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based news. The station says research and training is ongoing. The station trains its reporters and staff upon recruitment and also on the new ICT systems that it uses.
4. The other players Base FM is a lone voice in Namibia’s growing FM radio broadcast media. As the only community radio station, Base FM has to remain relevant to its poor urban listeners and survive a harsh and competitive advertising environment. It says it is independent of any political players and commercial interests and is loyal to the interests of its urban poor base. Base FM says its political coverage is impartial and any political party that wants space outside the news content will have to pay. Its content, according to Station Manager, Sandra Williams 11 will “never be determined by who is paying us”. The content mix is dominated by community news that includes stories on HIV-AIDS, council delivery issues, education, and women’s and youth programmes. As part of keeping in touch with its audience base, Base FM relies on its journalists to gather views when they go out to write stories as well as community feedback through SMS, phone and e-mail messages. The station says it has no resources to carry out focus group discussion or extensive audience research. With regard to its CMS, the community station has developed a simple computer-folder-based system. Base FM says by law it has to keep programmes in archives for three months. Williams says the computer-folder-based CMS is not working well and the station needs to develop a system that allows easy access to archive material. The station has an ITcoordinator who trains all staff in new technology and develops policies and strategies around training. Williams says she is content with recruiting community members who have never received training in broadcasting or journalism, but who show passion and are keen to learn. This, she says, is one way in which the station maintains its linkage with the community. Base FM says it is aware of the digitisation deadline and is buying equipment that is digital compliant. On whether the station will be immediately affected come 2015, Base FM says no information is forthcoming from government on what its status will be. Base FM is still on analogue and says its only hope of broadcasting via satellite is through partnerships with big players such as One Africa TV or the church-based Trinity Broadcasting Network. Base FM has a Facebook page that it uses to communicate with its fans and also get tips, feedback and requests on music and related programming. The use of SMS is also widespread, with the station receiving a minimum of 1 000 messages from listeners every day. Base FM says the use of SMS and social networking platforms such as Facebook help it know what its audience wants. These facilities, plus e-mail, are also used by audiences to make requests for music, give tips on stories, complaints and Williams, Sandra, Station Manager, Base FM. 2009. E-mail kcr@iway.com.na. Interviewed 22 July 2009
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comments on news broadcast. The use of SMS has created a large following that Base FM now identifies as part of its citizen journalists. As a result of costs involved, Base FM says it cannot carry out audience surveys and has not been able to participate in the annual Media Matrix survey. However, the station says it has at least 15% of the market from the last research it carried out in 2007. Base FM is also accessible on mobile phone, at least for those mobile handsets that have technology that receives FM signals. Of the commercial radio stations, Radio Wave and Radio FM 99 were interviewed. The two stations are based in the capital Windhoek. The two are on analogue broadcasting and use FM frequencies via NBC infrastructure. NBC distributes the content nationally through its transmitter points. Radio Wave is the leading private/commercial radio station in Namibia, with a 60% share of the commercial radio market. Just like Base FM, the station says it is not clear on whether the 2015 deadline applies to radio stations, as there is no adequate information coming from government. But it says it is ready at the touch of a button to go digital, as it has installed digitalcompliant broadcasting equipment. Radio Wave says it is the first to have done this in Namibia but is sceptical that the digitisation plan will be achieved, as the NCC has no money. The station says policy discussions have not achieved results. This statement found resonance with Radio FM 99, which says Digital Migration is an ongoing issue that the regulator NCC has been talking about. 12 They say this process will not affect the station as it is already installing digital-compliant equipment. Radio FM 99 says its worry is the ability of its listeners to move over to the digital radio. Both Radio Wave and Radio FM 99 agree that the government has to put a lot of resources as well as grant digital licences to the commercial radio sector to facilitate the migration. Radio Wave says a digital-compliant radio costs close to R3 000 while an FM receiver costs around R300. Unlike other stations that are confined to Windhoek, Radio Wave covers all major urban centres in Namibia. Apart from its FM analogue signal, Radio Wave is also on Multichoice DStv Satellite channel 167 and is also streaming via its website, www.radiowave.com.na. The website allows Radio Wave listeners to access the station from any part of the world. The station also uses social network tools such as Twitter and Facebook to connect with its listeners. Using Twitter, a listener can send a message which is immediately received by the station, be it a comment or feedback or request. As a competitor to Radio Wave, Radio FM 99 does not have Internet broadcasting yet, and is designing a website through the holding company (Democratic Media Holdings). Radio FM 99 says Namibia has no capacity to make increased use of new technologies as Telecom has limited bandwidth. The station makes use of SMS to keep in touch with its listener base. Jacobie, Gert, Station Manager, Radio FM 99. 2009. gert@namfm99.com. Interviewed July 29. 12