Durban — A hundred years ago, a woman’s voice was broadcast live from Johannesburg for the first time, marking the start of radio in South Africa.
That first “experimental” broadcast on December 18, 1923, paved the way for an industry which remains relevant today despite advances in the digital age, said advocate Robin Sewlal.
It’s estimated that there are more than 280 community radio stations in the country, among them Radio Al Ansaar, Bush Radio, Hindvani and Durban Youth Radio, and a combined total of 40 public broadcast stations (SABC) and commercial radio stations.
The first commercial radio station in the country was the dual language Springbok Radio which broadcast in English and Afrikaans.
Many would remember Capital Radio 604 which broadcast live from Transkei and where Sewlal honed his broadcast skills.
He is the head of Radiocracy which promotes the development, training and power of radio in the country and, as part of the medium’s centenary celebrations, has penned a book detailing the journey of radio and the role it played in the country’s road to democracy.
Despite the world’s move into the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the availability of diverse forms of communication, he said radio would always play a key role because of its relevance and immediacy.
“There are people who are illiterate and radio transcends the barriers of illiteracy. So they get their news, their music and their entertainment. It reaches every nook and cranny in the country,” he said.
In a world where many individuals have turned to podcasts or other social media platforms for information, he says these cannot compete with radio which is personal and puts people first.
“It’s about the voice, the tone, the pace, of the presenter,” he said.
During the Covid-19 pandemic when most of the world was in isolation, many people turned to radio for companionship because it gave them a sense of connection and made people feel the presenter was having a conversation with them.
Sewlal described radio as part of an audio ecosystem which included podcast and audio books, but was by far one of the most popular mediums.
“Radio is the book cover and the podcast is the inside of the book. They can co-exist. However, in certain quarters around the world podcast listenership is decreasing because certain stories cannot wait to be told. One of the beauties of radio is its immediacy and people thrive on that element of immediacy,” he said.
“When radio emerged here in 1923, our forebears would have, understandably, not have contemplated the impact of the theatre of the mind platform on generations to follow.
“Radio has and continues to make a wonderful tangible difference in the lives of all South Africans whether in the realm of information, education, entertainment and/or development.”
Independent on Saturday