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Bush Radio : :
Community radio, radio for people... to make sure that the
voiceless can finally have a voice.
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Bush
Radio is a South African radio station based
in Cape Town. It began transmitting in the late 80’s
as a pirate station and had a great struggle to be heard...
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small organisation called CASET (Cassette Education
Trust) was formed with the aim to develop an alternative
audio communications system. It started off by recording
information onto cassettes and distributed them in and
around Cape Town. |
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Its key objective was to inform and educate people
on issues, which at that time, they had little or
no oppurtunity to learn about, its theory being information
is power. In 1992 CASET dissolved as an organisation
and recreated itself as a community radio initiative,
and was formed as a voluntary association focused
on getting the community on air. For the first time
in history of South Africa, “black” people
would have the opportunity to be broadcasters. |
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Bush
Radio firmly established itself as a key trainer and
lobbyist for the establishment of community radio in
South Africa. The concept of community radio –
local radio by the locals. Its mission is to ensure
that communities who have been denied access to resources,
take part in producing ethical, creative and responsible
radio that encourages them to communicate with each
other, to take part in decisions that affect their lives,
and to celebrate their own cultures.Community radio
stations offers new hope and can open new horizons for
freedom but above all to organise for change. Bush targets
a diverse audience of persons united by a common desire
to build themselves and their communities. |
| As much as broadcasting
is important to Bush Radio, the station remains essentially
a “training” radio station with an emphasis
placed on developing potential broadcasters from the
community, rather than filling airtime. Its training
iniative, and the role it played in the dissemination
of information of basic radio skills, is a highly respected
programme in the country. |
| The shows that really catch my ear...
is the Friday night Hip Hop show hosted by Shaheen (from
Cape Town's legendary crew- Prophets of the City) and
Dre (one of Cape Town's most renowned DJs); and the
Thursday night Reggae show. Nuff MC's regulary go through
their paces over the Bush airwaves, blessing the local
listeners. |
| Being a community based
radio station its doors are always open for just about
everyone who's got something important to announch,
be it for a show, a protest, a march... I've frequently
visited their studios sometimes just to sit in on the
broadcasting of my favourite shows, also to attend various
workshops like DJ Finga Thing from the UK, Prince Paul
from the States... |
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Bush Radio's contact
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To
be continued ... |
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