THE COMMUNITY OF A RADIO STATION WITHIN A NATIONAL GAME PARK

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Contextualization

This research is unique in the sense that it proposes a hypothetical community radio station for a National Game Park1 , such as the Kruger National Park, in South Africa. The reasoning behind this choice of venue is twofold. The Kruger National Park has many ethnic communities living along its borders while the park itself is regarded as one of the most popular tourist attractions in South Africa. Community radio stations in rural areas often have difficulty generating enough revenue to be sustainable therefore a station with ready access to a potential source of revenue, namely the tourists, is arguably an ideal solution. Such a community radio station is able to act as a ‘broker’ between visitors who want to buy handcrafts or visit cultural villages for instance and the ethnic communities who want to sell their wares and expertise to them.
This thesis also presents a case for a bilingual ‘ethnic and English’ community radio station that broadcasts in an ethnic language and in English at the same time. The researcher focused on the Kruger National Park to prove that such a station will be a viable asset to a National Game Park itself, since it can be used to promote the park; provide its ethnic communities with an important source of revenue; while its programmes on nature and wildlife will provide the visitors with a ‘field guide’ in their vehicle. A further unique aspect in this concept is the ‘three tier approach’ which will allow all National Game Parks to communicate on national level at a certain time of the day. The researcher aimed to create a unique community radio setup, which abides by the rules set out by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA)2 , the regulator responsible for issuing broadcasting licences, which will appeal to visitors and ethnic communities alike. The study also establishes a new radio community (Parks Emergent Radio Communitiess / PERCs) for the park, consisting of tourists and ethnic communities. This argument is based on the findings of Kepe (1999:418-419), Anderson (1987:15-16), Riggins (1992:2-5) and Clarke (2002:3-4) with regard to what constitutes a community. References vary from the ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ media approaches used by McLuhan, to Anderson’s ‘imagined communities’ and Ong’s studies of the social impact of ‘oral residues’ in a literate society.
It is generally taken as a given in post-apartheid South Africa that the unique characteristics of the diverse communities and tourist attractions that South Africa has to offer, need to be targeted as outstanding areas for social, economic and tourism development. This in turn has opened up marketing challenges and opportunities for community-based tourism, with the emphasis on participation and co-ordination at community-tourism level. The researcher will argue that there are not one but two basic communities at this level of community tourism, in this moment of participation and co-ordination. The first community is the obvious or traditionally conceived one – a social system that owns land and culture that is of interest to the second community. The second community will be argued to be a ‘tourist community.’ In the National Game Park situation, for example, the second community might be described as ‘the community of visitors to the park.’ In this sense the ‘property’ is not owned but ’hired’ (through fees levied), and the ‘social system’ is one of ‘tourism.’
And finally, in reference to tourism, a ‘common benefit’ will accrue, leading to the ‘shared pleasure’ of an effective and satisfactory tourist excursion. Given this, it is obvious that a synergy should exist between these ‘real’ and tourist communities. A microcosm of the potential interface between the local community and tourism/tourists was evident in the International Conference held from 1 to 3 October 2001 in Pretoria. It was hosted by the University of Pretoria’s Centre for Afrika Tourism under the leadership of Prof D Wilson, and will be used here as an indication of the range and variety of the demands which occur at the interface. The title of the conference: ‘Tourism as catalyst for community-based development in Africa’, immediately indicates this interplay. Papers were delivered by delegates from South Africa and as far afield as the United States of America, Kenya, the Netherlands, Zimbabwe, France and Australia. A further reference to the importance of tourism is the tourism Indaba 2003 held in Durban from 3 to 6 May (Tourism will benefit … 2003:1) and the fact that Durban won the international convention bid which allowed them to stage the annual tourism indaba for a further three years, from 2004 to 2006. The “Indaba is worth R40 million to the city and region and a whopping R500 million when marketing spin-offs are included. During 2006, the four-day Indaba at the International Convention Centre in Durban attracted 1 300 exhibitors and 1 500 delegates” (ICC Durban Wins… 2002:1).
The researcher will argue in this work that one of the cornerstones of the entire initiative will be communication. More specifically this communication will be about the initiatives, and between the various initiating communities and forces. The researcher shall argue that one of the most effective modes of communication in this regard will be the radio for reasons of accessibility, diversity, cost effectiveness, scale and mode of operation. The researcher will also argue that both communities, as outlined in broad terms above, will have immediate benefit from such a communication medium. This partnership between tourism and community makes particular demands on the partnership. Appropriate training and development needs to take place. It also calls for infrastructures and transport challenges to be met as well as optimizing the opportunities that are available in this electronic age. Against this background, and relying on the opportunities the electronic field offers, the researcher has chosen the subject of research. The focus will fall on the fact that both community (and therefore community development) and tourism rely to a great extent on communication, which the researcher will link to radio, which is by virtue of its very nature, a communication medium.

