DRM, la sudafricana Radio Pulpit sperimenta il digitale sulle onde medie.

Partirà il 25 giugno la Piattaforma sudafricana per la sperimentazione della radiofonia digitale DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale). Il progetto prevede anche la sperimentazione di trasmissioni in DRM sulle onde medie di Radio Pulpit, emittente cristiana che opera sui 657 kHz da Gauteng e copre la parte settentrionale del Free State e parti delle province di Mpumalanga e Kwazulu-Natal e ha una consorella, Cape Pulpit, su 729 kHz. Ecco il comunicato del DRM Consortium:

The DRM Consortium is expanding its activities with the launch of a new DRM Platform in Southern Africa. The objectives of the DRM Consortium’s Southern Africa DRM Platform, a voluntary group without financial aims, are to coordinate the various industry stakeholders in the countries of Southern Africa interested in DRM, to stimulate the introduction and roll-out of DRM broadcasts and to demonstrate a business case for producing and selling DRM radio sets or auxiliary devices. The DRM Platform in Southern Africa joins thus the Indian, Brazilian, German and other DRM national platforms working together with the DRM Consortium but using national knowledge and expertise.
The launch of the Southern Africa DRM Platform is scheduled on June 25th June and will be followed a week later by the beginning of the first DRM medium wave trial (by Radio Pulpit) in South Africa.
Dr Roelf Petersen of Radio Pulpit, the Chairman of the new Platform says: “My role will be to coordinate the strength of all the African parties involved, in order to ensure that the great potential of the DRM technology becomes a practical reality for serving the peoples of Southern Africa.”
The DRM Consortium has already been present in Southern Africa, recently attending a well-attended SABA Digital Radio Broadcasting Summit in Cape Town, and being part of other SABA events in Johannesburg and in Arusha (Tanzania) last year.
“The DRM global standard can be used in all radio frequency bands and is ideal for the large countries of Southern Africa”, stresses Ruxandra Obreja, DRM Chairman. ”From national networks and regional stations to smaller commercial and community stations, all would be able to broadcast their digital radio programmes with enhanced content and in excellent sound quality to everyone in their respective countries. DRM is an ideal African digital solution and we have high hopes of the activity of the newly created DRM Southern Africa Platform, now open to all those interested.”

Malgrado si tratti di una norma tecnica molto consolidata e adatta a trasmissioni in AM e FM su un ampio spettro di frequenze broadcast, le prospettive di mercato restano incerte. Le sperimentazioni in onde medie Europa sono praticamente chiuse, e le onde corte annaspano alquanto. I progetti di digitalizzazione annunciati dalla Russia a suo tempo si sono arenati forse definitivamente e anche in India le opportunità non sono chiare. Soprattutto pesa ancora la sostanziale assenza di fornitori di ricevitori in volume: finora i pochi modelli di radio DRM stand alone (cioè non dipendenti da computer e software esterni) hanno deluso sul piano della qualità, dei volumi di produzione e delle vendite.

Talk Radio 702, lo sfogo in diretta di Mark spiazza il Sud Africa

La stazione di Johannesburg dove lavorava l'ha immediatamente licenziato, ma per Mark Esterhuysen, giovane annunciatore radiofonico, si moltiplicano in queste ore i tweet di apprezzamento e solidarietà. Stufo di un trattamento economico e sindacale evidentemente inferiore alle aspettative, Mark si è presentato al microfono della trasmissione notturna Eye Witness News - in onda su Talk Radio 702 - puntualmente, all'una del mattino. Ma invece di leggere il notiziario ha preso fiato e mandato affanculo buona parte della civiltà occidentale con i suoi macroscopici difetti, pronunciando per tredici volte l'impronunciabile F-word. "Fottiti qui, fottiti là", tanto per parafrasare Dario Fo.

