Radio and Web Radio in Botswana

Abstract

Radio is defined as communication of audible signals encoded in electromagnetic waves. Web Radio makes use of the internet to both transmit audio signals and to listen to the radio. This paper presents the results from a market research that was carried out to explore the radio industry in Botswana and the technology used. The objective of the study was to find out the implication of radio on the society, the impact of the web on traditional FM radio that is, how it has been affected, the types of applications that are currently being use, and the interaction with the open source community. A census survey methodology approach was adapted and information was acquired through site visits and interview sessions. Study results show that current media is heavily dependent on the web (social media's like Facebook and Twitter) and that traditional FM Broadcasters in Botswana are also moving towards online broadcasting with sophisticated technology. Furthermore, most applications that are used are not open source.