Ministers indifferent to the plight of the community radio sector

The National Community Radio Forum issued a press statement after their meeting with the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) yesterday.

The meeting was held to discuss the current crises with regards to the planned closure of certain community radio stations by the broadcasting authority.

READ NCRF STATEMENT 7 November 2019 – Ministers indifferent to the plight of the #communityradio sector

Again Bush Radio is very concerned about these developments and we believe that a closure of one station is worrying. We call upon all parties involved to look for an amicable solution for the continued survival and growth of the community radio sector.

We also encourage communities, individuals, organisations and businesses to support their community radio stations.

Related:

Community Media demands to be heard

Keep your voice alive

Don’t just like what you hear.

The end of revolutionary radio in South Africa?

The end of revolutionary radio in South Africa?

The following is an extract from an article by Dan Corder for Africa is a Country.

“In the small meeting room buried deep within Bush Radio’s second-floor offices on Victoria Road in Salt River, central Cape Town, and lying alongside an ancient Zenith Trans-Oceanic analog radio are two maroon leather cases.

These cases are marked with the iconic golden dog and gramophone logo of His Master’s Voice, formerly the Victor Talking Machine Company. These cases contain original recordings of speeches, debates, poetry, and music performed by South African anti-apartheid activists—those deemed so dangerous that they were banned from gathering or speaking publicly by the then-government.”

READ THE FULL ARTICLE

If you would like to see us continue our work or have been touched by it please show your support through a contribution via our GIVEGAIN campaign or directly into our account:

Bank: Standard Bank
Account Name: Bush Radio
Account Number: 07 122 0194
Branch Name: Mowbray
Branch Code: 004909
Bank address: 37 – 39 Main Road, Mowbray, Western Cape, South Africa, 7700
SWIFT address: SBZA ZA JJ

Related:

Community Media demands to be heard

What Africa’s First Community Radio Project, Bush Radio, Needs

Desperate days for local papers, radio

Capetonians asked to help keep Bush Radio going

Don’t just like what you hear

Keep your voice alive

Young people taking charge of media (MKK 2012)

After intense planning and a busy week the 12th Annual Media Kidocracy Konfrence (MKK2012) came to an end on Friday, the 14th of December 2012.

About 80 youth delegates (aged 12 – 21) drawn from all over the country, SADC and as far away as Northern Ireland attended MKK.

Below are the “products” which showcase how the young people interpreted the various themes outlined for this year. For a large percentage of the delegates this was the first time they had been directly involved in the production of media. A strong element of all the MKK conferences have been linking a practical implementation of ideas generated in the various intensive panel discussions and workshop groups.

This year’s theme was Youth Participation in Democracy, with sub-themes being:

• Youth Rights and Civic Participation – Human Rights
• Economic Freedom – Labour
• My Body, My Choice – Health
• Express Yourself – Arts and Culture
• Who am I – Gender
• My Future World – Environment

Bush Radio would like to thank our partners; the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung – Media (FES Media) for their support as well as The British Council, Media24, Mara Media, CVET, GCIS, Public Acheivement, Samantha Reinders, MAK1 and Netdynamix.

Graffiti

Television

Photography

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Radio (right click and open)

Mini-dramas:

• Act our age – Wear the right clothes
• Listen to our mother
• Dress properly for interviews
• You are what you wear

VOX POP

• Body Art

PSA

• Underage drinking

Online

Newspaper and Cartoon

(NB: 29 MB, right click and save as)

Related:

12th Media Kidocracy Konference kicks off

 

A wrap of the National Community Radio Corporate Governance Indaba

About 400 delegates from various community radio stations in the country attended the National Community Radio Corporate Governance Indaba in Polokwane from the 20th to the 26th of September 2012.

