The textures of African broadcasting

Michael Hedges November 1, 2007

Looking at Africa is a study in contrasts, a mosaic of cultures and colors, riches and pain. Broadcasting in Africa reflects all of this, including the extremes. Audiences – estimated at 700 million - are active, broadcasters robust, challenges are many and opportunities gleaming.
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The textures of African broadcasting range from the highly competitive commercial and public channels found mostly in the South, West and northern coasts to community stations engaging the challenges of Central Africa to international broadcasters providing a life-line to the most distressed regions.

There are many views of African broadcasting. From the outside, the pictures are exotic, still. Inside Africa, it’s a moving picture. And it’s moving rapidly. Every week new stations are taking to the air.

Languages provide the rich colors in African broadcasting. Over 300 languages can be heard on the 3000 radio stations dotting the continent. 

African broadcasters are acutely aware that their medium is powerful. More Africans have access to radio than television, but access to media via the mobile phone is rapidly increasing. Radio in Africa is a touch-point for vast and diverse audiences, always moving. Broadcasters, too, are moving.

Said BBC World Service Trust director Stephen King in an Australian public television interview in March…

“The picture across the continent is still where there is state broadcasting, it's not of a public service broadcasting model, so it's still state-controlled, it's still seen to be promoting the interests of the ruling party or the ruling elite. I think however as people get access to other kinds of information, and other sources of information, either through the internet or through watching satellite television and the international broadcasters and so on, that is starting to break down, and so there is increasing pressure, both from a political point of view that people have access to other sources of information, and start to guess the message, or double guess the messages that are coming out of their state broadcaster.”

In 2006 the African Union of Broadcasters (AUB) was formed by 16 national broadcasting organizations from the ashes of the 44 year old Union of National Radio and Television Organizations of Africa (URTNA). Modeled somewhat on the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) the new group’s stated mission is capacity building for members. Lawrence Atiase was named Chief Executive and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) General Director Ben Egbuna named President. After closing UNRTA offices scattered throughout the continent, AUB is taking up a consolidated headquarters in Dakar, Senegal. One of AUB’s aims is fulfilling an organizing role for the football 2010 World Cup to be played in South Africa. The group is also undertaking a three-year plan to launch a Pan African Broadcasting Network.

African broadcasters are united on many fronts. Since 2005 African broadcasters have committed resources and air-time in efforts to confront the HIV/AID pandemic. Under the initiative called African Broadcast Media Partnership Against HIV/AID 37 broadcasting companies in 24 countries agreed to devote about one hour per day to awareness programming. Called the “You” campaign, the initiative received partial funding from the Coca Cola Africa Foundation to support public service announcements and long-form programs

Southern Africa is the continent’s economic hub and broadcasting plays an integral part. Southern African countries, in the most generally accepted definition, are historically tied to Europe (Britain and Germany) and generally have, for Africa, relatively high per capita incomes, both public and private sector broadcasting and relatively free access to media. In a commercial sense, South Africa is the continent’s undisputed market leader.

Overall, radio reaches 91.7% of South Africa’s population. Steadily improving in living standards may, however, be contributing to a downward trend in time spent listening. From May 2006 to June 2007 the average daily time spent listening to radio by South Africans dropped from four hours, 37 minutes to 4 hours, 25 minutes. The percentage of South Africans owning a television has increased.

Public broadcaster South Africa Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) operates 18 national and regional radio channels with an combined 64% audience share, reaching 19 million people, according to the South African Advertising Research Foundation (SAARF) radio audience survey released in July.  SABC’s five national channels are Radio 2000, 5FM (English), Metro FM (English), Radio Sonder Grense (Afrikaans) and SAfm (English).

Talk Radio 702 is a Johannesburg-based news/talk station founded as a pirate station in 1980 operating on AM. Last year the station won FM licenses in Johannesburg and Pretoria and, after a year operating in both bands, the AM transmitter was shut-down on July 1st.

