Radio, Convergence, and Development in Africa Research Programme

The Radio, Convergence, and Development in Africa Research Programme was initiated after it was realised that there is a need for baseline data and critical research that examines radio-related outcomes and impacts on social and economic indicators. The programme works with African researchers to collect baseline data, formulate pertinent research questions, and build up a body of evidence-based findings. The research project seeks to explore the cross-section, confluence, and convergence of ICTs in relationship with broadcasting.

Building from the existing literature and the background paper commissioned for this project, the research agenda and priority research issues will be defined using participatory processes with African researchers. This approach has been adopted to ensure that this new space of inquiry is informed by locally driven and relevant research questions.

The specific objectives of the project are:

• to launch a call for interest to set the scope of the research agenda, followed by a competitive process to create a coordinated research programme of activities;
• to support research on collecting, compiling, and prioritising baseline data and indicators on radio stations, penetration, access, and participation, and explore innovative ways to analyse and visualise these data through spatial analysis such as geographic information systems (GIS);
• to strengthen the body of research examining: impact evidence and analysis related to radio and development in Africa, including the support of research on the policy and regulatory environments; methods to measure the impact of radio and explore finding appropriate methodological frameworks and tools; and cost-benefit analyses of different types and forms of radio and its use in development projects;
• to enable research in cross-cutting areas, such as access and inclusion of gender and minority groups, the role of radio in transitional societies, communicating research to influence policy and practice, and crafting utilisation-focused evaluation questions and methodologies to learn from the different studies; and
• to support analysis of future trends by examining: first, how Africans are likely to use and experience radio in the future (in particular, the future of wireless fidelity (WiFi) radio) and deeper convergence with mobile telephony and the internet; and, second, future market structures, business models, and revenue streams for pro-economically poor radio.

According to organisers, the following outcomes can be expected from this project:

• enhanced research capacity in the region, demonstrated by the increased quality and reach of strong, methodologically rigorous, gender-sensitive, and theoretically sound research findings;
• creation of a space for discussions and knowledge sharing on radio and development in Africa;
• creation of linkages among emerging radio and development researchers in Africa, as well as among established and emerging researchers, through the small grants and mentorship programme;
• greater awareness of research on radio and development published by African-based researchers through dissemination of findings in international peer-reviewed publications, conferences, and the project website; and
• enhanced research capacity at the Centre for Media and Transitional Societies.

ICTs

According to the organisers, while other forms of media continue to evolve, there is little disagreement on the fact that radio is still the dominant mass medium in Africa. However, the dramatic increase in mobile phone penetration on the continent is ushering in a significant change in interpersonal communications and, potentially, a change in the conventional broadcast medium of radio. The penetration and democratisation of the means of communication that has accompanied this growth has had a substantial but as yet largely un-researched effect on radio content and radio interplay with audiences, as well as on social, economic, and political development in Africa.