A project of the National Community Radio Forum (NCRF) & The Centre for democratic communications (CDC), Johannesburg, South Africa
Mosotho Stone is 25 years old. He graduated in Radio Drama Production (Institute for Advancement of Journalism, AIJ), Broadcasting (Thomson Foundation), Film/Television Script Interpretation and Production Diploma (Topcast Television Production/Agency, Johannesburg). Mosotho served as Producer/Presenter/Technical Coordinator for Buwa Community Radio, Soweto, Johannesburg, from 1996 to 1999. He is currently Manager, Special Projects & Technical Production, at South African Community Radio Information Network (SACRIN), a project of the National Community Radio Forum (NCF).
The presentation will be about the situation the community radio sector in South Africa is facing in its mandate to enhance development in communities.
It is about how Community Radio in South Africa can be used as a tool to distribute a variety of Educational and Developmental content (farming being one such aspect), and to promote participation of the historically disadvantaged communities of the country in important issues.
Since 1994, the community radio sector has been effectively involved in distributing such types of content to the people, which has proved to have an important and successful impact.
The presentation will be divided into three parts, which are:
This point will highlight how community radio can be used to distribute information, as the most penetrative and most accessible medium of the communities, especially in the most remote areas of the country. Different types of programming are suggested, based on the findings of the South African Community Radio Information Network (SACRIN), through its programme production and distribution activities for community radio stations in South Africa.
The presentation will talk about the quantity of farm radio programming in the community radio sector. Farm radio has never been that big in the sector because of various reasons, such as the delay to license community radio stations in rural areas, a lack of relevant training for producing farm radio programming, and the oppression of farmers before the birth of democracy in South Africa.
A look at what the community radio sector has achieved in its efforts to introduce new technologies that can assist, and be affordable for, community radio stations. This section will highlight some of the factors that could hamper progress and sustainability in the use of ICTs by the South African community radio sector.
by Mosotho Stone
I would like to thank the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) for organising this important workshop for stakeholders in farm radio broadcasting and the field of ICTs for development.
I hope that the workshop will lead the way towards greater and more effective use of radio and other ICTs to support sustainable development around the world.
First of all, I need to make it clear that I am speaking from a particular context. I am not an academic, and I am neither an expert in ICT nor farming issues.
What I am is a community radio broadcaster who has been working in the South African community radio sector for the past 5 years.
My only "expertise" on farming issues comes from my upbringing. I grew up in a rural area in South Africa's Northwest Province, and I received my early education at farm schools set up by white farmers. I acquired more agricultural knowledge by working temporarily in our family farm. In recent years, I have been living in the city of Johannesburg.
So, I am speaking to you as a South African community radio person, and as a somewhat rural South African. Nothing more than that.
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People working in South African community radio primarily make use of a very old ICT, called analogue radio broadcasting.
But some of us also use e-mail to communicate with other stations and stakeholders in the sector, and Internet surfing to get information. And the organization I am with right now, the South African Community Radio Information Network (SACRIN), uses digital satellite audio to send programming to community radio stations around the country.
My perspective on ICTs and Radio is from my vantagepoint in community radio broadcasting - as opposed to public or commercial. Unlike public and commercial radio, the South African community radio sector is under-resourced - both in terms of skills and finances. In my sector, ICTs are hard to afford and to sustain - both in terms of infrastructure costs and skills development costs.
Our greatest challenge in South African community radio - with or without new ICTs - is to create quality content, in which a station collaborates with its community in the creation of programming that both reflects and supports the community's sustainable development goals. Community radio ICT interventions must directly support local programming and the stations' community development mandates, or else the ICT interventions' sustainability will be jeopardised.
I will break the rest of this presentation into three parts:
1. Role of farm radio in community radio
Agriculture is an important part of the South African economy, but has been dominated by the white color group in terms of professional participation in the industry. The disadvantaged communities of South Africa are slowly but surely emerging into the agricultural industry, with some but not enough help from the government. These people need help, especially around education and information, to start developing something on their own.
The medium of community radio can be seen as one of the mayor role players - as the closest and most accessible medium of the communities - in distributing educational and informative programming to people interested in farming and related agricultural/environmental issues.