Station manager Pheladi Gwangwa confessed “sadness as the transmitter was shut down,” but it was a “dinosaur that was dying.”

In May TalkRadio 702 was awarded Station of the Year in the first Africa Radio Awards sponsored by the BBC World Service. It’s sister station in Cape Town is 567 CapeTalk.

East Coast Radio serves the Durban region and is South Africa’s number 2 among the regional commercial stations. South Africa’s 13 commercial radio stations have regional coverage, located primarily in major urban areas. The 106 community stations are scattered broadly throughout the country.

Commercial radio in South Africa’s north and western neighbor Namibia is “increasingly financially rewarding,” according to a report released by the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), based in Namibia. Radio is the only electronic medium available to advertisers. On average, Namibian radio stations earn about N$9 million (€950,000) per year. Namibia gained independence from South Africa in 1990.

Though a State run broadcasting organization, NBC easily runs foul of government leaders. In May Information and Broadcasting Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah directed NBC to change the format of the morning English language “Chat Show” because call-in participants were voicing complaints about the government. NBC General Director Bob Kandetu blamed the show hosts as “inexperienced and did not know when to stop a caller, or how to handle him when the contribution got off the track.” The suspension of all NBC call-in programs was suspended after a week after public criticism and commercial station Radio 99 launching its own live call-in program. The Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) broadcasts radio programs in nine languages.

Commercial stations are also sensitive to cultural issues, particularly crossing language barriers, and steer clear of controversy. Two Afrikaans-language stations banned a hit tune by an Afrikaans artist earlier this year. “We have many cultural groups listening to our stations,” said Radio Kosmos managing director Kollie van Koller. “We are not here to promote politics.”

Landlocked Botswana lies north of South Africa and east of Namibia, with cultural and economic ties to both. 

Botswana’s National Broadcasting Board (NBB) issued in May commercial radio licenses for national coverage, the first to compete with State-run broadcaster Radio Botswana, all with local owners. The NBB was formed in 1999 by a new Broadcasting Act, allowing private sector commercial broadcasting for the first time, albeit regional stations. Gabz FM and Ya Rona FM were existing regional stations elevated to national coverage. Duma FM is a new channel set to take to the air in September.

Radio Botswana and Botswana Television fall under the direction of the Ministry of Communication. Radio Botswana is a general interest channel while the second channel, RB2, is aimed at the youthful, urban population as well as the business community seeking an advertising medium. RB2 is on the air but not, technically, licensed as the NBB has yet to decide whether it will be a public or commercial license. Community radio was authorized under the 1999 Act but none have been licensed.

Zimbabwe is divorced from its neighbors to the South in more ways than one. State-controlled Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) operates four channels. Privately owned, independent radio stations have been systematically shuttered.

The government’s attempt at launching an international shortwave service to counter Western influence suffered a set-back of its own making. Jamming equipment, allegedly purchased from China, was installed at the Thornhill airbase to keep international broadcasters’ signals from reaching Zimbabweans. The Voice of Zimbabwe (VOZ) was set to begin broadcasting at the end of May but technical difficulties with the jamming equipment caused self-signal interception.

“It's a war of the airwaves,” said VOZ Director Happison Muchechetere. “We are not experiencing any technical problems.”

The country’s economic crisis has taken its toll on ZBC channels. Youth channel Power FM has faced a talent exodus as the station director popular DJs – six in the past year – quit because pay does not keep up with the staggering inflation. Due to a lack of exchangeable currency, Power FM DJs have resorted to illegally burning CDs from nightclubs to play on the air.

