The event is called “The People’s Airwaves” and is part of MAP’s series Beyond Borders; which brings global practitioners and experts in conversation with each other, reimagining the meaning and significance of borders by blurring the boundaries between different genres and media, and exploring people and spaces that cross imagined borders.
9 August 1995 – South Africa’s first National Women’s Day – was chosen because we wanted to honour all the women who had been instrumental in giving rise to the community radio sector and establishing Bush Radio, in particular.
Listen to an audio documentary on Bush Radio and community radio
This year COVID19 has proven the importance of community media in helping the fight against the pandemic, by being a vital source of information and supporting the communities we serve through our programming.
Our events to celebrate 25 years of broadcasting were put on hold, but now we have an opportunity to reflect on how far we’ve and look towards the next – dare we say it – quarter of a century!
A few weeks ago, Bush Radio Managing Director Brenda Leonard and Programme Integrator Adrian Louw were nominated for the esteemed Nat Nakasa Award – and it’s just been announced that they made the 2018 shortlist!
The award is named after South African journalist Nat Nakasa, and is given to individuals who show exceptional integrity and courage in their work.
Nakasa embodied fearless journalism at a time – the 1960s – when media was anything but free. During a period when black voices were rarely printed or heard in the news, Nakasa was one of the most important and influential anti-apartheid reporters.
SANEF says that those who are nominated must have “shown integrity and reported fearlessly and tenaciously striven to maintain a publication or other medium despite insurmountable obstacles”, as well as resisted censorship and displayed commitment to serving the South African people. She began working at Bush Radio in 1993 and says that the biggest accomplishment of her career is ensuring that Bush Radio is on air and legal at all times.
Nat Nakasa was often called a brave journalist, and Leonard says South Africa still needs people like this, even in the post-apartheid era, because journalists can expose corruption and educate.
“Even when there were threats to our sustainability, Bush Radio is important historically and currently influential,” Leonard said.
She said that Bush Radio has shaped the establishment and legislation of the Media Development Diversity Agency, which was created by an Act of Parliament to help disadvantaged communities who lack access to media.
Louw says, while Brenda Leonard keeps the organization running, he is responsible for programming, staffing, and mentoring.
He says his favorite part of the job is creating a safe space for young people to develop and become courageous journalists.
“The experience people have here changes lives and that’s the joy of being a part of an organization like Bush Radio,” Louw said.
He said that through his career, he has witnessed Bush Radio at the forefront of developing and defending the community sector of radio in the country. He said he considers Bush Radio one of the last “truly independent voices for the community”.
“I think we create hope in people about what’s possible,” Louw said. “We only rise when the lowest of us rise, and Bush Radio has and always will rise with the people we serve in the community. This is my small contribution to making South Africa better.”
The winner of the Nat Nakasa Award will be announced on Saturday, June 23 at Randlords in Braamfontein, Johannesburg*.
* Brenda and Adrian have asked a former Bush Radio staff member (now based in Johannesburg) to represent the station at the awards dinner.
9 August 1995 – Former Programme Co-ordinator; Shamiel X Adams, the late Ralton Praah, former station manager, Farah Moosa (behind the mic) and Adrian Louw (as published in the Cape Times)
As we celebrate the 19th National Women’s Day in South Africa, Africa’s oldest community radio celebrates 19th year of broadcasting legally in a democratic South Africa.
Saturday at 2pm marks the time Bush Radio 89.5FM switched on with a license from the broadcasting authority. The first person on air was volunteer news co-ordinator, Juanita Williams (currently the managing director of AllAfrica Global Media) who read the first news bulletin followed by former station manager, Farah Moosa and a host of guests from various organisations.
Congratulations to Dr Ian Bell for 17 years of the best specialist blues music show on the 89.5FM or online – Blues in the Bush, Sundays from 8-10pm.
With its roots firmly in African soil, yet germinating in a far continent in conditions of slavery and extreme hardship, the Blues has flowered and grown over generations to be the single greatest influence in modern popular music. Dr Bell has an extensive collection of rare blues albums and plays the music, as well as providing detailed information about the evolution of blues, the social and cultural contexts of the music, and information about individual tracks.
Since October 1996, a tasty two hours of the best of the Blues, along with something of its history, origin, development, sociology and biography.
Goucher College’s Eric Singer speaking with a Bush Radio intern
Yesterday (21 January 2013) Bush Radio hosted students from Goucher College in the United States of America.
The group was accompanied by their Political Science and International Relations lecturer, Eric Singer.
The visit was part of the students’ three-week journey researching about South Africa’s history, political and social dynamics.
“This is our third week here; so far we have met with the media, activists, farm workers and street vendors to get a better understanding of the complexity of changes facing South Africa” Singer said.
The group found out how ethnicity, culture, class and gender are involved in society’s ability to solve the country’s social challenges.
“The students are aged between 19 and 23, most have never been outside of their home country, and were shocked that some of the problems they faced back home were the same in South Africa” Singer added.
Singer said that what they have learnt in South Africa was that creating change is not about drafting legislation or forking out money, it is about communities creating space for social development.
Congratulations to Dr Ian Bell for 16 years of the best specialist blues music show on the 89.5FM or online – Blues in the Bush, Sundays from 8-10pm.
With its roots firmly in African soil, yet germinating in a far continent in conditions of slavery and extreme hardship, the Blues has flowered and grown over generations to be the single greatest influence in modern popular music. Dr Bell has an extensive collection of rare blues albums and plays the music, as well as providing detailed information about the evolution of blues, the social and cultural contexts of the music, and information about individual tracks.
Since October 1996, a tasty two hours of the best of the Blues, along with something of its history, origin, development, sociology and biography.
If you are in Grade 12 and feel you need advice, tips and other information for the specific exam paper, download the programme of your choice.
Right-click on the links below and save the MP3 to your computer or open in it on your cellphone.
* We have compressed the programmes significantly (largest file only 9MB) to save you bandwidth. High quality copies are available on CD (R 30.00 each) contact Bush Radio on 021 4485450.
Bush Radio 89.5 FM and the Western Cape Education Department has once again partnered to help Grade 12 learners get ready for their final exams through a series of revision programmes. Please check below for a schedule of what will be aired, the dates and times.
If you are in Matric or know anyone who is, you owe it to yourself to tune into 89.5FM or on your mobile/computer via www.bushradio.co.za and listen to the advice and tips in these programmes.
Let’s get through the Matric exams together on 89.5 FM!
Matric Revision Broadcast Schedule on 89.5FM:
Monday, 20 August – 8pm – Afrikaans HL 1
Tuesday, 21 August – 7pm – Afrikaans HL 2
Wednesday, 22 August – 7pm – Mathematics
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Monday, 27 August – 7pm – English FAL 1
Tuesday, 28 August – 7pm – English FAL 2
Wednesday, 29 August – 7pm – Business Studies
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Monday, 3 September – 7pm – Accounting
Tuesday, 4 September – 7pm – Life Sciences
Wednesday, 5 September – 7pm – History
The entire Matric Revision series will be made available for download via this blog shortly.
On the 9th August 2012, National Women’s Day, we kick off a month of celebration at Bush Radio as we reach 17 years of legal community radio broadcasting in South Africa. Besides some of the fun activities planned for our birthday month we are also taking the opportunity of looking back and reflecting on the struggle to free the airwaves in South Africa and look at how we keep it free.
Bush Radio is also in the process of digitising its extensive archive of recordings and photographs and below is a sample of some the pictures – see if you can spot yourself and if you have material that you think belongs in the archive let us know.
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Bushradio 89.5 FM 