"This study is an exploratory analysis of FM Radio in Sub-Sarahan Africa with Ghana as the single case study. It seeks to describe the current situation of rural radio in the country including levels of rural development programming and community participation. Analysis focuses on the three main sec
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tors of rural radio - community, commercial and GBC. As no comprehensive listing of rural stations is available, the study is able to identify 52 operational rural stations and their transition ranges. GBC stations covered a greater percentage of Ghana. However, community stations have the highest level of community development and participation. The study concludes that, while levels of rural development programming and participation are satisfactory, they can be increased. The coverage of rural radio in Ghana and its pluralistic character suggest that radio will remain a crucial medium of communication for rural peoples in Sub-Saharan Africa." (Abstract)
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"The research was informed by desk research, two technical reviews and a stakeholder consultation in four countries – Honduras, South Africa, Tanzania and Ghana. It proved very timely as it contributed significantly to ongoing consultations in South Africa and Tanzania. In South Africa ICASA annou
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nced the availability of a four year community television license and ongoing lobbying for frequencies should result in a number of initiatives happening in the next year or so. In Tanzania, the regulator consulted on community radio licensing, resulting in a lowering in license fees [...] The net conclusion is that community television could play a huge role in empowering local communities. While community radio has such a role now, it is possible that television viewing could over the next ten years erode the role of radio. Uptake of low power televisions could leave communities with national or multi channel broadcasts that are entertaining but do very little to stimulate dialogue about development, empower people as agents of change, protect local language and local culture. Community television could play a strong role in stimulating development dialogue, supporting local economies, be a vehicle for decentralised government egovernance and share local content in local language and local culture – a local voice. Advocates of community television need to be realistic in the development of the institutional framework for the station, and in the influence of the wider environment on the shape of the station. The report ends with a number of general recommendations, and a specific recommendation that some pilot community television stations should be set up in the immediate future to document the parameters required for a successful innovative community television station." (Executive summary, page 3-5)
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"In this volume, experts discuss the content, audiences, and cultural and legal aspects of their respective countries, all of which are major TV markets. The country-specific chapters draw on the individual insights, expertise, and currency of 10 resident authors. Contributions represent every hemis
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phere of the globe, offering detailed examinations of media entertainment in United Kingdom, Germany, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, India, Japan, China, Brazil, and Mexico. The two concluding chapters provide cross-national case studies that look at familiar TV experiences - The Olympics and the "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" show - in global and novel ways." (Publisher description)
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"The work in this report and that found in the International Woman’s Media Foundation / Africa Woman’s Media Centre report, Deadline for Health (2004), provide us with the only insight into malaria reporting in African contexts. Both are baseline studies made prior to journalists training interv
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entions and draw similar conclusions about the priority placed on HIV/AIDS reporting to the detriment of malaria coverage. This report goes beyond the work of the IWMF / AWMC to include the perspectives of malaria professionals and an examination of the rhetorical devices used in malaria reporting. This report outlines the results of a survey of a sample of journalists, chief editors, managing directors of major media houses and experts involved in malaria control in Kenya and the Gambia in 2005. A qualitative study of six months of newspaper reporting in three main papers in Kenya was also undertaken and the results discussed in relation to the survey results. The survey found that media professionals recognise malaria as an important health topic worthy of media attention. The majority of Gambian journalists, chief editors and MDs ranked malaria first followed by HIV/AIDS. In Kenya media personnel selected HIV/AIDS as the health issue that deserved most media coverage followed by malaria. Media people in both countries stated that HIV/AIDS dominates reporting and that malaria deserves more attention than it currently received. Issues such as maternal child health and TB received a relatively low rating in comparison. There is strong media commitment to malaria reporting as shown by the survey, however stories and programmes on the subject are usually the product of a journalists own interest, rather than a concerted effort on the part of editors and reporters. Malaria stories compete for space and time with the other issues of the day. No media houses have designated health desks, specialised health reporters or supportive editorial policy. Documented evidence of editorial guidelines was found for only one media house in Kenya." (Executive summary)
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