MyRadio in an online (internet based) and mobile ( cellphone) news exchange and delivery platform. It targets community based journalist. The ser vice will allow community radio stations to exchange interviews, news reports, debates they produced in their communities. The online plaform will allow journalist attached to community radio stations in South Africa to subscribe to the service free. The online platform is a unique opportunity to axchange stories by uplowding daily stories/current affairs programmes, and this will allow stations throughout the country to exchange programmes using an internet portal. Stations will further be in position to access press releases and press audio clips by National Government and Provincial Government and other national breaking stories. An online platform will give community reporters to have free email address and access to a dedicated news-chartroom . In this chartroom reporters will have an opportunity to discuss story lines and other challenges faced by community based repoters MyRadio Mobile: The launch of Electronic Communication Act 2006 in South Africa, further allowed different communication industries to establish new content delivery platforms. This platform will help community radio stations to access this new technology and ensure that they maximise their community reach. Each station with a dedicated unique code that they will use to encourage their listerns to subscribe. The mobile unit will be used to deilvery sms (breaking local stories) by individual station. This is an interactive service listeners will use this number to alert journalist about issues in their communities and participate in programming through comments or ask questions. Most of community reporters dont have any acedemic background. Myradio will establish partership with the Institute for the Advancement of Journalism to offer a 12 months national journalism qualification to all participating reporters with a special module to online journalism. Each reporter will receiver a field recorder& la
Community Radio Journalist in South Africa. The project will identity rural and urban based station in all South Africas 9 provinces. Each province will have 4 stations, (36 stations will participate and 36 community journalist will participate in a project). Each reporter will be given an opportunity to attend a National Journalism Qualification. Community Radio in South Africa has a mandate to deliver community based programme, and further develop programme exchange strategy. The lack of proper structure , skills and resources posses a challenge. Therefore bridge that digital devide gap and improve the minimise the shortage of skills Community Radio sector is currently the biggest listened form of radio medium is South Africa. Most people in SA have mobile phones,this is a new content delivery platform
•Concepts Mobile Solutions was formed in 2005 by Nkopane Maphiri and Martin Vilakazi. •Both share more than 13 years of radio broadcasting experience, having extensively worked throughout the Sub-Saharan region on radio production, management, marketing, advertising and programming •They also bring together vast knowledge in broadcasting having worked extensively in assisting different communities to setup their own radio stations. •Both Directors are graduated with Telecommunications Policy Regulation and Markets Management Certificate, from Wits University Link Centre •Our philosophy is one that encourages innovation that drives us to achieve breakthrough results for our clients. At all times we break the boundaries and challenge conventional thinking and explore new, untried possibilities. •A philosophy that constantly considers new perspectives and continuously develop unique solutions that set us and our clients apart. •A philosophy that challenge us to create strategic positioning in the market that will differentiate our clients as a market leader. •A philosophy that takes an objective and interpretive approach to help our clients understand market trends and factors influencing changes in the market in order to help them develop effective and creative solutions •The convergence of communications industries is redefining the Telecommunications industry landscape in South Africa today. Cellular phones are now no longer telecommunication tools for making voice calls but they also allow the sending and receiving of text messages, picture messaging, video and audio material. The multi-media functionality of cellular phones provides a unique market opportunity for telecommunications, information technology and broadcasting/content service providers to discover new audience delivery platforms. This opens spaces for new product enhancement role players to enter the industry and provide unique services.
This idea has a potential of shaping many aspects of community journalism 1. The establishment of a community radio news satellite that will use see the convergence of satellite, terrestrial broadcasting and shit towards the use of new content delivery platforms (internet and mobilephone) by braodcasters in Southern Africa Region. 2. Qualified community reporters, that never had an opportunity to receive academic training in media studies, by affording them a chance to register with an academic partnering institute for a journalism qualification. 3. A first online and mobile phone news and programs platform that will be centre for news development and sharing for reporters across the continent. 4. A resource for international news/media agencies to receive first hand stories from people staying within war torn areas, HIV and AIDS highly affected regions, areas with political unrest. This project will offer an opportunity to citizen journalist to engage with mainstream media.