TABLE OF CONTENT :

• LIST OF TERMS
• CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION
  • 1.1 Contextualization
  • 1.2 Theoretical framework of the study
    • 1.2.1 What does the term ‘community’ imply?
    • 1.2.2 A National Game Park as the backdrop for a community radio station
    • 1.2.3 The role of tourism
    • 1.2.4 Ecotourism becomes an important feature in the tourism industry
    • 1.2.5 Radio as medium of communication
    • 1.2.6 Community radio in a National Game Park
  • 1.3 Problem statement
  • 1.3.1 Research sub-problems
  • 1.4 Methodology used
  • 1.5 Scope of the study
  • 1.6 Outside the scope of this study
  • 1.7 Conclusion
• CHAPTER TWO THE COMMUNITY OF A RADIO STATION WITHIN A NATIONAL GAME PARK
  • 2.1 Introduction
  • 2.2 Defining ‘community’
  • 2.2.1 Community as a spatial unit
  • 2.2.2 Community as a web of kinship, social- and other relations
  • 2.2.3 Community as an economic unit
  • 2.3 Conclusion
• CHAPTER THREE: TOURISM AS ECONOMIC COMPONENT AND CATALYST REGARDING THE ETHNIC COMMUNITIES IN AND AROUND A NATIONAL GAME PARK AND THE CENTRAL ROLE A COMMUNITY RADIO STATION PLAYS IN THIS INSTANCE
  • 3.1 Introduction
  • 3.2 The National Game Park as important role player
  • 3.3 The link between tourism and the ethnic community
    • 3.3.1 Destination attractions
    • 3.3.2 The seasonality of tourism
    • 3.3.3 The importance of marketing research
  • 3.4 The importance of regional infrastructure for tourism
  • 3.5 Tourism and fragile communities
  • 3.6 Tourism as a catalyst to alleviate poverty in previously disadvantaged communities
  • 3.7 Maintaining a balance between tourism, culture and conservation
  • 3.8 The link between the ethnic community and ecotourism
  • 3.9 Sustainable tourism and ecotourism
  • 3.10 The socio-economic benefits of tourism and ecotourism in a National Game Park
  • 3.11 Community based tourism and ecotourism
  • 3.12 Pro-poor tourism and ecotourism
  • 3.13 The role of non-governmental organizations in tourism
  • 3.14 Conclusion
• CHAPTER FOUR: COMMUNITY RADIO
  • 4.1 Introduction
  • 4.2 The Characteristics of Radio
    • 4.2.1 Radio is a blind medium
    • 4.2.2 Radio relies on imagination
    • 4.2.3 Radio offers companionship
    • 4.2.4 Radio is a listening experience
    • 4.2.5 Radio has much in common with ‘tribal’ folklore
    • 4.2.6 Radio is a dualistic medium
    • 4.2.7 Radio’s duality includes a sense of immediacy and reality
    • 4.2.8 Radio’s duality implies different listener categories
    • 4.2.9 Radio listeners’ lifestyle and age dictate their listening habits
    • 4.2.10 Radio relies mainly on talk and music for programming
    • 4.2.11 Radio has a greater reach and staying capability than other media
  • 4.3 The aims and objectives of community radio
  • 4.3.1 The National Community Radio Forum (NCRF)
  • 4.3.2 The World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC)
  • 4.3.3 South Africa’s Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA)
  • 4.4 A work description for a generic community radio station
  • 4.4.1 The link between culture and organizations
  • 4.4.2 Important issues for a community radio station
    • 4.4.2.1 Community participation in radio programming and production
    • 4.4.2.2 Promoting and reflecting local culture
    • 4.4.2.3 Job creation and other benefits
    • 4.4.2.3.1 Training courses in micro business practice
    • 4.4.2.3.2 Community ownership
    • 4.4.2.3.3 The need for volunteers