In recent months, I have talked to different stakeholders in the agricultural industry and members of communities, and these people pointed to several important agricultural/environmental issues that need to be addressed in most South African communities. And community radio could be a useful means to address these issues:
Different formats of radio programmes such as live talks show/call-in programmes, documentaries and short promos/announcements could be used, based on the effect each format has on the audience.
Through my experiences in South African community radio, live talk show/call-in programmes make a massive impact, because they give people an opportunity to voice their opinions during the discussion of a particular topic.
The programmes include panel discussions and interviews with studio guests. Audience input can be brought in through phone calls and through listeners who come to the station to listen to the show. The shows can have contests and quizzes with prizes for callers.
2. The present state of farm radio programming
There is very little farm radio programming on South African community radio stations.
The majority of stations were, until recently, urban-based. Fortunately, more and more rural stations have been getting broadcast licences in the past couple of years. These new stations, once they find their feet, could give farm radio programming the momentum it needs. This is not to suggest that urban stations don't have a role to play.
Some stations receive farm radio scripts and information packages from the Canadian-based Developing Countries Farm Radio Network (DCFRN).
Some stations receive pre-recorded cassette items from the Department of Agriculture.
The South African Community Radio Information Network (SACRIN) is currently in discussions with the national Department of Agriculture around a partnership that would promote farm radio issues on community stations - through live and pre-recorded programmes.
On the whole, farm radio has a long way to go in South African community radio.
Farm radio programming is overshadowed by other pressing issues such as health, education, water, electricity, crime, unemployment. And there is a need for farm radio-focused production training, based at individual stations.
3. South African community radio sector's use of ICTs
The organization I work for, the South African Community Radio Information Network (SACRIN), is a joint project of the National Community Radio Forum (NCRF) and the Centre for Democratic Communications (CDC).
The National Community Radio Forum (NCRF), formed in 1993, is the national mother body of South Africa's community radio stations. It has over 90 community radio stations as its members, and about 50 of those stations are on-air right at this moment.
The NCRF's partner in the SACRIN project, the Centre for Democratic Communications, was set up in 1994-95 to service community media projects in South Africa.
Both organizations are based in Johannesburg, as are the SACRIN Newsroom and Studios.
SACRIN has digital satellite broadcasting and digital audio editing capability, as well as e-mail and Internet. Since 1997, we have been sending out live and pre-recorded programmes and spots, via satellite, to community radio stations around the country.
Currently, SACRIN's satellite programming flow is only one-way - from SACRIN studios, via satellite, to the stations. There are 28 community radio stations, covering all 9 provinces, broadcasting live and pre-recorded SACRIN satellite programming. But stations do not have satellite transmission capability; the only way they send reports to the SACRIN Newsroom is via phone, fax or post.
Some SACRIN Newsroom staff and stations have started receiving training in Internet audio/script transmission. The hope is that by early 2002, the SACRIN Newsroom in Johannesburg will be receiving audio and script files, via the Internet, from community radio stations around the country. The SACRIN Newsroom will put the items out on the satellite channel and on an Internet web or FTP site, for stations to download and broadcast. In addition, stations will be able to share audio and script files amongst themselves, or through provincial "hub" Internet pages shared by a few stations in an area, without going through the SACRIN Newsroom.
It is also hoped that many SACRIN stations will, in the near future, increase their use of Internet surfing and e-mail for research, and for liaison with funders, project partners etc.
Already, a group of stations in KwaZulu-Natal has started a pilot project, in which they will share ideas, information, script and audio, via the Internet. This project is being funded by a South African-based donor.
The Women'sNet Internet project, based in Johannesburg, has set up a pilot Community Radio Clearing House FTP site, linked to its web page, with donor support.
All of these ICT interventions, if they flourish, can be called into service - when necessary and appropriate - for farm radio programming in South Africa.
But, these ICT interventions will only be successful if they prove sustainable - both financially, and in terms of skills development. Most stations are not financially strong, and most station employees lack ICT skills. There is currently a great deal of reliance on donor funding and "expert assistance" for ICT interventions. These dependencies are huge obstacles to overcome on the path towards dynamic, sustainable ICT use in the sector.
We in South African community radio are committed to using new ICT applications to enhance stations' performance, but our greatest commitment is to sustainable development - sustainable development of the stations, and sustainable development of the communities they serve.
