Pretoria - After eight months of broadcasting, Ubuntu Radio – South Africa’s first government-run, 24-hour, online radio station – is undergoing a review of its programming schedule and content.
The Department of International Relations and Co-operation (Dirco) on Monday said that from the beginning of next month, the station will launch a new programming schedule and line-up of presenters, with the station scaling down on operations.
The forthcoming changes will see some presenters making way for new voices and content that is aligned to the vision of Ubuntu Radio, which is being the authority on "telling the African story by Africans from an African perspective".
“The decision to scale down has only affected the external contributors to the station,” Dirco spokesperson Clayson Monyela said.
However, the internal volunteers from Dirco will continue to do their work and daily production, as well as covering major events such as the State of the Nation Address live.
“The view is to ensure that Ubuntu Radio not only maintains its position as a trendsetter, but also that it becomes a serious player in the broadcasting industry in general and grows from strength to strength,” said Monyela.
Like all new projects, Monyela said the station has experienced teething problems that have resulted in invoices not being paid on time.
He said all these matters are being attended to and will be a thing of the past when the station re-launches.
“The past eight months have provided valuable lessons, experience and knowledge to the management team,” Monyela said, adding that station manager Golden Neswiswi and his team are working round the clock to deliver a good quality product.
The first of its kind on the African continent and the first in South Africa to operate under the auspices of a government institution for non-commercial purposes, the station, in talk radio format, is aimed at enhancing communication on South Africa's foreign policy and tells African stories from the African perspective.
The station is accessible on the internet at www.ubunturadio.com. – SAnews.gov.za
