Radio, Convergence and Development in Africa: International Development Research Centre

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Radio, Convergence and Development in Africa

Responsible Officer: Chaitali Sinha

Project Leader: Allan Thompson

Institution: Centre for Media and Transitional Societies (CMTS), Carleton University

Region: Central Africa

Country of Impact: Multiple countries

Start Date: April 2009

Project Details

When it comes to media in Africa, radio is still king. Other forms of media continue to evolve dramatically, but there is little disagreement that radio is still the dominant mass-medium. The Radio, Convergence and Development in Africa research program will explore what is happening in traditional radio so as to get a better fix on how this traditional medium can be enhanced through the use of ICTs and so that we can gain a greater understanding of the current impact and potential of radio as a development tool in Africa. – Allan Thompson, Project Leader

The Context of the Project:

While other forms of media continue to evolve, there is little disagreement on the fact that radio is still the dominant mass-medium in Africa. However, the dramatic increase in mobile phone penetration on the continent is ushering in a significant change in interpersonal communications and potentially a change in the conventional broadcast medium of radio. The penetration and democratization of the means of communication that has accompanied this growth has had a substantial but as yet largely un-researched effect on radio content and radio interplay with audiences, as well as social, economic and political development in Africa.

In a concept paper commissioned by IDRC*, the author sets out a research agenda broadly divided into the need for baseline data; the need for impact evidence; and the need for forecasting future trends. Thus, there is a need to implement a research program that embraces the diversity of radio in Africa – be it the typology, revenue stream, programming or operating practices – and to work with African researchers to collect baseline data, formulate pertinent research questions and build up a body of evidence-based findings to inform this highly accessible and evolving space. Into this context enters the present research project, which will explore the cross-section, confluence and even convergence of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in relationship with broadcasting.

The Development Goals:

Radio, like any ICT, is a tool that responds to and is shaped by its environment, including policy and regulatory conditions and the social circumstances within which it is situated. Radio in Africa can be used for informing and responding to situations such as local disease outbreaks, but it can also fall prey to abuse and be utilized to incite hatred or violence, as was the case leading up to and during the Rwanda genocide of 1994. In light of the obvious power of radio, an affordable medium for delivering the spoken word, there is a need for baseline data and critical research that examines radio-related outcomes and impacts on social and economic indicators.

Building from the existing literature and the background paper commissioned for this project, the research agenda and priority research issues will be defined using participatory processes with African researchers. This approach has been adopted to ensure this new space of inquiry is informed by locally driven and relevant research questions.

Project Objectives:

The specific objectives of the project are:

To launch a targeted call for interest to set the scope of the research agenda, followed by a competitive process to create a coordinated research program of activities;
To support research on collecting, compiling and prioritizing baseline data and indicators on radio stations, penetration, access and participation, and explore innovative ways to analyze and visualize these data through spatial analysis such as geographic information systems (GIS);
To strengthen the body of research examining impact evidence and analysis related to radio and development in Africa, including the support of research on the policy and regulatory environments; methods to measure the impact of radio and explore finding appropriate methodological frameworks and tools; and conducting cost-benefit analyses of different types and forms of radio and its use in development projects;
To enable research in cross-cutting areas such as access and inclusion of gender and minority groups, the role of radio in transitional societies; communicating research to influence policy and practice, and crafting utilization-focused evaluation questions and methodologies to learn from the different studies;
To support analysis of future trends by examining a) how Africans are likely to use and experience radio in the future, particularly the future of wireless fidelity (WiFi) radio and deeper convergence with mobile telephony and the internet; and b) future market structures, business models and revenue streams for pro-poor radio.

The Expected Impact:

The following outcomes can be expected from this project:

Enhanced research capacity in the region, demonstrated by the increased quality and reach of strong, methodologically rigorous, gender-sensitive, theoretically sound research findings;
Creation of a space for discussions and knowledge sharing on radio and development in Africa;
Creation of linkages among emerging radio and development researchers in Africa, as well as among established and emerging researchers through the small grants and mentorship program;
Greater awareness of research on radio and development published by African-based researchers through dissemination of findings in international peer-reviewed publications, conferences and the project website;
Enhanced research capacity at the Centre for Media and Transitional Societies.

News

Call for Concept Notes: Radio, Convergence and Development in Africa 2009-12-09
Concept notes are invited for research that examines the impact of convergence between traditional radio and new information and communication technologies in sub-Saharan Africa.

Document(s)

Concept paper: Radio and development in Africa Mary Myers, PhD August 2008 (revised March 2009)
Open file

Gender as a cross-cutting issue Mary Myers, PhD September, 2009
Open file