Johannesburg’s mild earth tremors and women who eat toxic clay to lighten their skin tone are two of the stories in this week’s The Science Inside. The weekly science show on campus radio station VoWFM also looks at a community learning about the scientific impact of their lives on the their surroundings.
Listen to the podcast of the show presented and produced by Paul McNally and former #teamvuvu journalist Anina Mumm, here:
The Science Inside brings chemistry of another kind to campus via VoW FM airwaves. Photo: Wits Vuvuzela
By Pheladi Sethusa and Paul McNally
Wits campus radio station, VoW FM (90.5), debuted a pioneering science show called “The Science Inside” last night.
The show aims to teach listeners about science in new and interesting ways. The show produced by The Wits Radio Academy with funding from The Department of Science & Technology, takes major news events and goes into the science behind them.
According to presenter Paul McNally, the show is committed to science education in a climate where South Africans consider knowledge of political parties superior to chemistry (and by extension corruption-uncovering journalists are deemed more worthy than science journalists). This is a perception the show hopes to chip away at, as our science and maths education was ranked second last in the world last year, just ahead of Yemen, according to a World Economic Forum Report.
In the pilot episode Deejay Manaleng explained how a pepper spray was dropped in a girls’ bathroom. The gas escaped across the toilet and up to the ceiling. She giggled at the memory of her running out of the toilet cubicle of a packed club spluttering and coughing. She starts to cackle when she explains how each girl – for the rest of the night – squeezed into the cubicle, pulled down her pants and burnt her ass. “They were screaming,” she laughed into the microphone.
The episode with Deejay then focused on chemical weapons in Syria – a macabre and bloody topic – but the pepper spray story helped ease the tension before investigating the technology behind complicated killing machines. One of the experts on the show cited pepper spray as the world’s simplest chemical weapon.
Next Monday the show will look at the science inside South Africa’s ARV shortage. Tune in live every Monday at 6pm or stream/download the Science Inside podcasts on soundcloud.
CLICK TO LISTEN TO THE PILOT EPISODE:
Video by Prelene Singh
Radio practitioners from all over the country, continent and the world came together last week to discuss and debate the future of radio at this year’s Joburg Radio Days conference.
The conference hosted by the Wits Radio Academy at the Wits Club ran for three days from 3 July. The three days drew speakers from community, commercial and public radio stations who presented their ideas on how to revive the industry and shared their experiences of the industry.[pullquote]“There needs to be a shift from talking at people to talking to people,”[/pullquote]
The conference kicked off with a welcome address by Wits Vice Chancellor, Prof Adam Habib. Habib admitted that he knew very little about radio but said that it was a vital platform to the democratic process. He added that like the university, radio was all about the circulation of ideas and conversations.
A further welcome and opening of the conference was proffered by Prof Franz Kruger, director of the Wits Radio Academy. “There needs to be a shift from talking at people to talking to people,” said Kruger. This powerful statement was referenced widely by many speakers throughout the rest of the day.
The first night’s entertainment was provided by the Stone Age Souls – a South African alternative band. At the dinner a handbook entitled ‘The Community Radio Station’ written by Kruger, VoWfm station manager Mike Smurthwaite, and Romanus Monji was launched.
Prof Adam Habib, Wits vice-Chancellor welcomes speakers and delegates to the Joburg Radio Days conference. Photo: Dinesh Balliah
The future of radio seemed to be one of the constant themes that dominated discussions at the conference. Subjects like online radio, future audiences and technological advancements were discussed.
“Thinking about the future of radio means admitting that we know nothing about what the future looks like,” stated Randall Abrahams managing director of Universal Music South Africa.
Other speakers did not hold back when it came to thinking about the future of radio, many offered advice on how to achieve convergence that could boost the longevity of the radio industry.
Ravi Naidoo, station manager at Highveld Stereo said that incorporating social media makes on air radio content live longer than the allotted three hours it has on air.
