There has been a massive strengthening in community radio in South Africa in the past decade. Surprising in a non-profit sector that struggles for sustainable income.
Cape Town’s Bush Radio has cornered the market on international funding by claiming to be the only truly independent station in the country. Bush Radio station director Zane Ebrahim says: “We are not the only independent radio station but we are not controlled by special interests.”
He says there is the perpetual danger of special interest groups [religious sects or political parties] waiting to take over independent radio stations. “The niche market for community radio are the needy, those who’ve been under-serviced for years. Advertisers won’t come on board because your people don’t have money. The financial strain is a killer,” says Ebrahim.
In an environment of limited frequencies, the Independent Broadcasting Authority (the predecessor to the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa) received 235 licence applications in 1996. Of those, 97 were for permanent licences.
South Africa has many different kinds of community radio stations. There are those serving specific geographic areas; there are campus-based stations; those serving religious communities; and there are cultural or ethnic stations. It stands to reason that some of these would receive funding more easily.
There is the industry perception that the moment the words “community radio” are heard, funders’ eyes glaze over with assumptions of mediocrity, but presentation on community radio can be refreshingly intimate compared to the slick hype and hard sell of commercial counterparts.
Bush Radio does an excellent marketing job and because of this it receives lots of international funding.
Broadcast training is part of Bush Radio’s sustainability strategy, which means precious funds pour into its coffers from the rest of the sector. In the final analysis, it is seen to be gobbling up all resources.
Bush radio continues to raise funding, it says, because it comes up with ways to combat donor fatigue. It buys caps, T-shirts and bags in South Africa and sells them at more than double the purchase price overseas.
Its “Bush against war” T-shirt sold well in the United States. The station manufactures a local, twisted-wire style radio, leaving the inner components exposed. It asks people worldwide to buy bricks (ordinary, platinum or gold) to “build democracy brick by brick”. It sells programmes to international broadcasters.
“Self-sustainability is our duty. If you are on welfare, it is so hard to get off. We don’t want that. We want our dignity, our self esteem. We want our confidence,” Ebrahim says.
Bush Radio’s success is in the creation of a powerful reputable international profile, its location in a CBD and the acquisition of skilled personnel.
Also, at its start, the station was supported by a strong student community and therefore able to draw on a higher category of skills than most stations. This is an unattainable scenario for other community radio stations.
Ebrahim believes it is a romanticisation to expect so many stations to access means of survival and that many stations suffer because of weak programming and become DJ toting juke boxes. Continual poaching of skilled staff by regional stations is a consequence of development, but the community radio industry is somewhat stung by this unacknowledged benefit to their commercial counterparts. It feels the continual depletion of resources ensnares it to mediocrity.
In the South African context where people have not had access to information nor the means to voice their needs, community radio is a phenomenal tool for development. It may be the only accessible form of information in terms of language and accessibility. It has massive potential for driving progress and facilitating participation in democracy. Future digital technology promises more frequencies. What is needed is human resources.
However, the struggling but expanding industry is receiving assistance, for sustainability is improving owing to the National Community Radio Forum’s highly successful sponsorship programme. This is a central mechanism for obtaining and distributing funds. There is also the recent establishment of the Media Diversity Development Agency (MDDA), which aims to offer every South African access to a choice of media, including print media.
It is hoped that R60-million is to be donated (50% by the government and 50% by commercial media) over five years for feeding into print and community radio.
The lack of legislation compelling contributions is considered a weakness, but there are pledges from board members representing big commercial media houses. The MDDA has the potential to raise funds internationally, and there is the option for funders to get seats on the MDDA.
Maverick stations like Bush believe international development agencies in need of success stories and accountability would rather deal with a clearing house like the MDDA than a small station and they fear losing long-standing relations with international funders. The policy document for the establishment of the MDDA defines diversity in terms of geographical placement, language, ownership and content; but at the end of the day they will have to demonstrate their independence, which remains an issue of concern.
Radio as a tool
ABC Ulwazi’s Commmunity Radio: The People’s Voice is edited by John van Zyl and offers clear, accessible guidelines on setting up, managing and sustaining a community radio station.
A reference tool, the book offers theoretical and concrete principles for anyone involved in or wishing to be part of community radio.