Topics in this digest:
1. 'The pirates' view of pirate radio', BBC News, 3 Mar 2009
From: Salvatore Scifo
2. UK: The pirates' view of pirate radio
From: George Lessard
3. Soul Beat Extra: Community Radio - March 4 2009
From: George Lessard
Messages
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1. 'The pirates' view of pirate radio', BBC News, 3 Mar 2009
Posted by: "Salvatore Scifo" salvatore.scifo@communitymedia.eu salvatorescifo
Date: Tue Mar 3, 2009 8:22 pm ((PST))
Source:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7920067.stm
(Please note that this article includes two videoclips and that there is
a slightly reworked article at
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7919748.stm ('Pirate radio 'puts
lives at risk') that includes another videoclip, a full feature by BBC's
reporter Ben Ando, 3'12" long)
The pirates' view of pirate radio
By Daniel Emery
Technology reporter, BBC News website
Drive through any big city, turn on your car radio, and the odds are
that you will stumble across a pirate radio station.
For some they are the sound of the street and a way of getting new music
out to the masses. For others, they are a nuisance that can drown out
legitimate radio stations.
It is 10 o'clock on a Monday morning. In a property in south London,
Paul Edwards, a DJ for Supreme Dance FM, is filling the airways with
house, funk and electronic music, with its listeners texting or
e-mailing the show. The DJ name checks each of them with a 'shout'.
For the audience, it is a way of hearing new music before it is even in
the shops, let alone before it gets played on commercial radio stations.
For the authorities, the pirate station is breaching the 2003
Communications Act.
It is thought there are now more than 150 pirate radio stations
operating across the UK, half of which operate in London and the South
East of England.
Many stations serve a particular genre of music, or demographic, with
clear transmission localised to a few square miles.
Ray Gambeno, a record producer from south London, told the BBC that
pirate radio gave up and coming artists the opportunity for exposure and
airplay that would be hard, if not impossible, to get on commercial
radio stations.
"Pirate Radio stations are able to play what they want to play.
"With a legal radio station, they have a set play list, so you're not
going to get to hear what you want to hear."
Last week, officers from the Metropolitan Police and officials from
Ofcom pulled the plug on one alleged pirate radio station in North London.
Ofcom had received more than 100 complaints that a transmission had been
interfering with the commercial broadcaster LBC and the regulator was
out to "put them out of business".
The operation was supposed to get underway just after 2 o'clock, as soon
as the adverts on the station had finished, although it was 40 minutes
before the last advert was over and a new DJ started his set.
It did not last long.
Officers stormed a business centre in Tottenham and, after some initial
confusion, located a radio studio. Five people were arrested, music and
broadcast equipment was seized and a considerable amount of money was
found on the premises.
Technicians on the roof, examining a microwave link to a remote
transmitter, also found a cable linking to a second alleged pirate
station, that while not transmitting, contained radio equipment which
officials also seized.
An unexpected bonus for the officers on the raid.
One of the criticisms levelled at pirate radio stations is that they are
just in it for the money.
Not all bad
However, Ofcom's head of investigations, Paul Mercer, told the BBC that
while some stations were purely driven by profit that was not always the
case.
"As we tune into illegal broadcast radio stations, we become acutely
aware of some stations that carry lots of advertisements of night club
events. And those that never seem to have any advertisements
"We take from that there are some stations who seek to serve the
community, rather than generate some of the vast sums of money that can
be generated through pirate radio."
So what motivates people to set up and play on a pirate radio station?
Steve, who manages the pirate radio station Ice Cold FM, told the BBC
that most people did it for the love of music.
"I still have to hold down a full time job. If I was raking it in, I
wouldn't be getting up for work at seven every morning."
Certainly the people working at Supreme Dance FM appear to be doing it
for the love of music, rather than trying to make a fast buck. The
station is remarkably free of adverts and the owners say they do their
best to ensure the station keeps a clean signal which does not cause any
interference.
Legality
While those involved in pirate radio acknowledge that Ofcom's job is to
enforce the law, many are blasé about the legality of their broadcasts.
Speaking to the BBC, DJ Solution - a pirate radio DJ from west London -
said that the legality had never bothered him.
"I'm not harming anyone, I'm just playing my music. We're not swearing,
we're not promoting guns or selling drugs."
