African TV Journalists on the Move

Bush Radio in partnership with the Deutsche Welle Akademie is currently (18 – 28 July 2011) holding a training workshop at the Bush Radio training facilities to a selected group of talented television journalists, camera operators and technicians from several television stations in Africa. The workshop aims to enable African journalists to “tell their stories” by producing professional TV reports and documentaries, and consequently offering their audiences an African perspective on relevant issues such as environmental protection, economic development, poverty reduction, health, education and good governance.

There are a diverse number of objectives that the workshop aims to achieve, including the improvement of the individuals skills as well as the promotion of African perspectives on social, economic and developmental issues. Trainers, Thomas Rehermann, Robert Donauer, Florian Kroker and Jan Bruck are doing their very best to ensure that the best training is being provided to the participants.

In the first stage the participants are divided up into teams consisting of a journalist, one camera operator and one picture editor. These teams are then given tasks and at the end of the workshop they are requested to produce at least one broadcast-quality report.

The workshop also aims to enhance reporting abilities, including, story selection, research, production organisation, camera work, the basic principles of editing, storytelling and writing for television.

Stages two and three are even more exciting than stage one. In stage two the team who produces the best report in stage one is identified, and then invited to develop these reports in co-operation with editors and technicians from Deutsche Welle-TV. Deutsche Welle will then distribute the reports through various channels to an international audience.

Stage three then allows the top 20 participants the opportunity to visit Germany. During this period, they will exchange views with decision-makers and opinion leaders, in order for authentic African perspectives on international issues to be discussed. This visit will also give participants the chance to learn more about German and European opinions about current issues.

The excitement of the participants is apparent at Bush Radio. Siraaj Larney from Cape Town TV said, “I have truly enjoyed the training thus far. It has broadened my knowledge and it has helped me build my confidence.”

Another participant, Anna Nicodemus from Namibia said, “I have been a journalist for quite some time, and I thought I knew all the tricks to journalism, up until this training. I will definitely be taking back a great wealth of knowledge with me. I hope that I will make it to Germany.”

Pennipher Sikainda from Muvi TV in Zambia said that the course has been excellent thus far, especially because it has been focusing on the training of TV production. She also said that the theme of the course “Africa On The Move” is wonderful since they have seen few stories depicting growth both socially and economically. She said that the lectures are fantastic, because they are sharing great tips that she could use to meet international broadcasting standards.

Richard Khoviwa from Malawi Broadcasting Corporation, said, “I have learnt many things with regard to editing and production. This is indeed useful to me because I deal with technical issues on a regular basis at my company.”

Related posts:

Local journalists get world-class TV training

Lights, Camera, Action

Covering all your media training needs

Making every minute count – #madiba67

Bush Radio staff and interns devoted their 67 minutes of work for Mandela Day to St Anne’s Homes on Monday the 18th July 2011. The team spent the morning face painting, story-telling and playing. The children also received soup (kindly donated by Cyrildene Fisher) and party packets at the end of the morning.

The team enjoyed themselves, and have signed on to to arrange even more of these activities in future.

Related posts: Lending a helping hand

All pictures: A.Louw

An afternoon of black popes, making up words and Grahamstown cockroaches

An afternoon of laughter and good comedy brought the crowd to a standstill on Sunday, the 10^th July 2011 when Bush Radio in partnership with Vodacom hosted the Bush Radio & Vodacom Community Funny Festival at the Joseph Stone Auditorium in Athlone.

Following many days and hours of hard work and planning, the afternoon kicked off with great entertainment by artists and groups including Heal the Hood together with Emile YX?, upcoming SA artist Sylvester, recording artist Denyschia, freestyler Xola X and the renowned Claire Phillips. These performances were then followed by laughter and fun from comedians Mum-z, Dalin Oliver and Wayne Mckay.

The Wrong Rock Show at Roskilde 2011

Roskilde Festival in Denmark, first staged in 1971, is the largest North European culture and music festival and attracts about 75,000 festival goers every year (excluding day-visitors). It is run by a non-profit association, assisted by 25,000 volunteers and every year it donates all profits to humanitarian and cultural purposes. This year, a Bush Radio t-shirt was also spotted walking around the festival site between 30 June and 3 July, when Botha of the Wrong Rock Show attended the festival for a second time.

The Orange Stage has become the symbol of the Roskilde Festival

While the headline acts are always the biggest attraction for the majority of music fans attending, the value of the four-day festival is the exposure fans get to different genres and artists. South Africa was represented this year by Shangaan Electro, who had a stunned crowd on their feet before they knew it, and as the beats got faster and faster no-one could even think of stopping for air. Bands in the 2011 line-up that have been played on the Wrong Rock Show included PJ Harvey, Swans, The Strokes, Battles, Kings Of Leon, The Raveonettes, Congotronics vs. Rockers, TV On The Radio, Zun Zun Egui, The Walkmen, Iron Maiden, Lykke Li, Weekend, Anna Calvi, Kurt Vile & The Violaters, Spids Nøgenhat, Screaming Females and The Ex.

Shangaan Electro had the crowd on their feet (left) and legendary Bassekou Kouyate from Mali played with Afrocubism

While at the festival, Botha also recorded a special Finnish Wrong Rock Show with Henrik Gustafsson and Jan Larsson, two music gurus who respectively attended their 14^th and 22^nd Roskilde Festivals!  This special episode will be broadcast tonight (11 July 2011) between 10PM and midnight, and will feature two hours of rock music from Finland not often heard outside Northern Europe. For more information, visit the show’s Facebook page.

PJ Harvey was one of the highlights for the alternative rock fans (left) and the Swans put up one of the best concerts of the festival to a small group of hardcore fans

Win a BlackBerry with Bush Radio and Vodacom Community Funny Festival

Do you want to be the lucky winner of a Blackberry cell-phone?

Well, all you need to do is purchase a ticket to the Vodacom Community Funny Festival taking place on the 10^th July 2011 at the Joseph
Stone Auditorium from 4pm-6pm.

You will automatically be entered into a lucky draw to win a BlackBerry 8520 (Ruby Red). The winning ticket will be drawn during the event, so hold onto that ticket and be there!

Come along to experience an evening of laughter and fun. (see details of the acts CLICK HERE)

Bush Radio’s Calvin Peters and Dr Victor Davids will also be doing their programmes live from the event, so you can get to meet some of the Bush staff, volunteers and trainees.

Special prizes like cellphones, t-shirts etc will also be given away during the event.

To purchase your tickets contact Bush Radio on (021) 448 5450.

Tickets will only cost you R40 for adults and R20 for children under the age of 12 (parental guidance advised).

Facebook event page: http://on.fb.me/kwuNbE