Will radio survive the digital era?
On the issue of radio surviving the digital era – most agreed that it would. Nick Grubb of Kagiso Media was most apt saying that it would survive because, “Radio is about real human relationships”.
That said a lot of exciting things are happening in the digital sphere. Streaming services like Simfy Africa allow people to personalise their online radio experience.
VoWfm set up a ‘pop-up’ studio to bradcast from outside the conference venue. Photo: Emelia Motsai
Along with this the advent of internet radio stations has changed the game a bit. These stations can start up in less than a week and reach people across the country without facing the same red tape as traditional radio stations would and do.
Community radio stations were also discussed quite widely, one of the most illuminating of these sessions focused on campus radio stations.
Loutjie van der Merwe, station manager at TuksFm – one of the most successful campus radio stations in the country, highlighted the need for campus radio stations not to compete with one another but to focus on transferring knowledge between stations.
Macphersson Mutale from UnzaFM in Lusaka mentioned the power that the youth had through campus radio stations, students in Lusaka engage with politicians via their radio station for instance.
Taxi Radio’s Soli Philander. Photo: Dinesh Balliah
A very strong comment was made by Smurthwaite, he said that radio lacked innovation and that “most commercial stations sound like my iPod with a voice”.
Radio in war zones
The challenges that radio stations of all kinds face were also a hot topic. Shoddy management and licensing issues seemed common. Uncommon and more problematic were stations that were in war zones and other ‘undemocratic’ areas.
Jacques Kokonyange of Radio Muugano in the Congo said that it was difficult trying to balance what the rebels wanted and what the government wanted.
He also mentioned that they are threatened when their broadcasts aren’t favourable. “To protect ourselves we do not broadcast live or take any calls,” said Kokonyange.
While all these discussions were going on, the event managed to trend on twitter – adding much value to argument of the necessity of convergence in radio.
VoWFM dispelled the myth about radio lacking innovation by setting up a pop-up radio station outside the event venue.
The 2013 Joburg Radio Days Conference wrapped up in Johannesburg today. The gallery features just some of the prominent guests speakers and delegates spotted at the conference.
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STUDENTS who have not been able to listen to campus radio station VoWFM from the comfort of their own homes may be able to do so very soon.
Currently, The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) is conducting trials at VoW to look into changing the current licence they have registered and to investigate solutions to a clash in frequency with Rippel FM in Pretoria.
“The licence we have currently is a low-power licence with a one-watt transmitter.
“What this means is that we can reach areas with a 3,75km radius from the station without interference [from buildings, mountains etc.] we would be able to reach 5-20km but this is impossible in Joburg,” said VoW station manager Michael Smurthwaite.
Smurthwaite said the problem with Rippel is that both stations share the same 90.5 FM frequency. He said the Rippel licence had a much larger transmission reach which resulted in some areas hearing Rippel when they should be receiving VoW.
“As part of our broadcaster mandate there are certain areas that we are supposed to reach, such as Junction in Parktown and Hillbrow as some of our students live there. We would also like to have students listen to us as they commute from their homes in Johannesburg,” Smurthwaite said.
ICASA conducted their first trial on Friday and VoW was heard from as far as Randburg.
“We have been dealing with ICASA for the past two years now with regards to this matter.
“During that time Tuks FM’s footprint was increased to reach Joburg which makes no sense because their university isn’t even here. Yet our matter remained unresolved. We put pressure on them to look into a solution,” said Smurthwaite.
Smurthwaite said if the clash with Rippel is not resolved then VoW may have to migrate to a different frequency.
He said they are already aware, however, that there are no frequencies available.
“I just want an increase in power so people can actually hear us,” Smurthwaite said.
shandu@witsvuvuzela.com
The chill in the air over the past weeks signals the onset of winter – and also the start of the annual Voice of Wits Winter Collection drive.
VoW aims to collect clothing and anything else that will keep people warm in winter. These items will be donated to those in need, according to marketing manager Lucky Mdaweni.