Ray Gambeno said that many in pirate radio would want to go legal, but
as long as it did not compromise the music that they wanted to play.
"They must feel bad about it, because they must wake up in the morning
thinking that not everything they do is completely legitimate."
Of course, there are ways to run a radio station and not fall foul of
the law. One way is to set up as a community radio station.
Steve from Ice Cold FM said that it was difficult to win a community
radio station licence.
"I wanted to go legal. We tried to get a community based licence and
even went off air for a while.
"But once we looked into it, they wanted us to show that we had £25,000
in sponsorship to prove that we could establish the business for a
length of time, which is far more than we would actually need.
"Even to apply costs money and Ofcom can still say no, so it's just not
worth the effort."
Internet radio
Another way is to set up as an internet radio station. You don't need a
licence, you can play whatever you like and then stream it all over
broadband.
Internet radio is legal and can reach a global audience
Many pirate stations already stream on the internet, but with the
majority of their listeners either driving a vehicle, or living in parts
of the community where a PC and broadband is an unaffordable luxury,
they are unlikely to put an end to their illegal broadcasts.
Paul Edwards explained why, for now, Supreme Dance would continue to
broadcast on FM radio.
"Radio is a major part of my life. People can listen to it in their
cars, it's great.
"You can always have a radio near you, but with the internet, sometimes
you can't get the access to listen to the music when you want and where
you want."
Messages in this topic (1)
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2. UK: The pirates' view of pirate radio
Posted by: "George Lessard" mediamentor@gmail.com themediamentor
Date: Wed Mar 4, 2009 6:20 am ((PST))
The pirates' view of pirate radio
BBC News - UK
One way is to set up as a community radio station. Steve from Ice Cold FM
said that it was difficult to win a community radio station licence. ...
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7920067.stm>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Messages in this topic (1)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3. Soul Beat Extra: Community Radio - March 4 2009
Posted by: "George Lessard" media@web.net themediamentor
Date: Wed Mar 4, 2009 7:03 am ((PST))
---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: Soul Beat Extra: Community Radio - March 4 2009
From: "The Soul Beat" <soulbeat@comminit.com>
Date: Wed, March 4, 2009 04:28
To: media@web.net
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Soul Beat Extra: Community Radio
March 4 2009
For people using community radio for social change...
===
The Soul Beat (SB) Extra: Community Radio updates you on community radio
related programme experiences, awards, trainings, evaluations, research
results, and resource materials recently placed on the Soul Beat Africa
website.
SB Extra: Community Radio complements The Soul Beat newsletter through a
specific focus on Community Radio.
SB Extra: Community Radio subscribers: 6701
Communication Initiative Portal User Sessions, past 12 months: 2,646,748
===
For further information on Community Radio in Africa visit Soul Beat
Africa's Community Radio themesite -
http://www.comminit.com/en/africa/community-radio
===
If you know someone who would be interested in receiving this free
e-publication, please forward this edition to them. They can "subscribe"
by subscribing to The Soul Beat (through the registration process) and
indicating an interest in community radio. See
http://www.comminit.com/en/user/register/38
===
1. Labour Community Radio Project: An Audience Research Evaluation of
Local Community Radio Stations and the Weekly Labour Show
by Yuri Ramkissoon and Mukondi Nethavhakone
This evaluation report shares finding of research conducted by the
Community Agency for Social Enquiry (CASE) on behalf of Workers World
Media Productions (WWMP), to assess the Labour Community Radio Project
(LCRP). The LCRP consisted of the production of a weekly one-hour labour
show broadcast live on 38 community radio stations serving the
economically poor and working class in South Africa. The aim of this study
was to assess the extent to which community radio stations and the weekly
labour shows are listened to, and whether they are relevant and meaningful
to the listeners...
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/280482/376
2. Media + Elections: An Elections Reporting Handbook
by Ross Howard
This handbook offers journalists basic preparation for meeting the
challenges of covering elections. It is designed for countries where
democracy is fragile or a new idea. According to the handbook, every
country has different election rules and campaign issues, but there are
some worldwide standards for an election to be considered free and fair...
