{"id":10825,"date":"2024-02-13T15:17:25","date_gmt":"2024-02-13T15:17:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/qiraatafrican.com\/en\/?p=10825"},"modified":"2024-02-13T15:25:36","modified_gmt":"2024-02-13T15:25:36","slug":"africas-radio-history-over-a-century-from-propaganda-to-people-power","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/qiraatafrican.com\/en\/10825\/africas-radio-history-over-a-century-from-propaganda-to-people-power\/","title":{"rendered":"Africa’s radio history over a century: from propaganda to people’s power"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Sisanda Nkoala*<\/strong>, Christina Chan-Meetoo*<\/strong>, Jacinta Mwende Maweu*<\/strong>, Marissa J. Moorman*<\/strong>, Modestus Fosu*<\/strong>, & Stanley Tsarwe*<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Radio is\u00a0thriving<\/a>\u00a0across\u00a0Africa<\/a>. Exact figures are difficult to come by because audience research differs across countries. But studies estimate radio listenership to be between\u00a060% and 80%<\/a>\u00a0of the continent\u2019s\u00a01.4 billion population<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In contrast to many western countries, where there has been a\u00a0shift<\/a>\u00a0towards 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\u00a0reliable and inclusive<\/a>\u00a0medium.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s\u00a0celebration<\/a>\u00a0of 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\u2019ve studied to demonstrate this rich history.<\/p>\n

Early years<\/h2>\n

The story of radio in Africa starts with its introduction\u00a0to serve colonial interests<\/a>. Cameroonian scholar Francis Nyamnjoh\u00a0argues<\/a>\u00a0that as soon as it had established itself as a mass medium in the 1920s,<\/p>\n

European states were quick to realise the part radio could play in realising their desire to swallow up weaker cultures around the globe.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Historians\u00a0note<\/a>\u00a0that it also allowed Europeans in the colonies to connect to home, their culture and their languages.<\/p>\n

In the early 1920s amateur radio enthusiasts had already begun\u00a0tinkering<\/a>\u00a0with the technology. The\u00a0first official broadcast<\/a>\u00a0seems to have been on 18 December 1923 in Johannesburg, South Africa.<\/p>\n

In east Africa, radio was first introduced in Kenya in 1927 and in west Africa to Sierra Leone in 1934.<\/p>\n

UK media scholar Graham Mytton\u00a0writes<\/a>\u00a0that the arrival of radio in west Africa\u2019s British colonies \u2013 The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Gold Coast (now Ghana) and Nigeria \u2013 marked a turning point.<\/p>\n

Until then radio had been broadcast by wireless transmission. When it was\u00a0introduced<\/a>\u00a0in Sierra Leone, Ghana (1935) and Nigeria (1936), it was \u201cvia wired services \u2013 subscribers had loudspeakers (linked by wire to the radio station) installed in their homes to receive the service \u2026 these were created with native African listeners in mind\u201d.<\/p>\n

Then, in 1936, the British colonial administration\u00a0decided to develop<\/a>\u00a0radio broadcasting throughout its African colonies.<\/p>\n

Propaganda<\/h2>\n

Colonial powers such as the UK and France upped their radio transmission efforts after the outbreak of the\u00a0second world war<\/a>\u00a0in 1939. The 1940s were marked by the introduction of indigenous language broadcasts by colonial powers wanting to influence public opinion and garner support for their war effort.\u00a0While<\/a>\u00a0the British broadcast to Africa in some African languages, France broadcast only in French.<\/p>\n

This laid the groundwork for future developments. After the war, the British\u00a0officially adopted<\/a>\u00a0a policy of extending broadcasting services across most of its African colonies.<\/p>\n

In Kenya, for example, the first broadcast service for Africans began in 1953, transmitting in local languages during the state of emergency declared in 1952 to suppress the\u00a0Mau Mau uprising<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Academics have\u00a0argued<\/a>\u00a0that despite being designed mainly for propaganda, radio in Africa<\/p>\n

was always far more multifaceted and slippery than was intended by colonial powers.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It also offered the \u201cability to create new and sometimes unruly publics\u201d.<\/p>\n

