Local Radio Interacts Quite Naturally

Michael Hedges April 7, 2019 Follow on Twitter

Media development groups and international organizations have long known that the medium of choice in Africa is radio. Of course, there are newspapers, television and, most recently, digital platforms. The spoken word on a continent of local languages by the thousands is the preferred means of communication and connection. Diversity on the African continent - linguistic, cultural and religious - is astounding.

“Although new media such as internet, smartphones, and social media platforms have risen in the past decades, radio has remained the instrument that reaches the broadest audience in Africa,” said a UNESCO statement for World Radio Day in 2017. Governments in several of Africa’s 54 countries have opened radio broadcasting to private operators, community groups and religious congregations over the last two decades. While state broadcasting has not generally followed the European public broadcasting model, a mandate for local news coverage is acknowledged.

Among media development agencies two of the most notable African radio broadcasting projects that emphasize local news and information are Radio Ndeke Luka in the Central African Republic (CAR) and Radio Okapi in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), both managed by Swiss-based Fondation Hirondelle. Radio Ndeke Luka succeeded a United Nations radio station in 2000 and has operated almost continuously since. It also produces programs for several community radio stations. Funding support comes primarily from the European Union and the Swiss and Belgian governments.

By charter Radio Ndeke Luka news programs take no editorial position. This has irritated the government of president Faustin-Archange Touadéra, which has denied the station’s reporters from covering presidential speeches, noted AFP (January 14). It seems the president wants the station to simply read the press releases. Station director Silvie Panika called the ban “an obstacle to press freedom.”

Radio Okapi, also established by the UN, has operated in the DRC since since 2002. The management agreement with Fondation Hirondelle ended in 2014. With reductions in UN funding for DRC projects, the station has reduced both staff and distribution.

“If you give people the opportunity to speak, and radio is the best microphone for doing this in many parts of the world, especially here in Africa, the first thing that radio does by encouraging dialogue is kill the rumour mill,” said former Radio Okapi director David Smith for a UNESCO World Radio Day 2019 statement. “So much violence is the result of rumour circulating, and if there is no way to dispel that rumour, then it’s a fake news story and fake news often leads to violence.”

A qualitative study of Tanzania’s media outlets conducted through University Dar es Salaam ranked community radio station Pangani FM in the top ten, noted the Tanzania Development Information Organization (March 22). Pangani FM is operated by local NGO UZIKWASA and supported by UNESCO. It serves the rural community. “The results indicate that local radios’ performance outweighs that of national radios in many quality indicators, which underscores the value of investing in local radio stations.,” said the report.

The changing face of media development in Africa is moving from direct international funding to local owners. This has not dampened the necessity for local news and information. Breeze FM, serving Zambia’s Eastern Province, keeps its listeners up to date in English and Chinyanja, a local language not regularly served by national broadcasters. The community station has been on the air since 2003 and provides information about health services and agriculture.

“Even if Breeze FM is not the first radio in the region,” said owner Mike Daka. “In its manner of interacting with its listeners, opening up the station, the studios, bringing close contact between the listeners and the presenters and producers, Breeze FM has changed completely the way the people of Eastern province view radio.” Breeze FM has a financial relationship with Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF), which provided loans for transmitter upgrades.

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