Regista e addetta al filtro telefonico che lo affiancavano in redazione, superato il primo sbigottimento lo hanno bloccato (non prima che Mark riuscisse a comunicare l'indirizzo del suo blog) e mandato in onda la sigla, ma a quel punto era già tardi. La tirata di Mark è ovviamente finita su You Tube:

Ecco una delle tante trascrizioni pubblicate dai fedelissimi che hanno seguito con entusiasmo il pronunciamento (lascio gli asterischi sennò questo post finisce nei filtri anti-porno di Blogger): "‘Good morning, I’m Mark Esterhuysen. F*** racism. F*** the pigs who killed Andries Tatane. F*** the AWB. F*** racism. We are all wild animals meant to live free. F*** capitalism. F*** fascism. F*** this f***ing wage slavery graveyard shit. F*** domestication. F*** Malema. F*** the state. F*** the perpetual economic growth on a finite planet. This is the only f***ing planet we have. If you don’t agree with me please see my blog. Peace, love, respect, anarchy. Follow me on Twitter. Mark Esterhuysen. You can see me on Facebook as well. Mark Esterhuysen" Particolarmente significativo è il vaffanculo ai "maiali che hanno assassinato Andries Tatane", un insegnante 33enne ucciso - secondo gli attivisti - da un gruppo di poliziotti nel corso di una manifestazione di protesta nella località sudafrica di Ficksburgh.

Sul blog Mark ha scritto di non sentirsi affatto pentito. In amore e guerra tutto è concesso, aggiunge concludendo poi con un auspicio di pace, amore, anarchia, rispetto, liberazione rivoluzione. Il messaggio non è piaciuto per niente ai proprietari di 702 (il nome è ancora legato alla frequenza delle onde medie su cui la stazione trasmetteva prima del passaggio all'FM) ma non si può negare una certa autoironia nello spot che poche ore dopo il fattaccio ha trasformato la sequela di fuck in un jingle promozionale. «Chi pensava che nessun annunciatore di Eye Witness avrebbe mai più pronunciato una F-word si sbagliava: le nostre notizie sono fast, fact finding...» e giù con una sfilza di sostantivi e aggettivi con la F come iniziale.

Il sospetto che questa clamorosa "lettera di dimissioni" serva soltanto a farsi un mucchio di pubblicità c'è, ma chi l'ha voluta davvero?

Sud Africa, divorziano gli sposi del radio concorso

Non è stato fortunato il matrimonio contratto durante il concorso associato al reality show radiofonico trasmesso da Kaya FM, popolare stazione commerciale sudafricana. Gail Brookstein e Derrick Matthee si erano sposati dopo che il programma, Two strangers and a wedding (Due estranei e un matrimonio), aveva fatto da sensale. L'obiettivo del reality è far conoscere due persone del tutto estranee tra loro raccontando il loro corteggiamento in onda. Chi si sposa guadagna naturalmente un premio: una luna di miele in Mozambico, una casa, soldi, due macchine. Ora Gail e Derrick, dopo tre mesi e un fallimento (però, anche questo potrebbe essere un ottimo nome per un reality!) dovranno mettersi d'accordo come dividersi il bottino. Lei sostiene che l'esperienza è stata molto poco piacevole e che dovrà prendersi un avvocato, ma immagino che chiunque sia disposto a partecipare a cose del genere debba piuttosto finire sul lettino di uno strizzacervelli. L'idea di Kaya FM, raccontata dal giornale The Star, è lì pronta per essere ripresa da uno dei nostri network. Forza, fatevi sotto.

Radio wedding couple call it quits

September 13 2008

By Thabiso Thakali and Candice Bailey

A week after the official announcement of the break-up of South Africa's first-ever reality radio couple, a heartbroken Gail Brookstein has poured her heart out about how her fairytale marriage has gone pear-shaped. Defiantly still wearing her wedding ring, Brookstein this week revealed that she now needs counselling to cope with the end of her brief relationship with Derrick Matthee. "It was the most challenging three months of my life. I cried a lot. I'm definitely going to see a counsellor," she said. Matthee and Brookstein made history as SA's first couple to wed in a reality radio show without meeting face-to-face before their wedding in May.

The aim of Kaya FM's 2 Strangers and a Wedding was to match two complete strangers to fall in love over the airwaves and get married. Listeners were hooked. Despite warnings from experts that the marriage would be doomed from the start, Matthee and Brookstein nonetheless tied the knot. The couple claimed an instant connection and pledged they were in it for keeps. 