Resistance radio<\/h2>\n

The 1950s saw the expansion and transformation of radio in Africa. Radio stations across British, French and Belgian colonies rapidly increased as people under colonial rule increased their efforts to achieve independence.<\/p>\n

In the mid-1950s the oldest liberation station in Africa,\u00a0Radio Freedom<\/a>, was established as an underground station in Zambia by South Africa\u2019s resistance movement. It would air its first formal broadcast in 1963.<\/p>\n

In Angola<\/a>, radio expanded with the\u00a0outbreak of war<\/a>\u00a0in 1961 between liberation movements and the Portuguese colonial state.<\/p>\n

Liberation movements in neighbouring countries used radio for war reporting amid colonial censorship. For their part, colonial state radio fostered the emergence of local artists\u2019 music as part of their colonial propaganda.<\/p>\n

Independence and state control<\/h2>\n

From the late 1940s to the early 1960s the number of radio-receiving sets\u00a0increased fivefold<\/a>, from 90 sets per thousand people in Africa to 450.<\/p>\n

In some respects the 1960s was a\u00a0golden era<\/a>\u00a0for African radio. A wave of\u00a0independence<\/a>\u00a0movements birthed new nations as radio technology was becoming more affordable.<\/p>\n

Many newly independent countries established national broadcasting services, like The Gambia in 1965. This expanded the reach of radio and the opportunity to embrace local languages, music and cultural programming. In Nigeria, the Broadcasting Corporation expanded to cover the whole country.<\/p>\n

But some newly independent countries that had inherited state-controlled broadcasting systems also\u00a0censored content<\/a>\u00a0deemed critical or threatening, restricting freedom of expression.<\/p>\n

With independence in Angola in 1975, for example, the new leaders saw radio as a tool for nation building, but\u00a0tightened their grip<\/a>\u00a0after a coup attempt in 1977.<\/p>\n

In many African countries, Angola included, post-colonial state control of radio continues. Zimbabwe\u2019s radio sector, for example, is thriving. But state control remains strong, with biased licensing for national radio and restrictive laws for community radio stations.<\/p>\n

The Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation was established in 1964 and still operates as a\u00a0state broadcaster<\/a>. Despite funding through public licence fees and advertising, it\u2019s perceived to promote government agendas.<\/p>\n

Radio has also been used to promote nefarious political ends. The\u00a01994 genocide<\/a>\u00a0in Rwanda stands as a painful example. The infamous Radio T\u00e9l\u00e9vision Libre des Mille Collines disseminated hate speech and\u00a0incited violence<\/a>\u00a0against the Tutsi minority.<\/p>\n

Private commercial stations<\/h2>\n

Over the last 40 years many African countries have liberalised their economies and their media regulations, issuing commercial and community radio licences.<\/p>\n

In Ghana, for example, radio primarily served elite interests until the 1990s, when private ownership diversified the industry. By 2022, Ghana\u00a0boasted<\/a>\u00a0513 radio stations, ranging across public, commercial, community, campus and foreign broadcasts.<\/p>\n

An essential development has been the emergence of indigenous language radio. This has produced culturally resonant content and prioritised community issues. But challenges persist. Some stations are affiliated with political or business interests and increased attacks<\/a>\u00a0on journalists pose risks to media freedom and diversity.<\/p>\n

In recent decades, Kenya\u2019s radio landscape has transformed to over 200 stations. Private commercial stations now dominate, broadcasting in local languages.<\/p>\n

In Mauritius, airwaves were liberalised in 2002, introducing private stations. Talk shows, especially in the Mauritian Creole language, have revolutionised radio. Private radio has expanded to digital platforms, engaging audiences through live streams and social media, creating both competition and sensationalist coverage.<\/p>\n