The project will have the expected outcomes: - A stable web-portal, to host residencies to gallery of interviews, speeches and news reports, for community journalist to have access to past and present braking stories. - To explore creative expressions within a resourceful and collaborative professional environment that provides links to other media interactive and web portal that will offer audio exchange platform, blogging capabilities, text exchange platform, active chartroom and free email to individual journalist registered - Training of 36 community based journalist link to community radio stations. Journalist will receive an 8 months skills program, which is national qualification with a specific focus on digital news reporting - At least in the first year 36 community radio station all over the country , must have their newsrooms linked to each other via broadband network that will allow them to share stories and programs daily. - Each station must develop its own news break audience mobilephone database, each station should have a database that will reflect their listenership at least each station should have 50 000 people subscribed to their database - MyRadio Mobile, should have 50 000 x 36 stations = 1 800 000 people subscribed to mobilephone news distribution portal. Which individual stations will use on everyday to distribute news via SMS and mms.
The project aims 1.To stage multimedia projects that promote dialogue, nurture and educate diverse audiences about the role of community media/radio sector in the creation of a vibrant civil society. 2.To provide daily news updates to different communities. 3.To host residencies to gallery of interviews, speeches and news reports, for community journalist to have access to past and present braking stories. 4.To explore creative expressions within a resourceful and collaborative professional environment that provides links to other media innovations. 5.To be a direct link to other community radio station journalist throughout the country
The new Electronic Communications Act 2006, in the Republic of South Africa allows the converged media platforms. Community radio sector in South Africa is well resourced to undertake or participate in this process. Community journalists always seek better ways to share and get new stories, unfortunately there is not forum that allows them to interact easily. Stations are already linked via a satellite that allows them do share syndicated programs on various topical programs e.g HIV/AIDS, Agricultural programs etc. The liberalization of ICT's is allowing communities to access new technology, currently mobile telecommunications industry has the highest penetration in the country. There are more than 30 million cellphone subscribes in South Africa , mostly concentrated in rural -peri-urban areas. Also there is high increase of internet penetration, most community reporters have access to internet via mobile internet (GPRS/3G) Mobile Broadband (satellite) and ISDL high speed broadband (fixed line). Also cost lines are coming down because of open market and regulations that seek to ensure there is universal access to information via USA Act
We will follow the following steps 1. Form a stakeholders committee that will be chaired by the National Community Radio Forum 2. Provincial News editorial Teams, that will ensure station coordination of newsroom in all South Africas 9 provinces 3. Radioshows visiting participating stations and other stations that have established newsrooms 4. Electronic newsletter to community radio stations. 5. We will release a memorandum inviting interested parties who what to use a site to contact us. 6. All participating stations (36) will design a call to action Public Service announcement, calling its audience to subscribe to a news alert and content delivery platform.
Concepts doesn't have any funding for this project. However will continue to bring different parties that might add value to the project
Project Team 1. Martin Vilakazi (Project Manager) He will be responsible for an overall strategic and business management of the project. 2. Nkopane Maphiri (Stakeholders Liaison and Promotions) His major responsibility is to develop partnerships with the community media sector and promote the product both with community reporters and pubic. Also develop join programmes with different parties (Universities, content partners etc) 3. Sello Ditjoe (Portal Manager and Engineer) 4. Jacob Ntshangase ( Training Coordinator) 5. Paul Moeng ( Designer and Webmaster) 6. Nomusa Vilakazi (Portal Editor) 7. Athena Koopman (Project Coordinator) 8. Sibongile kubheka (Financial Officer
We are the one Company developing this service. There is news exchange or any satellite programming exchange is South Africa. We will also be the first to introduce new content delivery platform in South Africa
1. A sustainble news exchange and distribution portal. 2. 36 web-blogs for 36 community radio newsrooms. 3. A mobile news distribution portal with 1,8 million subsribers from 36 different communities recieving breaking stories in their respective communities 4. 36 Qualified communit reporters. 5. 36 community radio stations will have established and strong newroom 6. Improved community reporting , particular on community based stories by community radio stations, with each station meeting its licence conditions on local news quotes.
