Flickr CC courtesy of Alan Levine
While technology may be leading to the demise of print media, the medium of radio has integrated well, according to South African minister of communications Yunus Carrim.
Carrim was opening the proceedings at MTN’s Radio Awards.
“So now you can pick up radio on your cellphone or tablet and follow your favourite DJ on Twitter. 21st century radio has also, of course, become an interactive medium with multiple layers of communication between people and their radio stations,” Carrim said.
“Many people, for example, are also following the Oscar Pistorius Trial on radio in their cars and elsewhere, and posting their comments on their station’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.”
According to Carrim one of radio’s most valuable points is its accessibility.
“It is the only medium of communication where just about every member of the public can participate, at a reasonably affordable price, irrespective of literacy or educational levels,” he said.
“The capacity of radio to inform and educate our population about our country’s progress has been essential in strengthening our democracy. In many senses, radio gives a voice to the voiceless.”
The minister said the medium has over 90 per cent penetration in the country and the industry has grown at an incredible rate.
“From having a handful of radio stations in 1994, there are now nearly 200 public, commercial and community radio stations flourishing in our country. Twenty years of democracy has brought us a free and vibrant radio industry.
HumanIPO reported last year technology was changing the journalistic editorial process.
Speaking at the Footnote Summit in Cape Town, Daily Maverick chief commercial officer Chris Borain said: “Readers of news have migrated to a multi-platform environment. This migration in South Africa is hampered by the high cost of productivity and low broadband connectivity.”
