And its impact on RADIO

Definition:
• The Digital Divide, or the digital split, is a
social issue referring to the differing amount
of information between those who have
access to the Internet (specially broadband
access) and those who do not have access.
 Digital Divide - Broader
• Lower-performance computers, lower-quality
or high price connections.
• Some suggest that the Internet and other ICTs
are somehow transforming society, improving
our mutual understanding, eliminating power
differentials, realizing a truly free and
democratic world society, and other benefits.
 Radio and bridging Digital
Divide
• Radio faces the challenge that all internet based business’s
face – South Africa’s little access to Bandwidth.
• Caused by: Monopoly from international investor who bought
30% stake of Telkom in 1997 but failed to improve technology.
• Europe has faster and better bandwidth because its largely
urbanised and made up largely of small countries whilst South
Africa has large rural areas which can pose as a challenge for
in putting cables for connection.
• Giving out free bandwidth could bridge the digital divide but
both France and Germany lost 440 Billion dollars due to low
bandwidth costs.
 Solution
FREE Wi Fi!!
• Project Isizwe – City of Tswhane
• the City of Tshwane in South Africa, that aims to
provide free Wi-Fi for all in public spaces by 2016.
• Visit http://projectisizwe.org/tag/tshwane for more
information.
• Project Isizwe aims to provide free internet access
that requires no passwords or login details for access.
If successful, Tshwane will be the first city on the
African continent to have achieved this.
• Parts of Pretoria inner city already have Free Wi Fi!
 Radio and the Digital Divide
• A large population in South Africa own a radio
set and thus FM radio doing well.
• DStv has done great in roads for satellite radio
broadcast – DStv compact etc.
• With DAB coming – it should open up the
space more including for internet radio.
• Internet radio is growing in SA: 2OceansVibe,
GoldFM, JaFM, Ballz Radio and CliffCentral.
 CliffCentral: Solutions to the online radio
challenges
• Streaming: Breakfast show – connect cellphone
to Bluetooth or auxiliary cord.
• Podcasts – on website
• We Chat – given Cliff Central the edge over other
online radio stations in SA. MTN users are able to
stream for free as of May 2014.
• Advantage to attract listeners: “un- radio format
with mass appeal” playing on the current success
formula that reality TV is using.
 FM Radio Stations and Online platforms

• Radio stations attracting a higher LSM audience

will invariably attract an audience with access to
internet which will also mean access to
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. e.g Kaya FM,
Highveld Stereo, KFM etc.
• Radio stations in lower LSM market tend to have
a poor presence on social networks. Some like
Lesedi FM are starting to be more present partly
due to growing numbers of young listeners.
 Kagiso Digital’s Shaylin Naidoo
• He says radio must exploit the digital space
and know that they can always tell the story
better.