Radio now<\/h2>\n

Digital convergence is reshaping radio consumption, blurring audience patterns.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t happening uniformly across the continent. Digital platforms face challenges, such as the\u00a0digital divide<\/a>\u00a0and economic\u00a0inequality<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Radio\u2019s influence is likely to endure, with podcasts complementing rather than replacing traditional broadcasts.\u00a0A 2022 survey<\/a>\u00a0across 34 African countries found radio was \u201coverwhelmingly the most common source for news\u201d. This is a testament to its enduring influence and unique ability to connect with diverse audiences \u2013 even a century after its introduction.<\/p>\n

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\n*Associate professor, University of the Western Cape<\/em><\/p>\n

*Senior Lecturer in Media and Communication, University of Mauritius<\/em><\/p>\n

*Senior lecturer in Philosophy and Media Studies, University of Nairobi<\/em><\/p>\n

*Associate Professor of History, Indiana University<\/em><\/p>\n

*Associate Professor in Language and Communication Studies, University of Media, Arts and Communication, Ghana Institute of Journalism<\/em><\/p>\n

*Lecturer in Journalism, University of Namibia<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Radio\u2019s influence is likely to endure, with podcasts complementing rather than replacing traditional broadcasts.\u00a0A 2022 survey\u00a0across 34 African countries found radio was \u201coverwhelmingly the most common source for news\u201d. This is a testament to its enduring influence and unique ability to connect with diverse audiences \u2013 even a century after its introduction.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10826,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":39,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"source_name":"The Conversation","source_url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/100-years-of-radio-in-africa-from-propaganda-to-peoples-power-222798","via_name":"","via_url":"","override_template":"0","override":[{"template":"1","single_blog_custom":"","parallax":"1","fullscreen":"1","layout":"right-sidebar","sidebar":"default-sidebar","second_sidebar":"default-sidebar","sticky_sidebar":"1","share_position":"top","share_float_style":"share-monocrhome","show_share_counter":"0","show_view_counter":"0","show_featured":"1","show_post_meta":"1","show_post_author":"0","show_post_author_image":"1","show_post_date":"1","post_date_format":"default","post_date_format_custom":"Y\/m\/d","show_post_category":"0","show_post_reading_time":"0","post_reading_time_wpm":"300","show_zoom_button":"0","zoom_button_out_step":"2","zoom_button_in_step":"3","show_post_tag":"1","show_prev_next_post":"0","show_popup_post":"0","number_popup_post":"1","show_author_box":"0","show_post_related":"1","show_inline_post_related":"1"}],"override_image_size":"0","image_override":[{"single_post_thumbnail_size":"crop-500","single_post_gallery_size":"crop-500"}],"trending_post":"0","trending_post_position":"meta","trending_post_label":"Trending","sponsored_post":"0","sponsored_post_label":"Sponsored by","sponsored_post_name":"","sponsored_post_url":"","sponsored_post_logo_enable":"0","sponsored_post_logo":"","sponsored_post_desc":"","disable_ad":"0"},"jnews_primary_category":{"id":"","hide":""},"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":{"override_view_counter":"0","view_counter_number":"0","override_share_counter":"0","share_counter_number":"0","override_like_counter":"0","like_counter_number":"0","override_dislike_counter":"0","dislike_counter_number":"0"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[2086,2089,2090,2087,2082,2083,2084,2092,2085,2091,2088],"class_list":["post-10825","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history","tag-african-colonialism","tag-african-independence","tag-african-media","tag-african-radio","tag-digital-divide","tag-media-history","tag-podcasts","tag-post-colonial-africa","tag-radio-history","tag-south-african-podcasts","tag-world-radio-day"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/qiraatafrican.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10825","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/qiraatafrican.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/qiraatafrican.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qiraatafrican.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qiraatafrican.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10825"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/qiraatafrican.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10825\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qiraatafrican.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10826"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/qiraatafrican.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10825"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qiraatafrican.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10825"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qiraatafrican.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10825"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}