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/189110/376
3. Sorting Fact from Fiction: Improving Media Reporting on TB
This document is the seventh in a series of briefing documents for the
media from Panos London's RELAY programme, which works with Southern print
and broadcast journalists to communicate the findings of academic research
in an accessible way. The briefing is premised on the claim that
journalists can lead the way in the fight against tuberculosis (TB) by
raising awareness, dispelling fear, challenging policymakers, and
providing clear, factual research information...
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/279839/376
4. Ikike Umunwanyi Na Omumu (The Reproductive Rights of Women) - Nigeria
This weekly radio programme initiated by the Women Information Network
(WINET), a media-focused non-governmental organisation that operates in
Enugu State, Nigeria. broadcast information on women's reproductive rights
in the local language, Igbo, from March to December 2007. During each
show, resource people from the health sector gave information on various
topics and at the end of each programme, the presenter provided a phone
number and a postal address to obtain feedback from listeners...
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/276210/376
5. Mama Ushauri (Mama Advice)- Tanzania
The Tanzania Marketing and Communication (T-MARC) Project, in
collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare's
Reproductive and Child Health Section, has produced a radio serial drama
on reproductive health called Mama Ushauri (or "Mama Advice" in
Kiswahili). The drama, which launched in March 2007 and is currently in
it's fourth season, focuses on the life and times of Mama Ushauri and the
other members of her fictional peri-urban community of Goromonzi...
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/281470/376
6. Education Makes News: An Education for All (EFA) News Media Training
Resource Kit
From the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO), this media training resource kit is for journalists and media
practitioners, to help them understand the international Education For All
(EFA) initiative. It is designed to give a wide range of information to
assist in writing items on educational issues for newspapers, magazines,
or radio/television programmes...
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/276576/376
===
VOTE IN THE NEW COMMUNITY RADIO POLL:
Communities in Africa interact with their local community radio stations...
*Sufficiently: communities influence programming content in a meaningful way.
*Infrequently: communities don't generally engage with their local
community radio stations.
*Not at all: community radio stations struggle to feature the voices of
their specific communities.
*With difficulty: communities try to engage with their community radio
stations, but the stations won't hear them or feature their voices,
struggles, and opinions.
To vote and send comments go to
http://www.comminit.com/en/africa/community-radio and see the Top Right
side of the page.
===
RESULTS from our last Community Radio Poll:
Which of the options below best describe the role played by community
radio stations in elections in Africa? [you may choose more than one]
*uninformed: 12%
*supportive of democratic processes: 19%
*potential is underutilised: 21%
*potential is ignored completely: 14%
*biased: 5%
*abused by political parties: 29%
A selection of comments received:
"Goverments should invest more in community radios."
"There is no democracy at all, so there are lot of abuses from the regime
in charge."
"Most times radio stations are used by the bourgeoisis to project a wrong
and unrealistic manifestoes to the public during electioneering."
"community radios play very little in many countries in Africa"
===
7. Bolongodala - Gambia
Initiated by the Centre for Innovation Against Malaria (CIAM) Public
Health Research & Development Centre in The Gambia, the 26-episode
Bolongodala radio drama series was broadcast in Mandinka, the most widely
spoken national language in Gambia. The drama, complemented by radio
phone-in programmes and listeners' groups, was designed to disseminate key
messages on malaria control and prevention, such as promoting preventive
health practices, in particular the use of insecticide treated nets to
prevent malaria...
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/283629/376
8. Qualitative Research into Malaria Prevention in the Gambia: Focus Group
Discussions among Mothers of Under 5 Children and In-Depth Interviews with
Grandmothers
In 2006, CIAM undertook a nationwide qualitative assessment of
Bolongodala, which intended to add value and understanding to a previous
quantitative study conducted in 2004. This report looks at the evidence
from focus group discussions with the mothers and grandmothers, as primary
caregivers for children, analysing responses and making some general
observations. The report suggests that radio in general, and the drama
Bolongodala, are able to convey information and knowledge that encourage
behaviour change...
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/283635/376
9. Open Cage Radio Drama - Uganda
Launched in March 2008, Open Cage is a radio drama, developed by the
International Women's Tribune Centre (IWTC) and local women's groups in
Northern Uganda, that focuses on sexual and gender-based violence. The
drama is part of the IWTC's efforts to raise awareness of various aspects
of the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325, which
specifically addresses the impact of war on women and women's
contributions to conflict resolution and sustainable peace...