The organisers would be grateful for anything, from scarves and hats to blankets, he said. But they were particularly looking for clothing in good condition. “We don’t want any torn and tattered clothes.”
He asked that people wash their clothing before dropping them in one of the branded boxes placed around campus. Boxes can be found in various strategic spots, including residences.
DROP HERE: Vow FM has placed these collection boxes for winter clothing all over campus. Photo: Pheladi Sethusa
“We will distribute the items we collect to people in the Braamfontein area, as it is the community that supports the radio station,” said Mdaweni.
Wits Students in need would also benefit from the drive. VoW had a partnership with the Wits Volunteer Programme, which would distribute clothing to students on an anonymous basis, said Mdaweni.
The drive will run through the months of April and May and Vow will host on-campus promotions for the campaign.
THE AFTERNOON DRIVE SHOW: MTN awards nominee Zweli Mbhele (left) with co-host Nkhensani Khosa (far right) interviewing guest Leigh-Ann Carey.
First-timers Voice of Wits (VOW) scooped seven nominations in the MTN Radio Awards announced last week.
VOW is one of a few finalists selected who received this honour. According to the website, there were over 1000 entries.
Station manager Michael Smurthwaite said this year was the first time they entered since the re-launch of the station two years ago.
“Having launched the station from an empty floor, with no skills or experience in our staff, it is fantastic that after two years of hard work, training and mentorship we have managed to be nominated seven times at the first attempt,” Smurthwaite said.
Most of these nominations are in the campus and community radio stations but in one category, VOW will also go up against stations like Talk Radio 702 and SAfm.
In the Business and Finance category, VOW was nominated for its show Bizz Buzz against stations such as Talk Radio 702 and SAfm.
Tsholofelo Semenya was nominated in the News and Actuality Presenter (Campus and Community) category and is a presenter on Bizz Buzz.
“Holy Crap I’m up against Bruce Whitfield (702) was what I first thought. I’ve admired him as a talk radio host for a while and love his business show so it was pretty daunting to know we’d be going up against one another, but also a huge compliment to know that people of high radio prestige think that my show is of a good enough calibre to stand its own against other amazing national business shows,” Semenya said.
Zweli Mbhele received a nomination for the Afternoon Drive Presenter (Campus) category as well as Music Show (Campus) for Living Electro.
“I think they show that VOW FM is one of the best stations in the country and a lot more people will be aware of that now. We racked up more nominations than some of our commercial competitors (they know who they are), which puts the ‘campus station’ logic to shame. Our management has put in blood, sweat and tears into making us a top station and I think every presenter will agree that these nominations are for them just as much as they are for the presenters,” Mbhele said.
Commenting on the relevance of the MTN Radio Awards in South African media, Smurthwaite said they are “extremely relevant as they create a platform that recognises radio broadcasters for their craft and hard work”. This raises the standard of radio across the board, Smurthwaite said.
The awards banquet will take place at the Sandton Convention Centre on Saturday, April 13.
Photo: Akinoluwa Oyedele
SRC election candidates squared off on campus radio debating one party rule, amongst other issues, just a week before students cast their votes.
Representatives from the incumbent Progressive Youth Alliance (PYA), the Democratic Alliance Student Organisation (DASO) and two independent candidates participated in a live election debate on Voice of Wits’ current affairs show Breaking Ground on Wednesday night.
DASO said open debate is restricted if there are not multiple parties in the SRC.
SRC elections will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday (August 21 and 22), with the PYA’s 15 candidates hoping to create a single party council for the third year in a row.
In minutes pinned on its notice board, the SRC lists as a concern “not being able to hold each other accountable on a proper platform”.
Erin Mc Luckie, DASO candidate, said the SRC would be more effective with management in solving students’ issues if it was more diverse.
“Currently, they are speaking about ‘PYA-led SRC’… it is easy to brush off one organisation,” she said.