African community radio has long been touted by development agencies as the most effective communications medium in conflict and transition zones. Tiny Malawi, located at the intersection of Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia, is home to one such station – 101.9 FM – saluted recently for its community contribution by UNESCO’s International Program for the Development of Communication (IPDC).  The station serving central Malawi was launched with an IPDC grant of $20,000 in 2003 and is entirely run by volunteers

The UNICEF sponsored International Day of Children’s Broadcasting 2007 highlighted Radio Mozambique’s program of featuring young people presenting programs for young people. The program, now in its fourth year, has a cast of 233 young people aged 8 to 18 is broadcast nationally and regionally in Portuguese and the 16 local languages of Mozambique. Station Director Coutinho Zitha said, “the subject matter is really down to the kids.”

UNICEF sponsored a similar program “Radio for children, by children” in Mali in cooperation with State broadcaster ORTM and the Union of Mali Radio and Television Stations (Union des Radios et Televisions Libres URTEL).

State-run Radio Mozambique is considered one of Africa’s bester national broadcasters. It operates Antenna Nacional and several regional and local stations. More than two dozen community, commercial and religious radio stations operate in the country.

Broadcasting in the 13 UN designated Eastern Africa countries is more defined by problems than progress.

Kenya is home to about 50 privately owned radio stations and is considered one of Africa’s liveliest media centers. Though the Kenyan government notably harassed Nairobi station Kiss FM in 2004 broadcasters, public and private operate, with reasonable independence. State-controlled Kenya Broadcasting Corporation operates two national channels – Swahili and English – and several regional and local stations broadcasting in the countries 15 local languages.

Humanitarian aid for broadcasting services has come all parts of the world. Norwegian Church Aid provided equipment and supplies for an innovative radio project for young people in Nairobi’s Korogocho ghetto. KochFM calls its programming “edutainment.”

Uganda’s State-owned newspaper publisher Vision Group expects regulator approval by October for a new Kampala radio station license. Company CEO Robert Kabushenga said the station will provide “infotainment.”

The country’s public broadcaster Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) received a financial boost in July as the Japanese government agreed to underwrite US$10 million in technical improvements. UBC operates five channels. The technical improvements should expand UBC’s coverage to 75% of Uganda’s population.

“In some areas, radio is the only information medium available for the residents,” said Japanese ambassador Ryuzo Kikuchi. “Expanding radio broadcasting will contribute to accelerating public awareness to eliminate the digital divide and fight poverty.”

About 150 privately owned radio stations operate in Uganda and the country’s government is wary of any criticism. In March Choice FM’s program manager was arrested, then released, for operating the station without a license. The Uganda Media Council in January ordered nearly all radio and television stations to register with the agency or face closure. Radio station licenses are limited to one year.

“Radio remains the most important medium in Uganda,” said a Norwegian government report on Uganda’s media sector released in May 2007. “Nearly 90 % of the population has access to radio.”

Somalia’s barely existent government briefly closed three radio stations in June - Shabelle, HornAfrik and Radio of the Holy Quran. The conflict that has embroiled Somalia, Ethiopia and Eretria has led to frequent attacks – sometimes armed - on radio stations as militias and governments seek to control media outlets. On July 6th, the Somali militia entered Shabelle Radio and forced journalists and technicians to halt broadcasting with threat of death. Armed troops entered the stations studio while an afternoon news program was being presented, ordering staff to leave the building.

Conflict, extreme poverty and a lack of infrastructure plagues the delivery of basic broadcast services in Eastern Africa. The Southern Sudan Radio and Television acquired a 11Kw radio transmitter from Croatia in 2004. Providing the electricity has been a never-ending problem as the government fights for fuel supplies for the generators and power delivery systems are regularly broken.

Conflict continues to spill over into Chad from neighboring Sudan and the Central African Republic. The Chadian government imposed a blanket censorship on privately owned media, lasting until May. Most affected were tiny community radio stations like Radio Brakos, prohibited from collecting news from the conflict zones.

Humanitarian and church groups most often operate privately owned radio stations in Chad. Internews – primarily funded by the US government – established Radio Sila in eastern Chad, neighboring the conflict ridded Darfur region of Sudan. The first private radio station in Chad – Radio Dja – was launched in 1999 and broadcasts about 60 hours per week. State broadcaster Radiodiffusion Nationale Tchadienne (RNT) operates national and regional channels in French, Arabic and the country’s eight other most common languages.