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/284322/376
10. Tjoon'in - 16 Days of Peace Taxi Campaign - South Africa
Tjoon'in is an audio CD produced by Gender Links and the Ekurhuleni
Metropolitan Municipality designed to raise awareness of issues related to
the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence. Designed primarily for
public taxi (minibus) drivers and commuters, the CD was also distributed
to radio stations. The CD is a mix of music, spots, reports, personal
testimonies, and interviews focusing on five key issues: domestic
violence, taxi violence, xenophobia, human trafficking, and men as
partners...
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/284454/376
11. OneLove Campaign - South Africa
Launched in January 2009, the overall goal of the South African Onelove
campaign is to reduce new HIV infections in South Africa by 10% by 2011.
The focus of the OneLove campaign, led by Soul City Institute for Health
and Development Communication, is on multiple concurrent partnerships
(MCP) which is one of the key drivers of the HIV pandemic in Southern
Africa. The mass media component of the South African OneLove campaign
comprises of a prime time Soul City television drama series, a Soul City
radio drama series in 9 languages, community radio station talk shows, and
outreach events. Television and radio advertisements will also be
broadcast and two booklets with over a million copies in four languages
will be distributed...
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/286237/376
12. Sakaza Mngani: Kidz Community Radio Project
by Fiona Lloyd
This handbook is designed to give facilitators of children's radio
programmes insight into children's perceptions as they work together to
create their own programmes. According to the authors, the book is
reader-friendly, with pictures, text, and references combined to give a
new perspective on current trends in children's radio in South Africa...
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/286856/376
13. World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) Africa 4th
Pan-African Conference (Apr 27 - 30 2009) Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
AMARC will hold its fourth Pan African radio developmental conference
under the theme "Increasing the Effectiveness of Community Radio in
Poverty Reduction, Good Governance, and Climate Change Adaptation and
Mitigation" in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. The goal of the Pan African
conference will be to explore and identify effective ways to increase the
social impact of community radio in achieving development and good
governance objectives...
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/286853/376
14. AfriComNet Awards for Excellence in HIV and AIDS Communication in
Africa 2009
Deadline: March 20 2009
The African Network for Strategic Communication in Health and Development
(AfriComNet) is calling for nominations for its Award for Excellence in
HIV/AIDS Communication in Africa. The awards are divided into 5 categories
and AfriComNet will give one award per category for outstanding
initiatives, campaigns, productions, and tools that advance the field of
strategic communication...
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/266968/38
RECENTLY UPDATED SUMMARIES ON THE SOUL BEAT AFRICA WEBSITE:
Soul Beat Africa is not just seeking information on new projects, but we
also like to keep the existing project information on our website up to
date. If your project is featured on the Soul Beat Africa website, and if
you think it requires an update, please send information to
soulbeat@comminit.com We will then feature it in the next Soul Beat
Extra newsletter.
15. Media Kidocracy Konference (MKK) - South Africa
This young broadcasters' convention is designed to bring together groups
of children and young people between the ages of 13 to 18 to talk about
the Africa Charter on Children's Broadcasting. "Young people created the
Kidocracy name to denote a form of society characterised by social
equality and acceptance of young people with representation for and by
young people." The MKK is a project of Bush Radio, a community radio
Station based in Cape Town, South Africa...
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/126590/376
16. Mang'elete Community Radio - Kenya
This is a project of the Mang'elete Community Integrated Development
Project (MCIDP), which brings together 33 rural women's groups from the
semi-arid Makueni District in Kenya. MCIDP originally started as radio
listening groups; participants were exchanging information on reproductive
health, agriculture, and other developmental issues when they realised
that the establishment of a radio station would enhance their knowledge.
Such an endeavour would enable them to both acquire and share more
information, as well as enhance their participation in the community...
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/129915/376
===
For more information, see:
Community Radio Theme Site
http://www.comminit.com/en/africa/community-radio/
Edutainment Theme Site
http://www.comminit.com/en/africa/edutainment.html
===
THE SOUL BEAT ARCHIVES
To view archived editions of The Soul Beat Newsletter see
http://www.comminit.com/en/africa/soul-beat-archives.html
===
If you have received this from another source, and would like to subscribe
to The Soul Beat and SBA Extra: Community Radio, please visit
http://www.comminit.com/en/user/register/38 or e-mail
soulbeat@comminit.com
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