The history of public service radio in South Africa is almost as old as the invention of the medium itself. The sector has played a huge role in shaping the local radio industry, its dominance consolidated by the apartheid system wherein every language was catered for exclusively by a particular radio station. Today the country boasts over 11 traditional public service radio stations, most aimed at the official language groups as a requirement of the country’s multilingual policy. However, the socio-economic and political landscape spurned by the new dispensation has transformed the perception of public service radio, as racial and ethnic affiliations are becoming less important in determining loyalty to a particular station. This was proved by an interesting random survey that was recently conducted by a group of media studies students from the Durban Institute of Technology’s (DIT) journalism department.
The primary aims of the research were to determine the respondents’ demographic profile, the media they use, their favourite radio stations and their listening patterns. The researchers comprised 60 students, arranged in groups of six to 10 from amongst the different races (blacks, Indians, whites and coloureds). The random survey was carried out at the technikon’s four campuses (ML Sultan, Steve Biko, City Campus and Ritson Road) and the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s (UKZN) Howard College and Westville campuses. The study was based on questionnaires that were distributed to over 360 fellow students, which were filled out on the spot by the researchers.
The study produced some startling revelations. Firstly, while a number of campuses under investigation (ML Sultan, Steve Biko and Westville) boast a large number of black and Indian students, the stations Lotus FM and Ukhozi did not feature in the top three most popular stations. In the 16 to 24 age group, which accounts for over 96 percent of the student populations at the campuses surveyed at both DIT and UKZN, 36 percent tune into 5FM, 20 percent East Coast Radio and 16 percent Metro FM during the drive-time shows (morning and afternoon).
Secondly, a significant percentage of the respondents prefer not only to communicate in English, they also choose to get their media messages in that language. Finally, despite 72 percent of the respondents at DIT and 76 percent of those at UKZN owning a radio, 100 percent of them use radio primarily for entertainment and secondarily for information. For all the respondents, education (a key principle of public broadcasting) was never cited as the underlying reason for listening to radio.
The results of this study are consistent with other certified surveys in the industry, which continue to demonstrate a steady decline or inconsistent performance in a number of the SABC’s African-language stations – this amidst the acceleration in the performance of private commercial counterparts such as Jacaranda and East Coast. The situation is likely to intensify with the looming arrival of commercial stations in a range of secondary towns – areas that long served as happy hunting grounds for public service radio.
Given the huge audience numbers still commanded by the likes of Ukhozi, Umhlobo Wenene, Lesedi FM, Thobela FM and Motsweding FM, no panic buttons need be pressed for now. But the aging listenership of public service radio taken against the increased social integration of the younger generation shows a definite pattern. While language can be cited as one reason, it is not the determining factor. A station like Lotus FM has an overwhelming English broadcast, but it still could not outperform East Coast and 5FM in campuses with high Indian student populations.
The gradual fading of traditional public service radio amongst the 16 to 24 age group poses serious questions about the logic of maintaining stations on the basis of linguistic or ethnic purity. Although questions of this nature may be downplayed for now, the mutation of South African society requires that soon they will need to be answered.
Dr. Mashilo Boloka is a senior lecturer at the Durban Institute of Technology’s journalism department (City Campus) and a member of the Media Development and Diversity Agency’s board.