But three months later their R1,5-million wedding has come crashing down with their split-up and division of their prizes. These included a lavish wedding ceremony, a honeymoon in Mozambique, a rent-free penthouse flat for one year, R100 000 in cash, and a car each. Although they have yet to receive their cars, they have seen their penthouse and were set to meet on Friday to discuss what they would do with it after the divorce. Kaya FM, meanwhile, has revealed its plans for another instalment of 2 Strangers and a Wedding.

Matthee last week claimed that their marriage failed after their honeymoon, when they realised there was nothing between them. He maintains they never lived together. But Brookstein denies this, and says that when they returned from their honeymoon they were "in love" and she spent time at his townhouse for two weeks. "I stayed at his place [in Centurion]. We had deep, intimate moments. We slept together. That never changed. We even joked about having twin girls."

But things turned sour at the beginning of July.  Brookstein claims Matthee was the one who changed and that the relationship failed because he had resistance from his family and friends in Mossel Bay. "Initially we were going to do everything to make it work. But he got resistance from his family and he suddenly backed off. They weren't happy and will never accept our marriage.  "I never spoke to them [the Matthee family] or met them. He shut me out. He spent a lot of time on his own." But when the Saturday Star confronted Matthee about their failed marriage last week, he retorted: "I need someone old-school, someone I can grow with, someone who is independent and has reached a particular maturity level." 

This week, Matthee turned down the Saturday Star's request for an interview." For now I think enough has been said and I don't have any further comment." But Brookstein said: "He's trying to exonerate himself. My story's not going to change. I was the most honest contestant. If you look at it, Derrick has been at the centre of all the controversies. There was the Ashley saga."

A week after their wedding, startling claims emerged that Matthee's ex fiancee, Ashley Michaels, was harassing him. Michaels, of Mossel Bay, claimed she was engaged to Matthee until just a few days before his marriage and that Matthee was only marrying Brookstein for the prize money. "He didn't really give me a chance to be a wife for him. My whole life changed and he is just walking away. I don't know what to believe - he is a stranger. I don't hate him. He hurt me, but it is not for me to judge him."

Kaya FM's marketing manager, Mark Mdlela, said the station had several "touch base" meetings with Brookstein and Matthee since their return from honeymoon.

"The guys insisted they were fine. At no point would it benefit us to say they're together or not. The reason we did this [show] is because it's a social experiment. It's not on if you manipulate what's going on. Whatever happened now is purely their choice. 

"Counselling is still available, but it doesn't look like they want to go that option. It's between them to handle that [their prizes], as any couple would in a marriage."

Prendi i soldi (della radio) e scappa

Aveva dei debiti di gioco, il responsabile finanziario di Heart 194.9, stazione radio di Capetown. Così ha pensato bene di entrare nei conti online dell'emittente e della consorella East Coast Radio (entrambe del gruppo Radmark). Mario Roos ha spostato sul suo conto corrente parecchi milioni di rand (quasi 600 mila euro) e all'inizio di marzo ha preso un biglietto di business class per Londra via Francoforte e ha fatto perdere le sue tracce. Pare che le casse delle stazioni sudafricane siano ben fornite (finora). La foto l'ho presa da Die Burger, quotidiano in lingua afrikaans che ha dato la notizia per primo.

Missing: radio manager and R7,1m

By Fatima Schroeder

The Cape High Court has granted a provisional sequestration order against the former finance manager of Radio Heart 104.9, who has been missing since the end of February after auditors started an investigation into the radio station's financial affairs.
In court papers, it emerged that Mario Roos allegedly exploited an electronic banking system at the radio station and made transfers to his own bank account amounting to R7,16-million.
A large portion of the money was allegedly paid to Internet gambling operators. Now his colleagues have established that he flew to London on March 1, on a business class ticket, via Frankfurt. His wife, Monique, has also been cited as a respondent in the proceedings.
In court papers, managing director Gavin Meiring said Roos did not report for work on March 3. He says the radio used an electronic banking system, known as Cash Focus, to transfer funds. Roos was registered and authorised on the system to make transfers.
Meiring said that the figure (R7,16m) may still increase. He said Radio Heart 104.9 was unaware that Roos was under investigation for the theft of R61 000 from his former employers, the Foschini Group, when they hired him.
He said police were still investigating the matter, but were unable to trace him.
A provisional order was granted on March 7 and the matter returns to court on May 9 when Roos and his wife have to show cause why the order should not be made final.