Bordering Chad, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic (CAR) is poverty-stricken and war-torn with a mostly dysfunctional government. Because of the low literacy rate, radio broadcasting is the “most important medium of mass communications,” according to a 2006 US State Department report. The CAR government operates Radio Centrafrique. In addition, the Swiss Fondation Hirondelle operates radio station Radio Ndeke Luka and the Catholic Church operates Radio Notre Dame. (corrected from original version, see note below)

The CAR Ministry of Communications received recommendations in April from UNESCO sponsored experts for transforming Radio Centrafrique from State broadcaster to public service broadcaster. Burkina Faso media regulator Beyon Luc Tiao headed the expert group and authored their report saying, “we have an opportunity…to let radio and television broadcasting play an important role in the process of development and strengthening democracy in CAR.”

Journalist and human rights organizations have become increasingly critical of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) government since the murder in June of Radio Okapi editor Serge Maheshe. The government also forced the closure, with some international notariety, of Radio Canal Satellite for “broadcasting in bad French.”  Six broadcasters have been raided by security forces in 2007.

Often these forced closures are ordered by the media regulator Haute Autorite de Medias (HAM) but in May DRC Minister of Information declared the agency “currently inexistent.” Several owners of private radio stations are rival and wealthy diamond traders who trade insults via the airwaves. Top Congo FM is the most listened to station in Kinshasa.

DRC State-run radio channels have also been forced to close or interrupt service as armed local militias seize equipment and make demands. Radio Télévision Nationale Congolaise (RTNC) was forced off the air by local Butembo police in March after airing broadcasts critical of the local mayor.

To the west, Republic of Congo’s State broadcaster Radiodiffusion Nationale Congolaise operates national channel Radio Congo and Radio Brazzaville in the country’s capital.

Mali is considered a world-wide leader in community radio. The Union des Radios et Televisions Libres (UDTEL) Secretary General Moussa Keitasaid of the 104 privately owned stations in Mali, 48 can be considered rural station, many financed by NGOs. Two new stations are being set up each month, he said.

Office de Radiodiffusion Television du Mali (ORTM) operates national FM channel Radio Nationale and several regional stations. FM Chaîne II has a cooperative agreement with French-speaking Switzerland’s public youth channel Couleur 3. The shortwave station operated by ORTM broadcasts Radio China International programs. OTRM Managing director Sifiki N’Fa Konate was appointed in June as Chairperson of RAPAF, French speaking State Broadcasting Network of Africa.

In 2006 Radio Kayira, owned by a political party, was shuttered and six staff arrested for operating without a license.

Niger’s State-run broadcaster La Voix du Sahel is the country’s primary radio outlet and only channel with national coverage. Many privately owned radio stations were launched by international development agencies.

Since its first FM stations were licensed in 1992, Ghana’s radio landscape has increased to 166 stations. Public broadcaster Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) operates stations in the ten national regions. The media laws are under revision by the Ghana Media commission to provide stability and encourage more community-based stations.

Guinea’s parliament voted last year to end the radio monopoly of State broadcaster. Four stations were licensed with more expected this year.

Radiodiffusion Television Ivoirienne (RTI) operates two national radio channels ; La Premiere and Frequence 2. Ivory Coast’s State broadcaster was the scene of violent clashes during a coup attempt six years ago (2001).

Most Moroccan radio stations are based in either Tangiers or Casablanca. Moroccan broadcasters are required to air 30% Morrocan-produced music content. State broadcaster Radiodiffusion Télévision Marocaine (RTM - Moroccan Broadcasting Network) operates one national a nine regional stations. US funded Radio Sawa broadcasts from Morocco to Arabic listeners in North Africa.

