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Opportunity in Radio

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Looking at the African broadcast media and technology landscape today, there is a definite flavour and preference that comes through; you can take your pick of [pay] TV; the Internet; Mobile telephony (and related data and media content delivery services) being launched, upgraded, and/or introduced on an almost continuous stream.

We constantly here of new investments being made, new entrants into the market – either vendors or competitors. We hear of upgrades, new technologies being introduced, their impact on their markets and demographics. We are reminded of the subscriber and user numbers, their growth rate, the revenues they generate for their investors and incumbent service providers; the projected revenues and impact in the future for these technologies and media delivery platforms. The role they play in shaping perceptions, transferring information, enabling societies and communities; in essence, their critical importance to our communities and societies.

You will not readily find announcements of a similar fanfare or interest in Radio.

However, Radio is the most accessible and the most consumed media in all of Africa. This is especially true when you consider reach and access capabilities in the urban and rural areas. Radio reaches all parts of the African continent; rural and urban; electrified or not. Radio dominates the mass media spectrum with regionally-based commercial stations demonstrating the largest consistent growth in numbers, followed by community radio, where increases have been reported only in certain countries and growth remains strong, if inconsistent.

Radio dominates the media output of, amongst other genres, the religious media (e.g. PanAm Broadcasting – 600 million listeners; over 20 countries, using shortwave & FM transmitters), partly due to the lower economic and regulatory entry barriers for owners than those for newspapers or television. Moreover, the focus on radio allows owners to expand the broadcast spectrum beyond the urban areas, avoid the economic barriers to consumers posed by high-priced newspaper or TV subscriptions, and to address the high illiteracy rates in the population.

National commercial radio broadcasters are the exception not the rule, operating in only six countries (DRC, Kenya, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia). Some countries have experienced an increase in national commercial stations since 2000. State radio is coming under increasing pressure from regional or local commercial radio. This is mainly in urban areas, with the exceptions being Botswana, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe where state radio remains largely unchallenged. Large increases in regional or local commercial radio have been seen in nine countries. While DRC’s dramatic increase from eight to 150 stations may be explained partially by elections, growth in the other countries is attributed to economic growth brought on by changes in government (e.g., Senegal), or a liberalizing broadcast policy and investment.

Adopting a Converged Technology Approach?

Radio Stations should use the internet much more aggressively to promote their offerings and services, receive content, playlists, programming, etc. share content and programming (within a regional radio network, for example) and extend their reach and audience.

At present, new communications and information technologies (such a on-line programmer sharing, internet radio, web portals, text-to- radio, etc.) will increase the efficiency and capability of Africa’s radio stations, to a similar extent as in the more developed parts of the world – especially the commercial (FM) radio stations operating in the larger urban areas with a sizeable demographic to justify the investment. It is possible, however, to combine the most advanced technologies – Internet audio, for example – with more traditional broadcasting techniques such as "radio relay".

Audio files could be exchanged over the Internet between national "flagship" stations located in the capital (these could be community-radio associations) and then sent out by more conventional means (cassettes, CD ROMs) to the member stations.

 

There are a variety of initiatives to promote the understanding and use of the Internet by Africa’s radio stations. One of these is BDP on-line, an Internet-based alternative to shipping CDs or cassettes by e-mail in West Africa. Using BDP on line, twelve participating radio stations in ten French-speaking African countries are able to use the Internet to upload or download programmes free-of-charge.

 

There are a number of ‘extras’ that can be added to the basic station model, which add functionality. These include: Station Automation, to allow programming without a technician/producer in studio. Stream the station on the web. This requires a computer with a soundcard with an ‘always on’ link to the internet. This usually requires an internet link from the station premises.

Another technology option is using a mobile phone to take SMS messages – prepaid phone is better/cheaper for this, as it won’t generally be used for outgoing calls.

Yet another option is the provision of an Email address for requests/audience feedback (preferably with an internet link into the studio/station). Other Internet options, such as exchanging text instead of audio are more realistic for everyday radio use.

 

There are factors that have to be addressed, however for this to be a viable reality that will add to the profitability and efficiency of radio stations.

 

First of these is the cost and access to the Internet. The next is the awareness of Commercial Radio station owners as to the capabilities, features and benefits that an integrated (or converged) technology approach will deliver to them if designed and applied effectively .

 

Using transmitting equipment with power ranging from 1,000 Watts (FM) to 250,000 Watts (Shortwave), commercial radio station owners (shortwave, and more often FM), are able to reach various sizes of demographics – rural or urban, literate or illiterate, electrified or not. In addition, several "intermediary" organisations with strong local roots – such as the Panos Institute of West Africa – could help to link new technologies (the Web or satellites) with local radio stations by selecting and formatting information from the Web and by supporting the development of networks.

What’s Next

 

Digital radio broadcasting has emerged, first in Europe, and later in many other countries worldwide. The most simple system is named DAB Digital Radio, for Digital Audio Broadcasting,

 

HD Radio Technology enables AM and FM Radio stations to broadcast programs digitally, a tremendous technological leap forward from analog. The HD Radio system is propelling the medium into the digital space and marks the most significant advancement in Radio broadcasting since the introduction of FM stereo more than 50 years ago.

