[PARTNER CONTENT] Longevity is something that is so rare in the community broadcasting environment, writes Rosestad FM’s Bernie Naude.
A loaded statement I admit, but when the romanticism is removed from the wonder of radio, and broadcasting is looked upon as a sustainable business entity, the reality sets in that the day-to-day management of a radio station is often fraught with challenges and hurdles to overcome.
I was privileged enough to have worked in both community and commercial radio, and what many aspiring radio station entrepreneurs do not realise is that the on-air product, as the only sellable product, is not the only challenge that a station management team face every day.
When I refer to longevity, it is the art of staying relevant to the community that is served but, even more important is staying sustainable in the business approach.
I have seen many community stations that start up with the sole purpose of enriching the founders and forgetting the reason why community radio exist – providing a supporting service to a specific community.
I don’t have to remind anyone that radio provides three facets: entertainment, education, and information. Nowhere in any manual, regulatory document or law does it mention making money. Therefore, it needs to be a balancing act in providing a community service versus creating an income to run the station.
Hardworking sales team
It is now that one can replace the word longevity with responsibility. A responsibility where, when taken seriously, the income will look after itself.
Don’t get me wrong, the sales team is probably the hardest working unit within a station setup, and nothing happens by itself but, once the inherent responsibility of serving the community of interest is lost, usually the shut down of the station itself is not far away.
Rosestad 100.6 FM prides itself on the longevity achieved and will celebrate 30 years of broadcasting in Bloemfontein and surrounds in 2024. Technology also allows us to share our story of success and sacrifice to many more listeners through online streaming, our application and podcasting service.
A new element introduced is a weekly vlog documenting interesting people in our community on our YouTube channel.
No small feat
Thirty years of broadcasting excellence is no small feat, and we share this accolade with many other stations, but what makes it unique at least in our minds, is the struggles that it included over the years. Struggles that many station managers can identify with. Being recognised as a serious player in the radio environment.
A festive year lies ahead of us with plenty of opportunities to work this achievement into our programming and community support. We plan on a year in which we seek sponsors to assist in making the lives of our listeners a little bit better, even if it just by putting a smile on someone’s face during a difficult day.
We aim to present competitions involving our local and national advertisers where we can showcase their individual businesses and highlight that community support is also a priority for them.
Our festivities aim to include all our listeners, advertisers and supporters and culminates in a musical extravaganza and a golf day to end all golf days.
Join us in a magnificent achievement with a year that marks the immense support that community radio receives from its loyal listeners and the unmistakable role community broadcasting play in the day to day lives of ordinary South Africans like you and me.
Bernie Naude is General Manager of Rosestad 100.6fm