Radio Mosaique, the Tunisia’s first privately owned radio station, recently opened new facilities. Private radio has existed only since 2004. State operated Tunisian Radio and Television Establishment (ERTT) operates several radio channels.

Culture continues to encroach on broadcasting. Libya’s Radio Allibiya FM was forced to drop “FM” from its name because “FM” has, according to authorities, no Arabic equivelent.

Algeria has also kept close State control over radio broadcasting. All 17 of the nations’ radio channels are operated by the State. The Canadian Institute for Training in Public Broadcasting has assisted Algerian stations Radio Dahra and Radio Jijel.

The rise of new media in Africa is another remarkable trend. The BBC reported that 61% of Nigerians accessed the BBC website via the mobile phone. An increase in broadband availability has brought on-line radio to listeners from Ghana to Morocco and Egypt.

International broadcasters and organizations have a broad presence in African broadcasting. Shortwave delivers programs from BBC World Service, Radio France International (RFI), Voice of America (VOA) and others major international broadcasters, many of which also use WorldSpace and other satellite systems.

In addition, local partner broadcasters carry a variety of news, information and entertainment programs for Africa from afar. The BBC World Service engages a network of over 100 rebroadcasters supported by new production facilities in Nairobi, Kenya and Abuja, Nigeria. RFI has 93 FM partners in 37 countries. VOA Africa programs are heard on 40 affiliate stations and seven full-time stations. Radio China International’s first overseas FM station was launched in Nairobi, Kenya in 2006.

Some African governments have clamped down on foreign broadcasters. Zimbabwe notoriously banned the BBC and its reporters. RFI has frequently run afoul of African dictators in former French colonies. In July Niger banned RFI retransmissions for one month citing “unbalanced and biased” reporting.

International broadcasters are also major participants in media development efforts. Deutsche Welle, the German international broadcaster, and Radio Netherlands Worldwide are active in management, technical and programming training programs, including exchange programs. The Commonwealth Broadcasting Association, members being from British Commonwealth public broadcasters, provides programming and technical training. VOA workshops in South Africa, Ghana and Rwanda have focused on journalism and broadcast management.

Dozens of development projects for African radio have been in place for years. Journalism and community radio development initiatives are today’s most popular with funding agencies. Sustainability is of interest but not to the same level as media developers find in southeastern Europe.

The United Nations has embraced African media development as part of its Millennium Development Goals. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) and UNDP (United Nations Development Program) participate in a variety of programs. UNESCO is co-sponsoring with The World Association of Community Broadcasters (AMARC) a series of conferences strategies to “remove barriers to community radio in Africa.”

With the Swiss Fondation Hirondelle providing management and operational expertise, the United Nations Department of Peace Keeping Operations (DPKO) and UNDP financially supports radio stations in Sudan (Radio Miraya), Ivory Coast (Onuci FM), Central African Republic (Radio Ndeke Luka).

The BBC World Service Trust launched the African Media Development Initiative in 2006 to support public, private and community radio in Africa through training and research programs.

Media Development Loan Fund, a private, not-for-profit services organization, is providing funding and capacity building support for Senegalese private radio station La Premiere.

The Chinese government has been an active donor to African broadcasters. In July a grant of nearly US$4 million was released to the Liberian Broadcasting System. Another grant was given to Lesotho’s State broadcaster in 2006. More notoriously, the Zimbabwe government received radio jamming equipment from China.

International broadcasters have joined in the process of reinforcing best practice in broadcasting and journalism with a variety of awards programs. BBC World Service organized the BBC Radio Africa Awards specifically to “celebrate excellence” among African radio broadcasters. Nominations were solicited from August 2006 and winners in seven categories were announced in Nairobi, Kenya in May. The CNN MultiChoice African awards, now in its 12th year, focus on journalists from all media. The 2007 Prix Suisse des Radios du Sud (Swiss Prize for Radio Operators of the South) was awarded to Camaroon station Radio Siantou in May by the Club Suisse de la Presse.