The digital technology opens the doors to a variety of services in addition to the digital stations. In September 2007, iTunes® Tagging was introduced. This new HD Radio feature enables listeners using HD Radio receivers equipped with a special Tag button to download and buy songs they hear on HD Radio stations via Apple’s iTunes.

The benefits of HD Radio Technology include the following:

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Expanded programming choices with HD2, HD3, etc.

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Multicasting allows the broadcast of more than one program over one position on the FM spectrum

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Enhanced audio quality; AM digital will have FM audio quality; FM digital will have CD audio quality

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Improved reception – Static-free, crystal-clear reception, without pops, hisses, or fades

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New wireless data services

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Scrolling text displayed on Radio screen, including song titles, artist names, traffic updates, weather forecasts, sports scores, and more.

 

A Better Listening Experience

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FM stations now have CD-quality sound

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AM stations now have FM-quality sound

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Crystal-clear reception

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No hiss, distortion or station drop off

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Hear the Difference

 

Better Features

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Real-time artist and song IDs scrolled across your radio’s display.

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More info on your dial, such as traffic alerts, stock info, scores, weather alerts, school closings, etc.

 

More Channels

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Now offering multiple channels on the same FM frequency

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No new station numbers to learn, digital signal is broadcast on current analog frequencies.

 

 

The Same Local Stations You Love

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Your favorite programs with local personalities

 

Advanced data services:

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Surround sound

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On-demand audio services

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Store-and-replay (listeners store a Radio program for replay later)

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Overlaying real-time traffic information on a navigational map

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iTunes Tagging for HD Radio Technology

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A unique and easy conversion process

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No service disruption

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Same dial position

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Maintain station brand equity

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A seamless transition for consumers

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Smooth evolution to a digital Radio world

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It’s FREE! No subscription fees.

 

All of these enhancements to local AM and FM Radio are designed to better serve the listening public while offering tremendous growth opportunities for advertisers, broadcasters and retailers, amongst others. HD Radio Technology takes Radio into the digital age, allowing stations to compete more aggressively for Time Spent Listening (TSL) and share of audience.

 

Finally (definitely one for the future!),

Satellite radio broadcasters are slowly emerging, but the enormous entry costs of space-based satellite transmitters, and restrictions on available radio spectrum licenses has restricted growth of this market. In the USA and Canada, just two services, XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio exist.More Programming

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Broader song lists with more music diversity

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Undiscovered artists and music

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New blends and mixes of formats

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More talk, more comedy, more news

·

Find digital radio stations on the air


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Nigeria CommunicationsWeek believes that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. So since 2007, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and how they affect lives.

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PalmPay Unveils First Set of Winners in Eid Mobile Bonanza

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PalmPay has announced the first set of winners in its ongoing Eid campaign tagged PalmPay Eid Bonanza, which kicked off on April 10th and will run until April 30th, 2024.

Since the start of the bonanza on April 10th, 5 lucky winners have been emerging daily simply by performing tasks on the PalmPay App such as transferring funds, airtime and data purchases, bill payments, and savings.

Comfort Udoh from Lagos, one of the proud recipients of an iPhone 15 Pro, expressed her sheer delight. “I simply won by recharging my phone with airtime on the PalmPay app. I received the exciting news via a call from PalmPay Nigeria. I thank them for the generous reward of a brand new iPhone 15 pro”

Also, Mr. Abegurin Patrick Segun’s winning entry came about when he placed a N100 bet using his PalmPay app. It was a delightful surprise for him to receive a call from PalmPay Nigeria, informing him of his victory in the daily raffle draw, and he’s now the proud owner of an Infinix Hot 40i.

To participate in the remaining weeks of the campaign, download the PalmPay App from Google Play or App Store. Sign up for an account and include your BVN or NIN to complete the process and click on the  Eid Bonanza Feature.

There are still numerous phones to be won daily, along with the added bonus of daily free transfers to any bank via the PalmPay App.

Enakeno Umuteme, the Head of Marketing and Communications at PalmPay Nigeria, notes that “Our primary objective is to reward and acknowledge our loyal customers. This campaign stays true to its promise of appreciating Nigerians who are PalmPay users”

PalmPay offers an array of services including money transfers, bill payments, credit services, and savings on its app and via its mobile money agents. Since its inception in Nigeria in 2019 under a Mobile Money Operator license, the platform has amassed over 30 million app users as part of its cashless payment ecosystem.


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Kaspersky Warns of Data Stealers Hunting for User Credentials

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As the malware development market continues to flourish with new stealers such as Lumma, for the last three years Redline still remains the dominant data-stealing malware used by cybercriminals.

More than half of every device (55%) targeted by password-stealer attacks in 2023 has been infected with the Redline malware, Kaspersky Digital Footprint Intelligence finds.

Infostealers infiltrate devices to illicitly obtain sensitive credentials such as logins and passwords, which are then peddled on the shadow market, posing significant cybersecurity threats to personal and corporate systems.

