Keeping your voice heard (Sentech & Community Radio)

From Bush Radio Managing Director, Brenda Leonard to all listeners and supporters.

You have probably heard the disturbing news that over 60 community radio and some community television stations across South Africa will have their broadcasting services terminated by Sentech due to the arrears owed by these stations. 

I wish to assure our listeners, friends and supporters that, fortunately, Bush Radio will not be one of these stations. We have managed, through loans and the support of the Department of Communications, to pay our fees to Sentech.

However, we still need to continue with these high monthly payments, and we ask you or your organisations, if you can, in whichever way, to support the station.

This crisis faced by community media raises the issue of the impact of the current economic crisis on media, especially community media.

All businesses have been hard-hit, their advertising campaigns have been cut to the bone, leaving community media out of the loop with potential advertisers. The same is true of funders, who have either cut their budgets or changed their funding priorities. 

Community media needs the assistance of government, civil society, the NGO community and business to ensure its survival as a vital service for the upliftment or the various communities they serve.

In the meantime, we ask our listeners, friends and supporters if you have any fundraising ideas, place a comment with your details below, or email ideas@bushradio.co.za . If you would like to make a donation, please see our bank details here.

We thank you for your contribution.

Yours sincerely

Brenda Leonard