RADIO AND INTERNET: ROLE IN RURAL AREAS

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RADIO AND INTERNET ROLE IN RURAL AREAS
1. ROLE AND IMPORTANCE OF RADIO IN RURAL AREAS
AFRICA. RADIO The first accessible technology
2. INTERNET AS AN ADDED VALUETHE POWER OF RADIO
LINKED TO THE INTERNET AND OTHER ICTS3. AMARC
AFRICA ACCESS TO ICTS PROGRAMME IN RURAL AREAS
IN AFRICAUse of ICTS in community radio in
Africa
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ROLE AND IMPORTANCE OF RADIO IN RURAL AREAS IN
AFRICA

• RADIO The first accessible technology

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FACTACCESSIBLITY

• Radio is accessible
• 1.Almost every one has access to a radio
• 2.Radio can be listened to anywhere at home, at
  work,public and private places etc. You can read
  a paper on the radio and any other material for
  that matter.
• 3.Radio frequencies be it Fm,AM or SW cover a
  large percentage of physical terrain of Africa.
• 4.Radios are cheap to acquire.

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RELATIVE SIMPLICITY

• 1.The idea that we can broadcast for nothing
  in terms of equipment was one of the ideas that
  makes community radio successful in the all
  Africa region.
• 2.Radios are physically manageable,the technology
  to operate them reasonably simple.
• 3.FM stations do not need great technical
  expertise to set up and run.No great service and
  maintenance requirements. Ease of setting up.
• 3.Appropriate technology.Electricity, Solar
  power, and any available power source can run FM
  stations. No great power requirements. Even car
  batteries

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RELATIVE SIMPLICITY.

• 4.Radio Stations can be according to budget
  !!From SUITCASE versions to fully fledged
  Stations with all mod cons.

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RADIO IS INSTANT

• 1.Live radio is most exciting
• 2.Combined with telephone makes for great access
  and cheap means of getting to large numbers of
  people.
• 3.Talk Shows are increasingly being seen as a
  tool of Participatory DemocracygtInstant feedbackgt
  interactivity !!
• 4.Vox Pops as a measure of public and Community
  interest and approval/disapproval ratings on
  issues that relevant to their communities.

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INTERNET AS AN ADDED VALUE

• THE POWER OF RADIO LINKED TO THE INTERNET AND
  OTHER ICTS

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LINKAGES WITH INTERNET

• obvious for information retrieval and
  dissemination
• Helps diversify contents
• Reinforce the communication among community
  radio stations and between them and the world of
  communication

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LINKAGES WITH OTHER ICTS

• 1.Radio Browsing-dual use of telephony-by radios
  and listeners who have no access to internet and
  also do not have ability to web browse.
• 2.Telecentres and CMCs help train population in
  ICT and related fields.
• Provide basic telephone communication and
  computing facilities
•   Access to production of information resources
  relevant to specific local users

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Case studies The use of Icts in rural Africa

• 1. Radio Galkayo (RG) Somalia
• Radio Galkayo an AMARC member in the Horn of
  Africa is the only community-based electronic
  media outlet in the northeast of Somalia. Based
  in Puntland, it was set up in 1993 to provide an
  alternative to the radio stations controlled by
  the warlords. Run by young people on a voluntary
  basis, its programmes focus on socio-economic
  issues, development strategies, education,
  de-mining, sports and culture, the concerns of
  women, peace and reconciliation.

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Radio Galkayo (RG) Somalia.

• It acquires and disseminates its radio programmes
  using
•         Online Radio
•         Computers and Internet
•         Fax, Email, Telephone
• Contact Address
• BURHAAN MOXAMED CABDI
• Agaasimaha Idaacadda
• Tel [phone]
• Tel [phone]
• Email webmaster_at_radiogalkayo.com
• Website www.radiogalkayo.com

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Case studies

• 2. Telecentres
• Promote the deployment of telecenters in
  areas with low penetration rates or no access at
  all, particularly in rural peri-urban areas
  where you have the majority of those with no
  access to computers or other forms of ICTS.
• One best practice of a telecentre is the
  Community Satellite Telecentres (CSTs) that were
  established in the two Sub-counties in Nakaseke
  and Kasangombe in Uganda.

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Case studies

• Purpose
•         Facilitate a process of development that
  is affordable and accessible for rural
  communities
•         Provide basic telephone communication
  and computing facilities
•         Access to production of information
  resources relevant to specific local users
•         Provide training in ICTs
• Each Telecentre serves between 250-500 households
  to respond to the above named multipurpose needs
  of the communities that they serve.

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Case studies

• Partners in the Nakaseke multipurpose telecentres
  include UNESCO, DANIDA, IRDC, ITU, Uganda
  National Commission for UNESCO, Public Libraries
  Board, British Council in Uganda, Nakaseke and
  Kasangombe Sub-counties Local governments.
• Contact address
• Nakaseke Ssaza Headquarters, Kapeeka Road
• P.O. Box 105, Nakaseke
• Tel [phone]
• Email nakaseke_at_africaonline.co.ug
• Website www.nakeseke.or.ug

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AMARC AFRICA ACCESS TO ICTS PROGRAMME IN RURAL
AREAS IN AFRICA

• Use of ICTS in community radio in Africa in
  collaboration with Panos and Oneworld

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 Statistics

• - Survey conducted with 50 Stations across Africa
• - Focus on the type of equipment used, Use of
  ICTS on content production, the divide between
  rural and urban radio stations and the training
  provided.
• -35 of the stations have no access to computers

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 Statistics..

• - 65 have at least 1 computer available at the
  station, but without a connection to internet
• - Around 15 do have a permanent connection with
  a dedicated e-mail address
• -  20 use internet as a source for content
• -1 use digital broadcasting and computer editing
  for production
• - 75 of the stations connected are located in
  urban or semi-urban areas.

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 Statistics..

• -  80 of the stations declared having 1 of their
  staff members trained on the use of Internet and
  on radio production and computer editing.
• - 85 Declared using free e-mail and telecentres
  facilities to receive information

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AMARC AFRICA ACCESS TO ICTS PROGRAMME

• Amarc Africas access to ICTS programmes aims to
  respond to those challenges identified earlier.
• Research
• -    Survey on use of ICTs and need assessment
• -  Publication and focus papers on the use of
  ICTS, next publication is a guide on best
  practices, 5 case studies
• Equipment and access
• -         Equipment and technical support
• -         Connectivity hub per region

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AMARC AFRICA ACCESS TO ICTS PROGRAMME

• Training
• - Amarc Africa also provides training on
  technical knowledge
• - Curriculum development
• - Internet,
• - Radio in the Internet
• - Digital broadcasting.

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AMARC AFRICA ACCESS TO ICTS PROGRAMME

• Networking, information sharing and content
  development
• -  New agency for local content exchangeBoth in
  Text and Voice in their local languages
• -  Audio web side for access to information
• -Thematic networks for information dissemination

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Conclusion

• 1.Increase access, the use and availability of
  Radios and ICTs in local and rural areas.
• 2.Offer capacity building in terms of ICT
  use,repair and usage to link with wider Civil
  Society players.
• 3.Recommend one or more of the strategies
• 4.Summarize the results if things go as proposed

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CONCLUSION

• Even if some networks have started using new
  technology, broadcasting through internet,
  digital production or interactive networking, are
  still a far way for Community radio stations.
• Internet can be a means to shape the difficulties
  related to the allocation of frequencies in some
  countries because its an open space that
  everybody can use.