South African broadcasting is a product of history. “The current material and technological framework of broadcasting is the result of apartheid policies” (Barnett, 1999:649). Broadcasting was heavily invested in for propaganda purposes, which has contributed to the infrastructure that can be seen in many radio stations today.
SABC owned stations are still used for propaganda purposes today now that government control is limited. While the content seems largely political in nature, woman and children’s programming as well as economic reporting and radio dramas are an important component of programming. The following passage will discuss the three tiers of radio broadcasting, namely public, commercial and community, the stations within them, and their regulations in terms of the IBA (Independent Broadcasting Authority) and ICASA (Independent Communications Authority of South Africa).
Broadcasting in South Africa is regulated by ICASA. It issues broadcast licenses, ensures universal service and access, monitors the industry and controls and manages the frequency spectrum (ICASA, 2010). There’s also the National Association of Broadcasters, that helps promote and regulate the industry, as well as the Broadcasting Complaints Commission, set up to adjudicate and mediate complaints against any broadcaster who has signed its code of conduct (SAinfo, 2010). According to section 2 of the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA), which is now ICASA, the authority has several principles which they value their licensing agreements on. What is broadcasted must cater for all language and cultural groups, the needs of these groups are met and it must provide entertainment, education and information. Stability within the broadcasting industry must be promoted, and fair competition between broadcasting licenses must be ensured (ICASA, 2010).
The SABC provides the public broadcasting service, as well as the commercial service which broke away from the public service. The public service is delivered from the public for the public. It serves the public interest and democracy. It is free from political influence and commercial pressure. The stations within this service have a lot of talk content that aim to cover a wide variety of issues that can push for the values that the principles of democracy rests on. Its revenue is largely from licensing fees. Commercial radio stations don’t necessarily have everything that the public service aims to deliver. It is privatized and the owners run them for profit. Revenue comes from advertising and sponsorship. Some of the stations are characterized by popular music, but some also have a lot of talk content. Commercial radio had 2 independent radio stations before 1994, namely Radio 702 and Capital Radio. With the deregulation and liberalization of broadcasting, the number of stations proliferated (NAB, 2010). Community radio began in 1994, when the broadcasting authority started to grant licenses to diverse groups as part of the transformation process (NAB, 2010). ICASA community station requirements are that talk shows are prioritized over music shows, they cater to different linguistic groups, they are non-profit organizations, there is a separation of powers, and that the community actively participates (ICASA, 2010). The community stations are broadcasted to create strong, unique relationships within particular communities, which push for development, transformation and reconciliation. Therefore the communities are typically the ones that fight for a common purpose, eg. religious affiliations and the poor. Therefore the content of the stations include talk shows that address local issues, as well as local music. The community forms the base of the Bush Radio organization. An AGM elects the board of directors and reviews development and financial policies (Bush Radio News, 2010).
Over 100 Community sound services are now in existence. Although the sector has struggled to access advertising, it is recognized as being a crucial part of the South African broadcasting landscape in providing skills for potential radio staff (NAB, 2010).
An example of a community radio station is Bush radio- the oldest community-based radio station. It was first known as CASET (Cassette Education Trust) as they recorded information on tapes, distributing them to the public. Its key objective was to inform and educate the poor on issues such as literacy, health, hygiene and politics. They were issued their first four year permanent license in 2002 (NAB, 2010).
The role of ICASA for Bush Radio is to determine whether or not the station caters to the needs of the target audience, and to administer the airwaves without interference from the government. The IBA was “committed to democracy, diversity and development” (Barnett, 1999:649).
Bush radio’s editorial policies can be divided into four areas, including broadcasting, upliftment projects, scholarship and training programmes and human potential development. The station is permanently on air, and presented in three different languages by equally represented genders. It covers social and political issues facing post-apartheid South Africa. The station has 23 upliftment projects, with on air programmes linked with off air activities (Bush Radio News, 2010). These various projects that include for instance HIV/AIDS programmes, and the Broadcast Training Institute, are presented in order to address communities to the most critical issues facing their lives, which in turn are aimed to lead these communities in the right direction in resolving these issues. This is a critical aspect of the licensing agreement requirement of the needs of groups being met by providing education and information.
There are five permanent members at Bush, as well as ten trainees and over 100 volunteers.
While advertising forms 50% of the station’s income, one of their main policies is the exclusion of advertising from gambling and alcohol companies, which is a lucrative source of funding for many commercial enterprises. Income also comes from sponsorships and donors and grants for upliftment projects (Bush Radio News, 2010).
The station is largely aimed at the poor, the informal settlements and trade unions, from people aged six to sixty. According to statistics however, it is parents who mainly listen to it, perhaps in an attempt to be a good influence on the youth, in leading them in the right direction for the future (Bush Radio News, 2010).
An example of a commercial radio station is Radio 702, a product of Primedia, targeting higher LSM’s for profit. Premedia is a privately owned media group that owns a number of media assets, including eyewitness news. Eyewitness news is responsible for the collection and production of news that is distributed to its radio stations (including 702), ensuring effective, efficient and economical news (Primedia, 2010). 702 is a 24-hour news station, presenting a voice of change and opinions through in depth news (702, 2010). It targets upper income listeners ranging from the age 25-49. It is Johannesburg’s number one current affairs station, with lots of phone-in debates. It has over half a million listeners in Gauteng, and it prides itself in vibrant programming and professional presenters (702, 2010).
It has a five minute news bulletin on an hourly basis. It is a strong supporter of independent broadcasting. It has strong depth in coverage, and has highly credible and understandable news, with emphasis on presentation.
