SAfm

Last updated

SAfm
SAfm (South Africa).gif
Broadcast areaSouth Africa
Frequency 104–107 MHz FM [1] [2]
Programming
Format News radio, talk radio
Ownership
Owner SABC
History
First air date
1936
Former names
  • "A" Programme
  • English Service (1937–1985)
  • Radio South Africa (1985–1995)
Links
Webcast www.antfarm.co.za/clients/safm/safm_22.asx
Website www.safm.co.za/sabc/home/safm

SAfm is a national, English-language public radio station in South Africa. It has been operated by the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) since its founding in 1936. [3]

Contents

History

SAfm was the SABC's first radio station, and the country's first public radio station. From 1924 to 1936, the only radio service in South Africa was a privately owned station called JB, which broadcast to the cities of Johannesburg, Durban, and (later) Cape Town. An Act of Parliament in 1936 made official the conversion of JB into a public broadcaster. [4]

In its early days as a public radio service, the station was called the "A" Programme. When the SABC started an Afrikaans-language station in 1937, the two stations came to be called the English Service and the Afrikaans Service, respectively. In 1985 the English Service was renamed Radio South Africa; it has had its current name, SAfm, since 1995. [3] The SAfm studio is now in SABC Radio Park, in the Johannesburg suburb of Auckland Park. [5]

Programming

From 1995 to 2003, it gradually reduced the scope of its programming from a general, multi-genre format to a news and talk radio format. In 2006, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa required SAfm to re-add drama and children's radio programmes, and these are now among the station's offerings. [3] In 2012, SAfm was broadcasting 24 hours per day. [1]

Audience figures

Most SAfm listeners are in age range of 35 to 49, and LSM groups 7–10. [1] [3] [ further explanation needed ]

Estimated number of listeners [6]
Month7-dayAverage Monday–Friday
May 2013645,000281,000
February 2013566,000263,000
December 2012517,000218,000
October 2012516,000218,000
August 2012550,000219,000
June 2012540,000221,000

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 The Annual Guide to Radio in South Africa (AdVantage 2012). Media 24. 2012.
  2. ↑ "SABC public broadcasting stations". Brand S.A country portal. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "About SAfm: Station Profile". safm.co.za. SAfm. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  4. ↑ du Plessis, D. F. (2000). "The South African Advertising Scene § Electronic Media". Introduction to Public Relations and Advertising. Juta and Company. p. 89. ISBN   978-0-7021-5557-4. OCLC   45558082 – via Google Books.
  5. ↑ "Contact Us". safm.co.za. SAfm. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  6. ↑ "SAARF RAMS (Presentations)". saarf.co.za. Archived from the original on 15 April 2013.