World Radio Day - Archivist Karen du Toit package for Radio Sonder Grense (Afrikaans)

World Radio Day is celebrated for the 4th time this year after it was established by UNESCO in 2011.

"From the news and public debate, music and entertainment, radio informs us , captivate and inspire us in a way that no other medium can." 

Archivist Karen du Toit , who is responsible for the Afrikaans language collection in the SABC Radio Archives, compiled a short compilation of the rich collection of radio material that is being kept by the Archives. The programme was broadcasted on Radio Sonder Grense, the Afrikaans language radio station at the South African Broadcasting Corporation. (The programme is in Afrikaans)

Translation of the text:

"SABC Radio Archives preserve a rich cultural treasure sound that includes the history and time period of the South African Broadcasting Corporation as well as that of South Africa .
This radio treasure is made possible by radio itself, which is the main source of our collection . The radio stations are in turn dependent on the archive that makes the material accessible to be uses again . We keep the radio material on sound tapes, cassette tapes, acetate records, mini tapes, CDs and electronically.
Most of the time we can not just press a button to give access, but we need to collect the audio format in the storage room, and dub it in real time and adapted it to make it available again to programme makers, journalists and the public.

As the Afrikaans archivist, it is very difficult to pick some sound clips to illustrate this rich diversity .

I would like to share the following from our Afrikaans language collection :

1. The first broadcast of Radio Sonder Grense on 28 September 1996, with a soundtrack of the late President Nelson Mandela on the importance of this medium.

2. Our first melodramatic radio drama from the thirties, Liefdesdroom (Love Dream), which was broadcasted on December 15, 1937. 

3. With the 25th anniversary of Radio in 1949 in the Cape a Mister CD Fuchs ( the then Regional Director of Natal ) aspoke on the first days in radio. 

4. The first newscast in Afrikaans from Auckland Park.
              
5. Finally, an audio clip of a portion of a reading of a poem of NP van Wyk Louw : "Image of a youth - pigeon and horse". It is read by Fred le Roux in 1965. The youth poem was chosen because World Radio Day this year focuses on youth and radio. 

6. And sometimes we get recognition as archivists, such as the recent death of André Brink. Colleague Bernard Mashiane came in on Sunday to help with sound clippings for producer Wilna Matthee for a feature on the RSG programme Monitor the next morning."

The Kalahari Desert Festival 21 - 23 March 2014 > "Sound Hunting" for archival purposes

SOUND HUNTING 
by Moshe Maghundu
Archivist: SABC Platfontein 

The Kalahari Desert Festival took place for a second time in the Kalahari at Andriesvale, ten kilometres from Ashkam. This event is very historical in nature to the SAN people as it brings together all San people from different countries with their traditional festivities.

The San people from Platfontein, the Kalahari, Upington and others from the Western Cape took part as the festivities started on the evening of Friday, 21 March, on Human Rights Day.

Moshe Maghundu was there with a crew to do “sound hunting”. He was able to host storytelling sessions with the Kalahari people and others. The people gave their full cooperation. He faced challenges with some people expecting to be reimbursed for their oral contributions. He complied out of his own pocket because of his love for the project. He understands and put a great value on their contributions for heritage and archival purposes.

Station X-K FM covered the event live from its opening till the evening of the last day Saturday 22 March.They were also responsible for arranging some of the interviews which Moshe recorded.

• Mr Markus Jetembo        Presenter
• Mr Joe Mpungo               Presenter
• Mr Piorro Mushavanga   Producer
• Me Rena Maghundu       Technical Producer
• Mr Moshe Maghundu     Archivist

X-K FM

X-K FM struggled with some technical difficulties, but luckily the technical producer took care of the problems.

It is highly appreciated that Mike Nemane provided the gazebo in which the broadcast took place.

The challenges of the Kalahari sand did not put a damper on the uplifting spirit of the festival.
Moshe Maghundu was working non-stop to get the people to tell their stories. Although it was hot, time was limited for him to get all the interviews.

Moshe Maghundu during a short break
before taking up the Marantz recorder again

DRAPJJ STARS

There were music performances in the main tent. The group from Platfontein, called the DRAPJJ STARS, with hip hop and rap music, mixed it up with the San language and the English language.

DRAPJJ STARS

The moment DRAPJJ STARS stepped  on the stage, every one in the surrounding areas ran to the tent to watch their performance.

X-K FM presenter interviewing young people

On the evening of the last day the presenter interviewed  young people about their  experiences at the Kalahari Desert Festival 2014. The presenters did an excellent job.

The donkey carts were the only transport allowed at the venue. People had to pay to be transported around in the area and it was found to be very trustworthy.

Hennie Swart

Special thanks goes to the main man, a friend, organiser and everything of the Kalahari Desert Festival.
He started the initiative for the San people to share their cultural heritage. His name is Hennie Swart, the only white man with a black surname. He drives a black Isuzu truck and likes wearing his black t-shirt.

Also thanks to the following people for making the trip a success:

• Me Regina Beregho, X-K FM station manager.
• Mr William Heath, Line Manager RBF.

SABC in Bloemfontein also celebrated UNESCO World Day for Audiovisual Heritage

Miete Motlhabane, a SABC Archivist in the regional Bloemfontein office, gives an update of how they celebrated UNESCO World Day for Audiovisual Heritage on the 27th October 2010.

She started with an interview on Lesedi FM, a local SABC radio station at 9:15am. She invited the public for the exhibition during the interview. Hans Masoeu and she explained the transition of broadcasting equipment and the different mediums or formats of preservation in sound archives. They explained the importance of preserving our heritage. They got feedback from the public who were amazed at the changes in technology and how easy things have become. They demonstrated how reel-to-reel tapes were edited and how they are editing now. Members of the public wanted to know about a career in archives.

They played reel-to-reel tapes and mini disc players of old programmes from 1960s. They had an old tape specifically of Nelson Mandela giving a speech. The public showed a keen interest about the programmes they are keeping.

The SABC Media Libraries value our cultural heritage! Well done, Bloemfontein!

SABC celebrating UNESCO World Day for Audiovisual Heritage in the regions as well

Meshack Chili

PRETORIA REGION, 27 October 2010
Meshack Chili, the RBF Music Librarian in SABC Tshwane Region, Hatfield, prepared a small exhibition of UNESCO World Day for Audiovisual Heritage.
Posters of AVH are being put in the Reception area. The exhibition consists of television coverage pictures of September 11, 2001 attack of US World Trade Centre, the Tsunami Indian Ocean earthquake of 26 December 2004 in Indonesia, the first moonwalk that took place on the 20th of July 1969 by a commander Neil Alden Armstrong and the two pilots Michael Collins and Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr. using a rocket call Apollo 11.
The exhibition also consists of old SABC audio recording tapes, beta cam tapes, VHS, Cassettes, lps and seven singles.

He explained the meaning of World Day for audiovisual Heritage and why it is important to us.