The presenters are experienced and offer their own views as well as attempting to (but not always managing to due to the tendencies of being subjective) being objective and creating a conversation between the host and the listeners. They have 20 music presenters and 24 news presenters, diverse in their gender, age, skin colour and background.
702 and Bush radio have very different approaches to news, in terms of their bulletin composition and content, and the way in which these stories are delivered. As a commercial station, Radio 702 has the funding to have numerous members of staff with particular tasks assigned to them, such as field recording, live reporting, news presenting and anchoring.
Using a recent bulletin on Terre’blanche’s murder as an example, the techniques and evidence of resources is clearly different from Bush Radio and Radio 702. The story is shorter on Bush Radio, possibly because they are not primarily a news station. There is irrelevant information in relation to the importance of the story, suggesting that the editing skills of the news writer are not strong. Also, they have included the name of one of the suspects of the murder, which is not allowed until the person has pleaded guilty, which shows unprofessionalism. The 702 version is more in depth in content and includes live voicers and soundbites to add to its credibility.
702’s bulletin composition is consistent from day to day. The first three to four stories are on a national level, and they are usually political and occasionally crime-related. The order of these are based on what the news producers feel are most important. There is usually an international story at the end, always followed by traffic, sport and weather. As it is primarily a news station, the stories are in-depth in their content and professionally executed, usually with live reporting to add credibility. I believe it is all very professionally done. The bulletin intro’s and outro’s fade in and out very well. There is never dead air, and the transition from the news to the traffic etc is smooth. The stories are usually delivered in the form of a wrap around. The anchor introduces the cue, which is then followed by a combination of a recorded audible soundbites. The voicers are delivered by a number of different reporters. This shows that the amount of staff at 702 is ample, and the live reporting suggests they possess the adequate resources to be at the scene of the incident to deliver the story. The live reporting gives a ‘we’re on the scene’ feeling and adds to the credibility of the story. The international stories are usually a straight-read from the anchor.
Bush Radio delivers similar stories at the top of their bulletins. These are usually on a national level and are followed by one or two local stories. Sport and traffic follow, which is usually done by the news anchor, suggesting a lack of staff. The bulletin intro’s and outro’s are harsh as there is no fading, and there is often dead air, perhaps too much in between stories and I believe far too much for the transition time to the voicer piece and in between traffic stories. I believe this shows that the anchor is not a professional as s/he is unfamiliar with how to use the switchboard. It also suggests a lack of training. Words often get mixed up. The stories are usually a straight read by the anchor, with occasional voicers and wraparounds. The soundbites however are usually phone-ins and are sometimes inaudible. The anchors sometimes change from one day to the next, which suggests that they are attempting to fulfill their policy of training staff by constantly exposing them to live recording.
As discussed in section 2 and mentioned above, as a community station, Bush Radio attempts to incorporate training and development into their mandate. However, while this is an important aspect of the radio station, and an important regulation to uphold in terms of their licensing agreement, it does affect the quality of their news. In one bulletin I heard from the 6th of April, there was dead air for almost 30 seconds after complications with playing a soundbite. Perhaps this wouldn’t have happened with a professional anchor who knows exactly how to work the technology, and then react quick to potential problems.
Ray White is the anchor for 702, and he has an energetic and professional approach. The content of the stories usually test the boundaries of objectivity. The content often has statements not backed up by credible sources. For instance in the Terre’blanche story, the reporter states he was ‘bludgeoned to death’- a statement he came up with, even though he wasn’t at the scene of the crime. This suggests subjectivity to back a certain side to the story. 702 therefore don’t completely adhere to the licensing agreement of providing impartial and objective news for diverse cultural groups, who may have different views on the matter.
Bush Radio is a local station and should therefore focus more on issues that are of importance to the communities listening. The story of a Maritzburg baby found in a toilet for instance, has no relevance to the communities in Cape Town. Community stations are on air to deliver stories that are local to address the problems surrounding that particular community. It can be argued that stories like this have local relevance in terms of their angles, but there are often stories that don’t necessarily have local relevance, and to this extent then, Bush Radio isn’t adhering to the licensing agreement. Bush Radio perhaps lacks the staff and resources to go out and find local stories, and they therefore depend on taking their stories from other news sources such as SAPA.
In conclusion, it can be said that there are 3 distinct tiers of broadcasting, each being different in terms of their funding, resources and content. It can also be said that each tier doesn’t strictly stick to their licensing agreements as presented above. The licensing agreements are in place to ensure that there are limits on government control, and the content that is developed is to ensure that the audience is fed with entertaining and objective information that promotes the values of democracy. It is therefore the task of ICASA to ensure that this happens.
References
702 Talk Radio. “On Air Info” http://www.702.co.za/onair/heardonair.asp, accessed 28 April, 2010.
Barnett, C. 1999. “The Limits of Media Democratisation in South Africa: Politics, Privatization and Regulation,” in Media Culture and Society. Reading University.
Bush Radio News. http://bushradionews.blogspot.com/, accessed 28 April, 2010.
ICASA. 2010. Welcome to ICASA. Retrieved 2 April 2010 from http://www.icasa.org.za/
National Association of Broadcasters. 2010. “Broadcasting in South Africa” http://www.nab.org.za/broadcast.asp, accessed 28 April, 2010.
Primedia. 2010. “Our Profile” http://www.primedia.co.za/about_us/, accessed 28 April, 2010.
SouthAfrica.info. 2010. South Africa’s Radio Stations. Retrieved 2 April 2010 from http://www.southafrica.info/about/media/radio.htm
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