The Department of Communication was in charge of the first two days.  Various speakers addressed the delegates, including Minister of Communications Dina Pule, Director General from the Department of Communication, Ms Rosey Sekese, Chairperson of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) Dr Stephen Ngcube, Sipho Mathedimusa from the South African Revenue Services, Chief Executive Officer of Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) Lumko Mtimde and Chief Director of Government Communications Information System (GCIS), Donald Liphoko.

Portfolio Committee Chairperson on Communication Eric Kholwane said one of the committee’s aim is that by 2014 each municipality has a community station. According to Kholwane it should be government’s responsibility to make sure that community stations are sustainable.

MDDA Chief Executive Lumko Mtimde said they are looking into having a central booking and monitoring system for advertising for all community radio.  MDDA is also planning a community radio museum where it will display old equipment from stations like Bush Radio and Radio Zibonele.

From the 22nd to the 25th September, the National Electronic Media Institute of South Africa (NEMISA) took over the programme with three concurrent training workshops to develop the sector.  Several issues were dealt with including Corporate Governance and Leadership, Sales and Financial Sustainability and High Performance Team Management and Motivation.

These three sessions dealt with the current challenges faced by community radio stations and also outlined the prospects towards growth and the advancement of the sector.

The National Community Radio Forum (NCRF) took over the conference on the last day, convening member stations into a national general council.  Several issues were up for discussion including membership fees, provincial hubs, one rate card for all stations for GCIS and NCRF to have a training and capacity programme as a project on its own and to roll out the sector skills plan.

The DOC released a discussion document at the conference entitled Corporate governance as a foundation to sustainability.  The document was not received well by the delegates as it portrayed the sector in a biased negative light, it was proposed that the document be withdrawn. NCRF said it is concerned in the manner the discussion document showed the situation of Corporate Governance in the sector, which is very one-sided.

NCRF stated that Community Radio in the country continues to play a developmental role in communities, creating platforms for dialogue, debates and freedom of expression in local communities.

Sharing our heritage (Pics and Videos)

Bush Radio spent part of Heritage Day 2012 at the Rocklands Civic Centre in Mitchells Plain as part of the Urban Renewal Programme for Khayelitsha & Mitchells Plain. The aim of the event was to use of arts, sports and cultural activities as tools for nation building.

Candice van Reenen, Senior Communication Officer of Government Communication Information System (GCIS), Western Cape shares government’s message about heritage day and her own views as a young mother.

Chief Niklasoa the First shares his views on the current status of South Africa’s first nations and heritage

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Taking #SONA2012 to the people

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While the parliamentary precinct was buzzing with journalists, politicians and celebrities (see the slideshow) last night waiting for the 2012 State of the Nation address (SONA2012), Bush Radio was at the Portlands Indoor Sports Centre in Mitchells Plain with members of the community, local politicians and activists. (listen to the audio below)

Bush Radio put together the special outside broadcast to get a sense of what the community was expecting and what they thought of President Jacob Zuma’s state of the nation address.

While the OB team was busy in Mitchells Plain the Bushradionews interns were at Parliament collecting sound and pictures of the event as well as generating analysis of the speech.

Some of the people who shared their views were during the outside broadcast in Mitchells Plain:

Louis Botha – Deputy Manager of GCIS in the Western Cape
Councillor Solomon Philander – Ward Councillor for ward 79 & Deputy Chairperson for the DA constituency, Mitchells Plain
Councillor Xolani Sotashe – Chief Whip of ANC in City of CT
Shahied Keet – Mitchells Plain Backyarddwellers and Resident’s Association
Rudy Kronenberg – Eastridge (Smarty town) Resident
Nafeesah – Resident
Michael Jacobs – Community Police Forum
Wayne McKay – local comedian and Bush Radio volunteer
Ismail Chotia – Universal Party

LISTEN TO THE PRE SONA 2012 DEBATE

LISTEN TO THE STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS

LISTEN TO THE POST SONA 2012 DEBATE

A visualisation produced by Bushradionews to highlight the most words used in the SONA 2012 - an interactive version is available on http://bushradionews.blogspot.com/