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Radio talk shows must tell Africa's story
Brenda Zulu & Thandisizwe Mqolweni, Highway Africa News Agency
September 13, 2007

http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/59/18035.html

Speaking at the annual Highway Africa conference in Grahamstown as a member of the panel on 'Producing and presenting the radio talk show: the burden of nation building', John Masuku, director of The Voice of the People in Zimbabwe, said Africa still needs chat shows. Meanwhile, Alain Foka, Radio France International (RFI) Talk Show host observed that Africa was faced with many critical issues. He said not much of the issues were being discussed and this turned out to be Africa's downfall.

"This is not because people choose not to speak, but because they are not able to," said Foka.

Masuku said that state media in Zimbabwe was not balancing issues and that as an alternative media this is where they come in to give the people a voice. He explained that usually in Zimbabwe, talk shows were recorded because of the media situation prevailing in the country at the moment.

Masuku added that a talk show host has to be professional. He said it was important to debate the issue for discussion as a group before opening up the airwaves. He advised talk show hosts to look at issues that are of concern to Africa's citizens.

He however noted that low budget broadcasters faced many challenges in the way people would view the broadcasting station. "Some people think we are a pirate radio station funded by the West to effect an illegal regime," said Masuku.

The station employs journalists who have been well trained and the challenge for them is how to convince people to make themselves available for interviews. "Some people would come and others would refuse."

He observed that a lot of people who accepted to be on their talk shows were those people who have been denied space in the state media.

Foka added that the media was the vehicle used to mobilize dialogue to debate national issues, but this could be a problem where there is no freedom of expression. He said his talk show was appreciated by 45 million audiences and the debates were open and the expression was free.

"I choose the guests who are in the talk shows after I have worked on the theme for the show," said Foka.

Answering a question on the importance of radio talk shows, Foka said the debates should be open and that his talk shows for the past 14 years have not been influenced by his employers.

He added that it was time for Africa to speak about African issues.

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