BY MICHELINA ANDREUCCI
After the Second World War (1939-1945), the expansion of broadcasting became British official policy in most of its African colonies; primarily to developed, educate and inform indigenous African listeners.
Aided by the transistor radio, commercially developed during 1950s-1960s, which made radio listening mobile, vast numbers of cheap battery-operated transistor radios were sold throughout Africa, including in Zimbabwe.
Due to the war, radio had developed rapidly in maby parts of Africa. For example: the free Belgian government, exiled from German-occupied Belgium, set up a shortwave station in Leopoldville Belgian Congo, (now Kinshasa, Zaire), for broadcasts to Belgium. The Free French set up radio stations in Cameroon and French Congo, and the French Vichy government had its own station in Dakar, Senegal.
In colonial Africa domestic broadcasting was introduced as national state monopolies to serve the interests of the colonial powers and settlers. Radio services to cater for, and by the indigenous people were gradually introduced only toward the end of colonial rule, by the autonomous authorities of newly independent states.
In Southern Africa the first radio services in Sub-Sahara began in Johannesburg, established by the South African Railways in 1923 and the Cape and Peninsula Broadcasting Association in Cape Town in 1924.
The Durban Corporation in Durban was also established in 1924, as private enterprises with financial support from listener’s licenses. The government of the day decided against commercial enterprise, and in 1934, called on the assistance of John Reith, the BBC’s first Director-general, to come to South Africa to devise a structure for a national public broadcasting.
This resulted in the formation of The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) in 1936, which subsequently maintained a monopoly on broadcasting in South Africa, never far from political influence and control, which increased during the apartheid years.
SABC’s programmes were dictated by the needs and tastes of its white audiences broadcasting in Afrikaans and English only; none were directed toward indigenous African audiences until 1943, when limited broadcasts in indigenous languages began.
“Radio Bantu” was developed during the 1960s in South Africa to reinforce the apartheid ideology of the separation of the races the during Apartheid era.The industry was de-regulated in 1996/7, and is currently operated by Sentech (Ltd) of South Africa.
In 1936 the British colonial administration decided to develop radio broadcasting throughout its African colonies ostensibly as a public service for its people.
Radio services in Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), were introduced in 1932, with the opening of 1 kW transmitters in Salisbury (Harare) and Bulawayo transmitting on short-wave. Later 1.5 kW transmitters were established at Gwelo (Gweru) and “Radio Manica”, the last local station, in Umtali (Mutare). Broadcasting studios were built in the old Post Office building on Manica Road (Robert Mugabe), in Salisbury (Harare), during World War II (1939-1945).
By 1954 short-wave radio facilities were upgraded to two transmitters of 7.5 kW and 300watts at Salisbury (Harare). In early 1960s, all short-wave operations were centralised at the Guinea Fowl site near Gweru; where on 5 December 1994, President R.G. Mugabe officially re-inaugurated the short-wave service.
A string of 2kW medium-wave transmitters were establish in Post Office buildings in towns along the main railway route, thus linking to the main studios by telephone lines. 1975 saw with the opening of the first FM stations; the network gradually expanding to 22 stations, to cover the whole country.
In 1941, Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia), acquired its first radio service during the Second World War with the installation of “Radio Lusaka”, a 300-watt transmitter in Lusaka by the Government’s Information Department, with major consequences for the development of radio in the Southern African region
From the beginning the station was installed specifically for carrying war-related information in indigenous languages, of the war’s progress to the families of African soldiers in the Rhodesian African Rifles, fighting with the British forces in North Africa and Asia. It became the pioneer in the field of local programmes for indigenous people. At the same time, the station accumulated the world’s most extensive collection of African ethnic music. Thirty radio stations are currently operating in Zambia.
In 1945 Radio Lusaka concentrated on developing programmes for indigenous audiences. Government administrations of Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), and Nyasaland (Malawi), were brought on board to share in the operating costs; capital was provided by the British Government. Thus, the Central African Broadcasting Station came into being, becoming the pioneer in the field of local vernacular broadcasting.
In 1958, as a result the Federation formed between the two Rhodesias and Nyasaland in 1953, the new Federal Broadcasting Corporation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland was formed, modelled on the BBC, and headquartered in Salisbury (Harare).
Radio Lusaka continued to broadcast in indigenous languages as well as in English, until the breakup of the Federation in 1964, after which the Rhodesian Broadcasting Corporation (RBC), was established.
In the late 1940s, radio receivers proved expensive for most indigenous people. A British battery manufacturing concern was persuaded to invest in the research and development of an inexpensive receiver. The famous “Saucepan Special” radio was created In 1949.
One of the early models was a 4-tube “tropicalized” (eg. made for local conditions). The shortwave receiver, experimentally mounted in a 50cm diameter aluminium housing originally intended as a saucepan, succeeded all expectations.
At a cost of £5 Sterling, plus £1.5.0 (one-pound five shillings) for a 300-hours battery, 1500 Saucepan Specials were sold within the first 3 months. In the next few years 50 000 sets were imported.
Michelina Andreucci is a Zimbabwean-Italian researcher. She is a published author in her field. For comments E-mail:linamanucci@gmail.com
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