of media or one of our programmes like Sakhisizwe – Bou die Nation, Build the Nation or even our specialised music programmes like Blues in the Bush where we connect the music to its roots in Africa – radio plays a vital part in almost everyone’s daily life.
Through technology like internet streamingBush Radio is able to connect to the entire planet with it’s audience not just from Cape Flats but with dedicated listeners in Asia, Europe and the Americas tuning into the station online through computers or mobile phones, Bush Radio truly is more than just FM radio.
The Bush Radio Biker Show was broadcast live from the 2013 Steppies Rally in Hawston this past weekend. Joing the crew for the first time was Bushradionews intern Athenkosi Mvane. We asked him to give us his take on being at a rally for the first time.
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the phrase “biker rally”?
For me, honestly; bad mannered, long-bearded, baseball bat carrying, chain-wielding angry men.
Saturday would have been the day that would have given me concrete evidence that my stereotypes learned from bad-boy movies were true.
I had little sleep the previous night, fantasies of watching tyre burn-outs and drag racing on a long stretch of road had me tossing and turning like a rider on a hair pin bend.
The trip from Cape Town to Hawston felt longer than it was; my eagerness to reach my christening into the forbidden world of two wheelers got the better of me. The picturesque scenery on the drive gave little amusement to my yearning.
Upon our arrival at the Hawston resort, we were signed in by members of the rally hosts, the Stepchildren Motorcycle Club, who showed us the centre of the event and stage.
It was tent next to tent, motorbike after motorbike, braai-stand smoke breathing life into the sea-breeze that whispered relief from the scorching sun that illuminated.
There were high spirits in the main tent as the bikers raved the heat away.
The Bush Radio technical team set up the stage in preparation for the Biker Show’s broadcast from the rally.
This was my first experience of being present during an outside broadcast in my four months with the Bush family.
With the equipment prepared, I headed out into unfamiliar territory and joined the biking community.
Each of the clubs had set up banners displaying their colours and logos, proudly wearing their cuts* adorned with various rally badges.
*A cut-off, also known as a kutte is a type of vest or jacket which originated in the biker subculture
I met club bikers, freelancers and non-bike affiliated supporters of the fraternity.
Richard Appel of Gaansbaai said rallies brought him together with friends from different places who don’t meet for long periods of time.
From the Ikon Cycle Club, Bradley Bruinders said the fellowship of the bikers was a time to be around people who share the same vision and bond. One of their biking team-mates had been biking for 28 years.
Alec Abrahams of Athlone, who has been biking since 1982, said the fellowship of the different clans is what brings him to rallies. “It is something that grew on me since the first time I saw a motorcycle”.
Cuan Edick said his way through biking was unplanned, as he had given a friend some money to buy him a car, and when he had returned home from work, he found a bike instead. “I couldn’t even ride a bike back then” he said.
Jacqui De Doncker said her reason for being at the rally was purely to have fun and to support her biking friends. “The biking community is friendly and they know how to have fun.”
From Atlantis, Cindy Samuels had come to support the hosts Stepchildren, because she found their work in the community amazing. She said, “It makes people see that biking is not about only partying, but about giving back.”
Emile Fredericks from the Claw Riders Club said the biking fraternity is misunderstood by the general public. Their club supports a community crèche with everything the children need; from blankets, to toys and anything that would be of assistance. He boasted that when the Bush Radio Biker Show was started, the Claws were the first club to be invited for an interview.
To my surprise I encountered a club named Friends in Uniform who are police officers. Chantell Mutt chairs the club and said the rallies are one of the ways a cop can relax and have a good time. “The rally is fun, its tons of adrenaline from the sounds of the engines and just being in the company of good friends” Mutt said.
The experience for me was incredible. I got to a first-hand experience in the presence of the “meanies” and realised they are often misjudged by those who don’t understand the brother and sisterhood that exists between riders. They are not the movies’ portrayal of aggression; they are a crowd with big hearts too.
I learnt that there is a body that watches over and holds the clubs accountable which is the Motorcycle Association Western Cape. Under the MAWC registered clubs must adopt a charity of their choice to support.
I learnt that, like in any other group there are rivalries but under the MAWC, clubs that transgress the code of conduct (in which respect for other clubs is part of) are subject to penalties.
I saw no forms of anti-social behaviour at the rally but witnessed an immense amount of friendship, bonding and respect. Although we had to leave while the festivities were still underway I could not have asked for a better way to spend a working Saturday afternoon.
I may have no intention of joining a club soon, but I am converted to the rider lifestyle. Friendship, bikes and rock ‘n roll were the flavour of the day and what happened in Hawston will stay in my mind for a long time.
I want to congratulate the Stepchildren Motorcycle Club on a well-organised and spirited event. I hope this will not be the last time I experience a ride on the wild side.
Over the past few days we have received lots of messages of support and condolences on the passing of our volunteer Roger Lewis who hosted Sensual Sundays. We would like to say thank you. We are posting just a few on the listener tributes to Roger here as well as some of the pics taken at his memorial service.
* This Sunday (2 December 2012) at 12pm, Bush Radio 89.5FM will host a special tribute show to Roger.
Winter is approaching fast and to assist those who need help the Bush Radio Biker Show in association with the Wings Motorcycle Club will be launching the BIKER SHOW WINTER CHARITY DRIVE.
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