According to information gleaned from log-files traded or distributed freely on the dark web, Redline was used in 51% of infostealer infections from 2020 to 2023. Other notable malware families included Vidar (17%) and Raccoon (nearly 12%).

In total, around 100 distinct infostealer types were identified by Kaspersky Digital Footprint Intelligence between 2020 and 2023 using metadata from log-files.

The underground market for data-stealing malware development is expanding, evident from the rising popularity of new stealers.

Between 2021 and 2023, the portion of infections caused by new stealers grew from 4% to 28%. Specifically, in 2023, the new “Lumma” stealer alone was responsible for more than 6% of all infections.

“Lumma emerged in 2022 and gained popularity in 2023, through a Malware-as-a-Service (MaaS) distribution model.

This means any criminal, even those without advanced technical skills, can purchase a subscription for a pre-made malicious solution and use this stealer to carry out cyberattacks.

“Lumma is primarily designed for stealing credentials and other information from cryptocurrency wallets, commonly spread through email, YouTube, and Discord spam campaigns,” says Sergey Shcherbel, expert at Kaspersky Digital Footprint Intelligence.

To guard against data-stealing malware, individuals are advised to use a comprehensive security solution for any device. This will help prevent infections and alert them to dangers, such as suspicious sites or phishing emails that can be an initial vector for infection. Companies can help their users, employees and partners protect themselves from the threat by proactively monitoring leaks and prompting users to change leaked passwords immediately.


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World Energy Conferencing

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By Okoko Chidozie Christian

[email protected]; 09025179984.

In an increasing world, the effectiveness of meaningful human interaction becomes ever important.

World Energy Conferencing

The significance of networking remains at the very core of what we do; and to support this we strive to offer more opportunities through digital platforms to engage online year round.

Conferences as indispensable part of business could be a vital opportunity that is certain to reap one’s time, organizational commitment and lots more.

Research proven creditably reveals that conferencing provides a rare opportunity for key individuals within field specialism to come together collaboratively all over the world, in the same place, at the same time.

Such environment provides the perfect platform to network,

form partnership and exchange knowledge with both peers, and people from connected industries with whom one may not have previously connected.

A prospect such as this is sure to serve well both now and in the future.

Having known that conferences attract a unique and incredible mix of thinkers, leaders, experts and emerging talents with an existing predisposition to develop skills; it also stimulates industry progress and contribute to important global conversations.

World energy conferencing are energy-focused events set to draw in the world’s top businesses and their leaders to put the wheels of actions in motion against climate crisis and other major threats to the energy sectors and wider world as a result.

The later part of last year saw one of the world’s most pivotal sustainability events to date, COP28 reported in my previous article “Sustainability of Clean and Renewable Energy” on April 1st, 2024. The event saw world’s leaders take urgent actions and decisions on the transition away from fossil fuels and towards renewable and energy efficiency.

Undoubtedly, conference brings a wealth of forums, events, programmes which unite leaders about energy and industry’s interest topics, insights, guidance and tackling of some of the most pressing challenges.

These energy events will help in bringing together leading companies and talented people to provide business professional with high quality trade shows, digital solutions and connections, research reveals.

Some of the anticipated World energy events include World Utilities Conference Abu Dhabi, UAE (May 8-10,2024); International Conference in Energy Paris, France (14-15 May, 2024); Reuters Global Energy Transition New York, USA (7-8 June, 2024); Energy Tech Summit, Bilbao, Spain (10-11 April, 2024 ); Offshore Technology Conference, OTC in Houston Texas (6-9 May 2024), and many more.

World Energy Conferencing help companies and individuals to gain access to official media partnering and news publications for the world’s largest energy events thereby increasing their brand visibility through a variety of compelling content platforms helping to share latest innovations which are shaping the future of energy.

Also, connect industry leaders and passionate individuals from across the globe all committed to advancing the future of the energy industry in a path towards sustainable, renewable and affordable energy.

Technology expositions has helped a wide range of industry-leading companies to present energy-efficient products, energy management services and solutions.

Also, creates an environment for global think tank, powered by global innovation, pioneering minds and groundbreaking insights. As creating a new energy future require bold and different thinking, majority of these conferences regarded as the foremost events get accelerated global transition to clean energy, and bring leaders, policy-makers, investment incubators, corporate partners and world-class start-ups to work towards a greener tomorrow.

However, apart from being at the frontier of discovery on a global platform, conferencing witnesses the solution, ideas and game changers that matters amongst the world’s leading energy brands. It opens way for stakeholders to a unique occasion in examining critical insights, global drivers of energy prices and to network with energy specialists from other international companies of the world.

World energy conference platforms showcase advances in energy and a highly interactive experience that inspire progressive leadership thinking, collaborative and constructive actions. Regarding the concept of its most vital meetings, reflects its present and dedicated future to the entire society.

So, as we look ahead to the next 100years of energy mix; it is critical we consider not just the future of our energy technology, but also how we increase society’s energy literacy and create more inclusive bottom-up energy communities.


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