Local journalists get world-class TV training

Bush Radio 89.5FM, in partnership with the Deutsche Welle (DW) Academy, is currently holding a 6-day Community TV and Local News training course (23 – 28 May 2011), for various participants with the aim of strengthening their skills as community television journalists.

The enthusiasm of the trainers, Birgit Keller and Martin Schönian, co-ordinator Christopher Springate and the participants is creating an infectious excitement that can be felt by all at Bush Radio’s studios.

Christopher Springate

Christopher Springate, the course co-ordinator said: “To be specific, we intend to enlighten the participants with their reporting, writing, researching, filming and editing skills.”

Birgit Keller said that as the trainers they are not doing the course to have the participants do things in a certain way, but rather to show them how it works. She also added that they are keen to show the participants how to manage current affairs in order to get ideas on how they can improve.

Birgit Keller

Participants are from various television and radio stations including Bay TV, CTV, Soweto TV, Radio KC, Bush Radio, Community Video Education Trust and the Oguni Solidarity Forum.

Lebogang Kubyane from Soweto TV said: “I am extremely impressed with the course and what it has to offer. The trainers are great people and it is comforting to know that I am able to learn new and interesting things everyday.”

The course started off with a general introduction and ranges from activities like editing vox-pops, writing for television, “on-camera” work and production editing.

Martin Schönian said, “The reason for the course being aimed at community journalists is because they have the responsibility to voice the communities’ opinions more often as opposed to commercial stations. Therefore they need to be highly skilled to do this task.”

Martin Schönian

Birgit Keller gave the final word on the participants and hosts: “I am really impressed with the participants. They are truly bringing forth a great amount of energy and good ideas. I also need to add that it is interesting to be at Bush Radio. The friendly staff and warm welcome which we receive creates a warm and good atmosphere for all.”

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A big thank you to all the participants and facilitators of the Media Kidocracy Konference 2010 (17 – 18 December 2010) who helped make the conference a huge success.

A special word of thanks to the following individuals who gave their time and resources to participate and facilitate the discussions with the participants:

Moenier Hendricks – Homebrew Films

Thabiso Molefe – CTV

Danilo Acquisto – Hectic Nine-9

Craig and Rene – Reconstructed Living Lab (RLabs)

William Razant – Western Cape Musicians Association (WCMA)

Calvin Peters – Entertainment Entrepreneur / Music Producer

Laszlo van Leeuwen – Devign Me

Emile Jansen – Black Noise / Heal the Hood

Chad Saaiman – Stereotype Records

Martin Myers – PR and Marketing

Shiraaz Ismail – Recording Artist / Shaz & B

Chad Lawrence – Recording Artist / Blaque Haze

Patric van Blerk – Cape Town Sound

Colleen Brennon – False Bay College

Jo-Anne Meyer – Ocean View Civic Association

Vuyisa Qabaka – South African Black Entrepeneurs Forum (SABEF)

Rafique Gaibie – Good Hope Meat Hyper

Sive Msolo & Freedom Raphela – Deep Soul Fire

All the staff  and volunteers at Bush Radio especially intern Sabrina Neri.

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