Candidates in the debate pointed out the PYA is made up of diverse organisations, including the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) and the Muslim Students’ Association (MSA) at Wits.
Earlier this month, the SRC negotiated for students who are neither able to afford the upfront registration fee nor qualify for financial aid, to be able to register for free for the first two weeks of term.
Despite this, Mc Luckie said there was “no doubt” the current SRC had done “good things” and independent candidate Welcome Lishivha said he gave credit where it was due.
The candidates also debated the SRC’s accessibility. Tiisetso Murray, an independent candidate, said the SRC’s “poor communication” prevented him from starting a club.
“It seems like the SRC forgot,” said Murray.
Pearl Pillay, PYA candidate, said the outgoing SRC, which had nearly 2000 followers on Twitter at the time of going to print, had been described as one of the best communicating councils students have had in years.
“If you tweet the SRC and you do not get a response in 10 minutes maximum, then either Vodacom or your network is down, or the SRC has crawled into some cave and I don’t see any caves at Wits,” she said.
Published in Wits Vuvuzela 20th edition, 17 August 2012
Related multimedia
According to a recent law programme on VoWfm, whether or not payment for egg donation is legal can be confusing. But the law is very clear.
According to the National Health Act of 2003, it is illegal for a person to “receive any form of financial or other reward” for the donation of eggs and sperm.
However, section 60(4)(a) of the Act makes an exception in the case that the donor had to incur costs in order to make the donation: “…except for the reimbursement of reasonable costs incurred by him or her to provide such donation.”
Wits Vuvuzela carries adverts for egg donation from agencies such a Baby Miracle and DonorLife .
The Baby Miracles advert reads: “Donate your eggs to a childless couple and be well reimbursed.” DonorLife reads: “Wanted … healthy ladies aged 21-33 … Paid R5 500 to R6 000 … Become an egg donor …”
Thulani Nkosi, a candidate attorney at the Wits Law Clinic, said during the VoWfm that compensation for egg donation is “definitely” illegal.
However he also agreed with other panel members that the current reimbursement process is legal.
The confusion arose around the legality of receiving payment for donating any human tissue.
Wits law lecturer Desia Colgan explained in the same programme on VoWfm: “The law says that people may not be paid for donation of their tissue. However, there is an agreed amount that women are given as a donation. [This] is deemed a donation and not a payment, and that’s really for reimbursement for the inconvenience of going to the clinic, for their scans, for taking time off work and for availing themselves for this process.”
She said the reimbursement is a fixed amount and is neither negotiable nor dependant on the donor’s loss of income.
VoWfm reporter Rethabile Makhetha phoned Baby Miracles undercover as “Cindy” to find out more about the process. Contact person Colleen Oates explained the procedure and confirmed that it is both safe and legal. She said donors receive R6 000 on the day their eggs are taken. She also said many students are donating and most do it more than once.
Jenny Currie, from the Baby2mom egg donation agency, said that all such professional agencies are registered with a body in South Africa that governs the ethics of the process.
Listen to the podcast of the VoWfm program here.
A selection of Wits’ creative talent was showcased at Late Nite Jam on Monday night. The platform seeks to give up and coming artistes exposure, and attracts those who do not have the resources to organize their own gigs.
A Wits student who has ‘never won anything’ saw his prize-winning photograph hung on the wall at the Voice of Wits (VoW FM) studio on Tuesday.
The competition called for submissions of pictures of sound, which presented the participants with the difficulty of representing audio through a silent medium.
“When I found out I had won, it was awesome, I never win anything,” said Potsiso Phasha, who has nearly completed his Masters in development planning.
“I felt like it was quite an achievement as I’m a self-taught photographer,” said Phasha.
Phasha said he enjoyed the contrast between the traditionally amplified musical equipment and the lack of electricity in the setting of his photograph.
The winning photographs have been framed and hung at the VoW FM office and Phasha said he will definitely return to visit his photograph in the future.
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