Radio 2.0 for development » Panos

Radio and ICT in West Africa : Connectivity and Use

bg — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 20:42:51 +0000

Panos West Africa has published the results of a base-line study of West African radio connectivity to ICTs (internet, satellite, computer, digital storage tools, etc.), analyzing the uses implemented, identifying the constraints and opportunities, and making recommendations to the different stakeholders. The study concentrated on seven countries (Ghana, Benin, Senegal, Mali, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso & Niger) and considered public, community, commercial and religious radio stations. Two hundred and twenty radio stations took part in the survey. The main tools of research used were questionnaires, interviews and documentary analysis.

The results reveal that overall the average rate of access to the internet by radio stations in the seven countries studied is 51.8 %, with a large disparity according to the country and type of radio. Indeed, while the rate of connectivity is 72.2% for private commercial radio on the one hand, it is limited to 31.5% for community or non-profit making radio. On the other hand, at a country-wide level, Ghanaian radio has a 93.5% connectivity rate, Senegalese radio 89.7%, whilst only 20% of radio stations in Sierra Leone are connected. In Ghana and Senegal, nearly all commercial radio stations are connected. In addition, 72.7% of Senegalese community radio stations have access to the internet (75% of them have an ADSL line), in contrast to only 8.3% of Nigerien community stations. The rate of connectivity for all radio stations in Burkina Faso, Benin and Mali, is 61.5%, 55% and 34% respectively.

The strong mobile phone penetration on the continent allows stations to use it as an indispensable tool for reporting and communicating with listeners; this has contributed to today’s large number of radio listeners.

The report is available in PDF format in English or French.

South Asia workshop: Online broadcasting

bg — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 15:57:53 +0000

Panos South Asia is organising a 5-day South Asian regional ‘Online Radio Broadcasting Training Workshop’ for media and other communication practitioners in South Asia, from 17- 21 March 2008 at its Media Centre in Kathmandu, Nepal. The workshop aims to provide know-how on the potential the Internet offers to radio and point them to ways of incorporating it in their respective media outlets’ strategy.

Broadcasters, radio producers/reporters, editors, web masters, web editors, bloggers, pod-casters and other communication practitioners, especially, but not necessarily associated with radio media from South Asian countries wishing to attend this training workshop may apply by 15 February 2008 by e-mail to prsa@panosradiosouthasia.org.

More information is available from the Panos South Asia website.

ICTs and elections in Africa

bg — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 14:39:49 +0000

The Panos Institute West Africa (PIWA) has launched a media production contest on ICTs open to all print and broadcast media journalists from West and Central Africa.

Prizes will be awarded to the best print articles and radio programmes on the theme ICTs and elections in Africa.

Articles or radio programmes should focus specifically on one of the following issues:

the use of Internet during campaigns (“cybercampaigns”, public debate using Internet) ;
impact of Internet on campaigns and elections;
mobile telephony and elections ;
ICTs and elections’ transparency (electoral file, voter card, data transmission security, statistics);
ICT theme in election candidates’ programmes.

More information from Haayo-Mediatic…

En français…

InterWorld Radio: “The kind of thing that connects you to the world”

bg — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 22:22:27 +0000

InterWorld Radio is a global network for radio stations and journalists. It features news and programmes about “world issues and local contexts”. This chapter by Francesca Silvani in The One to Watch looks at the early days of the network.

Download the chapter

The Information Highways are still Unpaved: The internet and West African community radio

bg — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 19:04:14 +0000

A chapter in The One to Watch by Lynda Attias and Johan Deflander looks at the harsh reality of using internet and radio West Africa.

Since our radio has been connected to the Internet, our telephone bills are four times higher, but I’ve also seen that we communicate four times less with our community.
– Zane Ibrahim, Bush Radio; Cape Town, South Africa

Download the chapter