Radio Midrand and the South African Police Services

A point raised in the comments section (beneath the first message, Hello Midrand!) mentions the issue of crime in the Midrand area. Midrand is defined as the highest crime region in the country. What a reputation to have!

In its proposed programming, Radio Midrand 93.8FM has gone to great lengths to ensure that both the South African Police Services and the Community Police Forum are given adequate weekly programming in order to convey their message/s. Talking about it though simply isn't suffice. Listening to crime statistics, whilst all very interesting, isn't the answer. A pro-active community who heed the tips, take the advice and provide the eyes and ears needed by a very under-resourced service, will lighten the burden not only of the SAPS, but themselves as well.

As effective as the print media is in asking people to keep a vigil for certain persons or vehicles associated with crimes in the area etc, radio will alert the public far quicker. So quick in fact that descriptions of perpetrators and vehicles for example can be aired literally minutes after a serious criminal occurrence.

It could be argued that this might leave the station vulnerable to hoax calls, but the plans under discussion with the SAPS and the CPF is to establish a means of ensuring that the report to RM 93.8FM is authentic. It must be emphasized that this would appear to be the major pitfall with the concept. It has been said that the SAPS themselves are both too busy and short staffed to have someone actually liaise genuine reports to the station. (Any suggestions?)

These discussions are and will be on going, but consider this... If you were thinking of committing a crime in Midrand, would you be so quick to do so if the odds were good that you wouldn't get out of the area without a member of the public tipping off the police?

This issue is open to comment and opinion. We would really like to hear (read) your suggestions and ideas.

(All messages to this blog are compiled in the interest of public information and transparency. Comments, messages, suggestions and opinions expressed from readers are not necessarily shared by Radio Midrand 93.8FM or Midrand Community Communications)

Radio Midrand and Midrand Community Communications

In order to fully appreciate and understand the purpose of Radio Midrand 93.8FM for the area, the station is administered and overseen by a nine member board representative of the community. As per the first message posting, this board was elected from individuals who responded via the constant newspaper articles and various public meetings. This body is known as Midrand Community Communications, and is registered with the Department of Social Development as a Non-profit organization.

Radio Midrand is the MCC's primary project and as such has structures in place to ensure that whilst overheads are met, all excess profit is pumped back into the community. Wishing to adopt an educational stance, these profits are to be predominently used for the development and upliftment of informal and lesser advantaged centres of education. Therein is the difference between Commercial and Community radio stations. The former generally serves its shareholders and/or investors. The latter serves its community.

Amongst the many goals for Radio Midrand is the opening of the doors that appear so tightly shut for potential new broadcasting talent. Many young people leaving school today may decide to pursue this field as a future career but become disillusioned with the lack of 'hands-on' and practical opportunity. Radio Midrand intends providing this outlet and certificating same, be it on-air, production, technical or engineering.

In a future message to this blog, I shall explain the proposed involvement on the station for schools, colleges and places of education, and just how these institutions will be invited to contribute significantly to the programming content.

(All messages to this blog are compiled in the interest of public information and transparency. Comments, messages, suggestions and opinions expressed from readers are not necessarily shared by Radio Midrand 93.8FM or Midrand Community Communications)

Hello Midrand!

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to the Radio Midrand 93.8FM internet blog site.

Created on Saturday November 3rd 2007, it is my sincere hope that this site will help keep you abreast of developments with Radio Midrand as its NPO affiliate, Midrand Community Communications, proposed staff and the community of Midrand await the Independent Communication Authority of South Africa (ICASA) issuing of the licence granted back in April 2007.

I would encourage you to please leave messages and comments on this site. As patronizing as it may sound, South African community broadcast services belong to the communities they serve and it's therefore vital that we have your constant input in order to properly provide Midrand with programming that it really wants.

In order to provide a brief history of the station, the concept for Radio Midrand was born in July 2005. After lengthy consultation with ICASA and in accordance with its rules and regulations, through the print media, public attention was drawn to the concept of Midrand having its own radio station. From this, interested parties were invited to a series of public meetings.

On ICASA's advice in November 2006, plans were put in place for the fledgling station to conduct a Special Event 30 day broadcast.

Perhaps one of the most difficult aspects of putting a team together was the establishment of a body that would oversee the running of the station. This body was formed as a Non-Profit Organization in compliance with ICASA's stipulations of being representative of the community in age, colour, gender and creed. In association with the South African National Blood Service, Radio Midrand first took to the air on May 3rd 2006 with a 30 day Special Event licence on 92.7FM. This would be the last time this frequency would be utilized for special event purposes before being permanently used by Talk Radio 702.

The month of May 2006 came and went in a flash, and no sooner had Radio Midrand aired, when the licence conditions were honoured and the station ceased broadcasting at midnight on May 31st.

Mission accomplished! Radio Midrand had impacted listeners and the support for its permanent being was overwhelming.

On June 8th 2006, ICASA called Radio Midrand and invited the entity to submit permanent application. From the surveys prior to, during and after the Radio Midrand/SANBS broadcast, over 99% of people in the region supported the idea of Midrand's own permanent radio broadcast service. On October 19th 2006, the permanent application, 25 pages short of 10 000, was submitted to ICASA.

In April 2007, ICASA gave written notification to Radio Midrand that its licence had been granted.

One may well ask then why the station isn't yet on air? Whilst complex in answer, the simple reply has to do with conflicting rules and regulations pertaining to old and new broadcasting acts. ICASA has gone to great lengths to try and resolve these issues and whilst the delays are seemingly frustrating to many, the wait is nearly over.

It's over to you now. Leave a message or comment on this blog (click above on 'New Post'). What programming content and music would you like to hear? How would you like to contribute? Tell us what you think, and more importantly, tell us what you want.

Scott Smith - Project Manager

(All messages to this blog are compiled in the interest of public information and transparency. Comments, messages, suggestions and opinions expressed from readers are not necessarily shared by Radio Midrand 93.8FM or Midrand Community Communications)