B U S H  R A D I O A present-day success story Getting started In the late eighties, a small group of people interested in the development of an alternative audio communications system, formed an organisation that recorded information onto cassettes in radio format, made duplicates, and distributed them in townships in and around Cape Town. The organisation was called CASET (Cassette Education Trust). Its key objective was to inform and educate the poor, on issues (which at the time) they had little or no opportunity to learn about. Subjects like literacy, hygiene, health and of course relevant political issues. CASET had one underlying philosophy - Information is POWER, and since its humble beginnings in a small office in Salt River, Cape Town, the initiators of the project always knew that the "airwaves" would be integral to its long term educational and empowerment objects. Community radio was a perfectly obvious solution. To achieve this goal, CASET began to discuss the idea and its potential, and eventually proposed establishing a community radio facility at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), just outside Cape Town. A discussion paper towards establishing this community radio facility was published on 13 March 1991 and subsequently monthly meetings were held at UWC and attended by interested organisations. After many deliberations it became clear that UWC campus would not be a suitably accessible location for such a facility, primarily since the community at large would not easily get to the station because the UWC campus was built far away from any of the black communities for security reasons. In 1960 when UWC was built it was called the College of the Western Cape. A then a non degree granting college established exclusively for the "coloured" people; a racial definition that defined persons of a hybrid origin. The College located far from the city and surrounded by dense bush, soon became known as Bush College - Its campus based cafeteria radio station, Bush Radio. The STRUGGLE TO BE HEARD In 1992, CASET dissolved as an organisation and recreated itself as an aspirant community radio initiative - keeping the original campus name, Bush Radio, was born. Constituted in 1992 as voluntary association, owned and operated by its members it downscaled the CASET production facility and now focused on getting the community on air. For the first time in the history of South Africa "black" people would have the opportunity to be broadcasters. That was the objective. Naturally money was needed to keep the initiative afloat and numerous international donors were approached for support. After many letters of request, the first support finally came through. Frederich Ebert Stiftung (FES) a German based funding organisation with a keen interest in training potential broadcasters, proved to be the crucial affirmation that Bush so vitally needed. Once Bush Radio secured the support of FES, they never looked back and word started to spread fast. The concept of community radio, i.e. local radio by the locals, was exciting. In addition a opportunity to get training in the field, well that was unheard of. So, applications from all over started to flood in, and pretty soon Bush Radio firmly established itself as a key trainer and lobbyist for the establishment of community radio in South Africa. Pressuring the government to grant it a license to broadcast, training fledgling stations across the country, and continually building a strong reputation internationally, Bush Radio slowly rooted itself and the concept of community radio as a significant force. After a number of license applications were rejected, Bush Radio decided to broadcast- illegally. Despite issuing special events licenses to stations like C-flat, CTFM, and Peace Radio the state refused to allow Bush Radio on air. Maybe because of the station's arrogant confidence, but more likely because it was just not politically timeous. DEFIANCE In May 1993, a group of about twenty volunteer activists took the stations 16 channel (studio) mixing desk, some cds and tapes, and its illegally obtained transmitter to a room, set it up, and prepared to switch on. A press release was circulated, a short programme schedule was designed, and a song was composed. After a few test runs affectionately coined "MOCK" broadcasts Bush was ready. Interspersed with a short drama, short talk interludes, including short poems and comic excursions, Bush Radio went on air. The broadcast lasted four hours and just as quickly as Bush Radio went on air, the authorities invaded the premises and all the equipment was shut-down and seized. Bush Radio's two key members were charged on three counts; 1. Illegal broadcasting 2. Illegal possession of broadcast    apparatus and 3. Obstructing the course of justice. The case dragged on, but friends and supporters nationally and internationally understood why Bush Radio members would risk being jailed for the right to be heard, and after tremendous pressure from individuals and organisations world-wide the state dropped the charges 8 months later.   Training studio A NEW SOUTH AFRICA During the next two years the country witnessed massive political change, change that signified a new beginning for all in the RSA. While, the world watched the historic events that unfolded at the southern tip of Africa, Bush Radio continued its quest to get the community on air. So while the country prepared for its first democratic elections, Bush Radio vigorously pursued and implemented its national training portfolio, becoming the first South African community radio initiative to join the World Assembly of Community Radio (AMARC), and uncompromisingly continuing to champion the cause for the establishment of community radio in South Africa. The period 1993 - 1995 thus saw Bush Radio intensify and consolidate its basic broadcast-training role. At the beginning of 1993, FES donated a fully equipped studio, for the primary purpose of training. It was indeed a wonderful sight - broadcast desk with remote microphone triggers, Cd players, quality microphones, and top of the range turntables and field recorders. Bush Radio was really starting to look like a "real" radio station. A full time training coordinator was brought on board to offer the subsidised radio courses. They included short courses like - Introduction to Community Radio, Features and Documentary Production, Women and Technology, and Managing Community Radio. Steadily building a strong development radio philosophy, the training premise set by most of the community radio activists was to "take back the skills to your stations" and for recipients to slowly train their own stations volunteers. Other training initiatives emerged eager to support and soon partnerships and exchange programmes were established with Duetse Welle, Radio France International, USIS, Canada and others. It was for this reason that it was agreed to name the new radio station Bush Radio. Calling out: An old flyer calling Bush Radio members to a meeting. TRAINING THE NATION Locally based institutions including the Institute for the Advancement of Journalism and Media Training Center also started to offer radio course and slowly a resource of basic radio production and management skills was established nationally. Hence, through focused radio training, intense networking and lobbying, the seeds for today's community radio movement in South Africa were being planted, and Bush Radio's reputation grew. To further consolidate the need for community radio, a national forum was the next logical step and in 1994, the National Community Radio Forum (NCRF) was established to lobby government and co-ordinate and guide the sector. Initially operating from the offices of Bush Radio, the NCRF successfully raised its own funds, set-up office in Gauteng, and toward the end of 1994 the sector had submitted more than a 100 license applications to the authority established to transform broadcasting in the RSA. LICENSE AT LAST Legal broadcasting was not far off now, and anticipation grew to a feverish pitch. In June 1995, exactly seven years since CASET committed to "get the people on air", Bush radio received its license to broadcast. But, the IBA had to work with an inherited frequency plan that did not accommodate the flood of license applications. And because of Cape Town's notorious Table Mountain, they opted to offer Bush Radio a shared frequency i.e. a 50/50 split with community station C-Flat. Although not perfect, everyone was happy and proposed broadcasting daily from 14h00 to 02h00, thereafter C-Flat would continue its programmes till 14h00, and so on. Neither the expression of political power nor the expression of business, but the expression of the people" , Michel Delorme, president of the World Assembly of Community Radio Broadcasters, defined community radio at an international conference at 1990. Bush Radio 89.5FM The mission to get a license was achieved, the people now had the right to go on air. License in hand, and with a well-equipped training studio, and a pool of trained enthusiastic volunteers, we were ready.