    • 4.4.2.4 Training grounds for new voices (presenters)
    • 4.4.2.5 A community radio station must service the needs of the community
  • 4.5 The benefits of a community radio station in a National Game Park
  • 4.5.1 Creating a diversity of voices and opinions
  • 4. 5.2 Encouraging individual expression
  • 4.5.3 Innovation and experimentation
  • 4.6 The viability of a community radio station in a National Game Park
  • 4.7 Problems generally encountered by community radio stations
  • 4.7.1 Lack of available funding
  • 4.7. 2 Other finance related problems
  • 4.7.3 Lack of support from advertising agencies
  • 4.7.4 Unnecessary rules and regulations
  • 4.7.5 Licensing delays threaten the sustainability of the community radio sector
  • 4.8 Conclusion
• CHAPTER FIVE: PROGRAMMING FOR A COMMUNITY RADIO STATION
  • 5.1 Introduction
  • 5.2 Areas of concern
  • 5.2.1 Competing with knowledgeable tour guides
  • 5.2.2 No radio broadcasts allowed in open vehicle drives
  • 5.2.3 The problem of creating revenue for a community radio station
  • 5.2.4 Tour operators and field guides will not make use of community radio broadcasts
  • 5.3 Promoting the station
  • 5.3.1 Promoting personalities
  • 5.3.2 Institutional promotion
  • 5.3.3 Promoting programmes
  • 5.4 Making it work
  • 5.4.1 Avoiding pitfalls
  • 5.4.2 How all may profit
  • 5.5 The vicinity of the community radio station
  • 5.6 Broadcast language of the station
  • 5.7 Target audience
  • 5. 7.1 A demographic profile of the ethnic members of Parks Emergent Radio Communities
  • 5. 7.2 A demographic profile of the tourist members of Parks Emergent Radio Communities
  • 5.8 Programming criteria
  • 5.8.1 Programming mission and strategy
  • 5.8.2 Programming format
  • 5.9 The style of a radio station
  • 5.10 Programme categories
  • 5.11 General radio programming format
  • 5.11.1 Breakfast programmes
  • 5.11.2 Daytime programmes
  • 5.11.3 Afternoon programmes
  • 5.11.4 Evening programmes
  • 5.11.5 Weekend programmes
  • 5.12 Audience research
  • 5.13 Programming for the ethnic and tourist members of Parks Emergent Radio Communities
  • 5.13.1 Establishing the daily routine of the ethnic members of Parks Emergent Communities
  • 5.13.1.1 Activity patterns of the ethnic members of the community
  • 5.13.1.2 Times that are significant for the ethnic communities according to a breakdown ofstatistics
  • 5.13.1.3 Hypothetical programme schedule for the ethnic members of Parks Emergent Radio Communities
  • 5.13.2 Establishing the daily routine of the tourist members of Parks Emergent Radio Communities
  • 5.13. 2.1 Activities open to visitors of the Kruger National Park
  • 5.13.2.2 A breakdown of the activities of the visitors, demonstrates certain times to be significant
  • 5.13.2.3 Hypothetical programme schedule for the tourist members of Parks Emergent Radio Communities
  • 5.13.3 Hypothetical programme format for a community radio station operating from within a National Game Park targeting both the ethnic – and tourist members of Parks Emergent Radio Communities
  • 5.14 Conclusion
• CHAPTER SIX: CONCLUSION
  • 6.1 Introduction
  • 6.2 Summary of what the thesis set out to do
  • 6.3 Summary of the central lines of argument
  • 6.4 Summary of the overall findings of the study
  • 6.5 Summary of the limitations of the study
  • 6.6 Suggestions for further research
  • 6.7 Concluding remarks

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