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A HISTORY OF RBO's PROGRAMMING
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RBO produced in
October & November 1996 a series of 8 x 15-minute
episodes titled "MAKING IT WORK" about use of
appropriate technology, on ZBC (Zimbabwe Broadcasting
Corporation) Radio 4, which was also aired in different
language versions in Botswana, Kenya and Ethiopia.
Episodes in this series were used as a method of
informing policy-makers by identifying and assessing the
demand for sustainable technical solutions in various
sectors of the developing economies in East and Southern
Africa. The programs were produced in RBO's studios in
English, Shona and Kiswahili and were designed to
sensitize the rural and urban poor to the existence,
availability and applicability of appropriate
technologies. The series also constructed a forum for the
cross-fertilisation of ideas from around the region
through an introduction in each episode of a technology
and its usage in individual countries of the region. (Due
to the great success of programming re-broadcast is
anticipated - in additional language versions - in
Zambia, Tanzania and Uganda.)
Click
here for audio samples.
The weekly series "Izwi Romurimi /
Ilizwi Lomlimi" (Farmer's Voice) of the Zimbabwe
Farmers Union, on ZBC Radio 2, with an interactive
component, was produced by RBO for 15 months in 1996 and
1997 in Shona and Ndebele. There was an interactive
component in this program which allowed administrators to
be in close contact with the grassroots who make up their
constituencies. The format of the series had the
objective of disseminating information to about 170,000
small-scale farmers in a fast and cost-effective way. Click here for
audio samples.
Another 24-episode series about
community-based management of natural resources called
"Kuchengetedza Zviwanikwa" (Living Ideas) has
just been aired on ZBC Radio 2, with overvoiced versions
in other African languages simultaneously on air in
Botswana, Zambia and Namibia. This series had the
objective of passing on knowledge to the grassroots about
community-based natural resources management by
illustrating various community initiatives and their
benefits. Rural communities from a variety of countries
in the Southern African region were provided with a
chance to exchange ideas and experiences so that they
could learn from each other. The radio series covered
issues like traditional knowledge and practice, issues of
legislation, capacity building, and community
participation.
Click here to
access this special RBO project.
Based on regular feeds to public
German radio stations since 1993 (overvoiced German
versions of programmes by story tellers of RBO's African
network) RBO produced, partly together with its German
sister society "Radio Brücke Übersee e.V."
and with its partner in Ecuador "Centro de Educacion
Popular / CEDEP", in 1995/96 & 97 three audio
cassettes (each 5,000 copies) for distribution to adult
education institutions in Germany, Austria and
Switzerland.
In 1994 RBO
produced for half a year a daily 30-minute audio
magazine, "VOICES OF AFRICA" with 4
mini-features each by African authors, as feeds through
the "Public Radio Satellite System" of the
U.S.A. Issues ranged from authentic cultural expressions
to social and political developments.
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Three
of these mini-features won RBO the "1994
Global Award for Media Excellence" during
the UN-World Population Conference in Cairo for
"Best Radio Program in fostering support to
solve the world population crisis through a
demonstrated commitment to share ideas,
knowledge, and experience towards the ultimate
objective to reduce excessive population growth
and creating a better life for all the world's
people." |

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RBO
was the clearing house for radio programming for
and from communities in different corners of the
world with regard to the UN-declared "Year
of the Oceans 1998". Click here for audio
samples. |
RBO produced in
1998, on behalf of "Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer
Technische Zusammenarbeit" & "Carl Duisberg
Gesellschaft", an audio feature for distribution to
participants of the "International Workshop on
Financing Schemes for Decentralised Solar Energy Systems
II" from 20th to 23rd October 1998 in Harare /
Zimbabwe. The audio-feature contains 5 modules, each up
to 6 minutes long, presenting:
RBO has
dubbed the program on analogue cassettes for distribution
to all workshop-participants who will make an effort to
have the program aired on a national radio station of
their country, whereby such stations can either use the
30-minute program in its entirety or select modules for a
serial of programs. The cassettes will also be used for
other promotional purposes by the recipients.
Also in 1998, RBO
has been tasked to produce from within the SADC-region
several audio-features for broadcast in Austria which
coincided with an EC-SADC conference hosted by Austria as
the holder of the EU-presidency in 1998.
RBO SPECIAL
PROJECT AUSTRIA &
SADC
RBO's "Special Project Austria &
SADC" was researched in Mozambique, Tanzania,
Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Five 30up to -minute
audio features contained each five topical modules,
describing amongst others one Austrian assisted
development project in each country. The five audio
features were on air on ORF1 from October to December
1998. English (in German) versions of all modules can be
viewed as a multi-media project on RBO's website. Click here for a sample
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