South Africa’s 702 Talk Radio was awarded Radio Station of the Year in the BBC competition. 702 Talk Radio’s Mandy Wiener won the radio news category in CNN’s MultiChoice Africa awards.

Seventeen year old Qaanitaah Dramat of Cape Town, South Africa’s community station Radio 786 was named Young Broadcaster of the Year. Her winning entry was a moving program on life changing experiences featuring an interview with a reformed convict.

“Radio is such an important medium in Africa,” said BBC World Service Africa and Middle East regional head Jerry Timmins. “The radio scene is evolving very rapidly, and, as a radio broadcaster ourselves, we are keen to highlight this evolution, encourage the hard work of African journalists and producers and recognize some of the great programming being made.

Uganda station Radio Pacis – based in Arua and launched in 2004 by the Arua Catholic Diocese – was awarded New Radio Station of the Year in the BBC Radio Africa Awards. The award for interactive/talk show went to Bernard Avle, breakfast show host on Accra, Ghana’s Citi FM. News Journalist of the Year was awarded to Esther Mbondo of Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC). James Wokabi of Capital Fm (Kenya) won Sports Journalist of the Year.

The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) sponsors a media awards program with a radio category financially supported by the Swiss government. South African nationals can participate in a journalism awards program that includes a radio category through the South Africa chapter of the Southern Africa Development Commission (SADC).

UK based One World Broadcasting Trust awarded Radio Voice of the People (VOP) its special award in 2006 for international broadcasting. VOP operates in Zimbabwe under constant government threat and transmits from Radio Netherlands Madagascar facility.

As a continent filled with emerging and transitional States, African broadcasting is challenged by endless possibilities and seemingly unending problems. Speaking specifically about radio broadcasting’s role in Nigeria to the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association 2007 meeting in Kenya, FRCN General Director Egbuna said the “restoration of democracy has been a wake up call for the media to recognize human rights as fundamental and they have ever since been playing a captain’s role in safeguarding it. Because of the work of the electronic media, particularly Radio Nigeria, the citizens are becoming increasingly aware of their rights and how the Constitution protects these rights.”

Previously published in Radio World International October 2007 in an abbreviated form

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On November 23, 2007 Marco Domeniconi Press Officer Fondation Hirondelle Lausanne Switzerland wrote:

We have followed with interest your articles and congratulate you on your work.  Nonetheless, in a recent article entitled “The textures of African broadcasting”, published in www.followthemedia.com we have discovered several factual errors which we ask that you correct.

You write: “The government operates Radio Centrafrique.  In addition to the UNDP radio station Radio Ndeke Luka, the Catholic Church operates radio Notre Dame”.

Radio Ndeke Luka is a radio entirely directed, managed and financed by Fondation Hirondelle.  The radio was established by agreement between the Central African Republic (CAR) government, UNDP and Fondation Hirondelle.

In same page: “Journalist and human rights organizations have become increasingly critical of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) government since the murder in June of UNDP sponsored Radio Okapi editor Serge Maheshe".

Radio Okapi is a DPKO (Monuc) radio, managed in partnership with Fondation Hirondelle.

Finally: "The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) underwrites radio stations in Sudan (Radio Miraya), Ivory Coast (Onuci FM), Central African Republic (Radio Ndeke Luka). The Swiss Fondation Hirondelle provides direct operational support".

Again, it is DPKO that has radios in Sudan (Miraya FM, managed in partnership with Fondation Hirondelle) and in Cote d’Ivoire.

Fondation Hirondelle – Media for peace and Human Dignity – has established several independent media in Africa: Radio Okapi in DRC and Miraya FM in Sudan, in partnership with the United Nations, Cotton Tree News in Sierra Leone, STAR radio in Liberia, Radio Ndeke Luka in CAR and the Hirondelle News Agency at the ICTR in Arusha.