100 years of radio in Africa: from propaganda to people’s power

Wed, 13 Mar 2024 11:43:49 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/100-years-of-radio-in-africa-from-propaganda-to-peoples-power-222798>

"Radio is thriving across Africa. Exact figures are difficult to come by
because audience research differs across countries. But studies estimate radio
listenership to be between 60% and 80% of the continent’s 1.4 billion
population.

In contrast to many western countries, where there has been a shift towards
streaming and podcasts, traditional radio continues to be widely embraced in
Africa. Because of poor literacy levels and uneven access to the internet and
technological infrastructure, old-fashioned radio remains a reliable and
inclusive medium.

This year’s celebration of the 100-plus years of radio offers us an
opportunity, as African media scholars, to reflect on the historical
significance, cultural relevance, political power and social impact of the
medium on the continent. We home in on examples from the regions we’ve studied
to demonstrate this rich history."

Cheers,
       *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net               Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/            Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/               Manager, Serious Cybernetics

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