Namibia Community Media

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Namibia Community Media

• Fred J. Mwilima, PhD
• Department of
• Information and Communication Studies
• University of Namibia

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Population 2.1 million
Blacks 87.5
Women 51
Coloured 6.5
Whites 6
Population in northern regions 60
Poverty among whites 10
Poverty among San Communities 60
Poverty among the blacks (2003) 30
Female headed household (rural) 43
Female headed households (urban) 32
Unmarried women, 15-49 (1992) 51
Married women (1992) 27
Widowed women 7
Women in informal union 15
Adult males to women ratio (rural) 1.2
Adult males to women ratio (urban) 1.1
Blacks who over the poverty line 55
National unemployment rate 37
Women in formal employment 31
Source NPC, 2007
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Introduction

• Politically Affiliated media
• Times of Namibia (DTA)
• Die Republikein (DTA)
• Algemeine Zeitung (DTA)
• Windhoek Advertiser (DTA)
• Namibia Today (SWAPO)
•  
• Government owned
• The New Era (Government)
• NBC TV (Government)
• NBC Radio (Government)
•  

• Independent media
• The Namibian (Independent)
• Windhoek Observer (Independent)

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Introduction

• Dailies
• Algemeine Zeitung (DHM)
• New Era (Government)
• Die Republikein (DMH)
• The Namibian (Independent)
• Weeklies
• Informante
• The Windhoek Observer

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Introduction

• Two-thirds of the population (67) is rural
• The majority relies on subsistence agriculture or
  herding.
• Food insecurity for these populations is a major
  problem, given Namibias vast deserts and arid
  climate.
• The country also has a high unemployment rate,
  estimated at 37 percent.

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Media Landscape

• The landscape of the Namibian media at the
  countrys independence on 21 March 1990 provides
  us with a landmark from which we can assess the
  progress that has been made so far.
• In 1990, there were 8 newspapers that gave an
  extra parliamentary voice to the spectrum of
  political current in the country.
• With only two that were independent, political
  parties owned the majority of these newspapers.

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Media Landscape

• These newspapers were expected to maintain a
  lively and constructive debate on national
  issues, and nurture a democratic culture in
  Namibian.
• But can they?
• Involvement of politicians
• Involvement of g and the government
• Monopoly of media by individuals
• May be perceived as a threatand would potentially
  stifle constructive debate or at worst, muzzle
  distant and alternative voices.

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Media Landscape

• These media dominate landscape
• The Algemeine Zeitung
• New Era
• Die Republikein
• The Namibian
• Namibia Economist (weekly)
• All of which are Windhoek based.

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Community Media

• In November 2000, conference on the advancement
  of community broadcasting was held.
• Resolution
• The establishment of community radios should be
  encouraged and should be participatory, community
  owned and controlled.
• The conference decided community media should be
  
• Sensitive to community needs and aspirations
• To become centres of development initiatives for
  the community
• To provide information and feedback to the
  community it serves
• To address community issues such as community for
  social good

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Community Media

• Since the year 2000, things have changed and
  currently there are six licensed community media
  in the country out of which five are Windhoek
  based. These are
• Channel 7
• Katutura Community Radio (now Base FM)
• Live FM
• Radio Ecclesia
• Unam Radio
• WUM Properties

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Diversity

• In terms of language diversity much still need to
  be done to reach those who are in dire need for
  these services.
• Of the six radio stations, one of them broadcast
  in Afrikaans five in English and one in German.
• In terms of ownership, two of these stations, the
  Catholic Church and the Media for Christ, are
  owned by religious establishments.
• Five are broadcasting within the Windhoek area
  and one in a small town called Rehoboth.
• It is worth noting that two of the stations,
  Channel 7 and Live FM, simultaneously broadcast
  in two languages, Afrikaans and Oshiwambo
  respectively in addition to English.

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Listenership

• 90 population listen to radio.
• 68 ages of 16 and lower listen to radio
• 98 50 years and over
• No loyalty to NBC (59)
• 80 followers of commercial stations
• Rural
• 67 Radio Energy (private)
• NBC 63

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Readership of dailies
Unpublished source
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Most accessed media
Unpublished source
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Reach
Type of media Reach Type of media access
NBC Radio 99 NBC TV (rural) 17
NBC TV 42 Newspapers (rural) 7.2
The Namibian Major towns TV (urban)
Republikein Central towns Radio (urban) 84.5
New Era National Newspapers (urban) 34.6
Allgemeine Zeitung Central
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Challenges

• Management
• Unam/UNESCO
• Finance
• Income generation
• Personnel
• volunteers
• Training
• Lack skills
• Language
• Managed by youth-lack mastery skills of local
  languages
• Networking/exposure
• Lack networking skills/motivation
• Distance
• Sparsely populated

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I thank you!