Mogale FM was born at the same time as the Westside FM. Interestingly, both community radio stations are located in the same area, Kagiso. And they also are covering more or less the same area – the West Rand.
“Where is Westside FM now?” you may ask. One thing that Westside has managed to do is to market itself. The local radio station used to kick butt.
But now it’s dying a slow death. And many of its presenters have jumped ship to Mogale FM.
That said, Mogale FM community is yet to find a place in the hearts and minds of many locals. Why? Because the radio station has been streaming, meaning it has been – and still is – broadcasting through the internet.
But, not long ago, the station managed to get a frequency, being 96.3fm. That means those who have no access to the internet now can tune in to the local radio station. However, most residents are still not aware of the existence of the local radio station.
The community radio station uses facebook to market itself. facebook has become a powerful medium because many people use it. However, there are people who are not on the social network. And as such, the local radio station doesn’t reach them.
It is incumbent upon the station’s management to come up with a marketing strategy to reach those who are not aware of the existence of the station. Listeners make radio. Without them, there is no radio.
One other thing I have observed is that the local radio lacks strong news sense. A lot has happened in the recent past. For instance, last year our area was hit by hail and many houses were affected badly. The station has missed an opportunity to report comprehensively on the disaster.
That said, things have been not easy for Mogale FM. The local station is not immune to the challenge many community radio stations face – the lack of resources. This is one challenge that kills many black community radio stations.
But the resilience of one Trevor Boqo has kept the local radio going. Boqo has sacrificed a lot for the station. He even has used his own resources to keep the radio alive. That’s how much he loves the station. Credit is due to him.
