Ed Richardson

There is still time (but only just) to ensure that there continues to be deposits of fresh data and knowledge for AI to mine and harvest. The world is fast running out of fresh information, with fewer and fewer journalists and other qualified researchers to go out into the field to mine it. Information (call it news, data, research) has a sell-by date. It is not infinitely recyclable. Artificial intelligence (AI) programs like ChatGPT are fast depleting the existing deposits of information, and in the process killing off the jobs of the fieldworkers who have been responsible for harvesting fresh information for millennia. Journalists have become an endangered species, with global job losses running at over 20 000 a year since 2008 – and this affects everyone on the planet. In South Africa hundreds of jobs have been lost, with more at risk. Title Closures: Media24 stopped printing five major newspapers in 2024, and many other print publications have closed, gone online (with skeleton staff) or are on the verge of bankruptcy. This is in response to an 80% drop in average circulation of South African print publications over the past 10 years, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC). A study by Northwestern University estimates that one-third of United States newspapers closed between 2005 and 2024, averaging 2.5 a week. The US Bureau of Labour Statistics predicts that employment opportunities for news analysts, reporters and journalists will drop by 3% between 2023 to 2033. In the United Kingdom, over 300 local titles closed between 2009 and 2019. News outlets are also closing or scaling down across Asia. The same pattern can be found in Africa, with mass layoffs in Kenya and Nigeria, in addition to South Africa. News deserts Grassroots media are also closing around the world, leaving “news deserts” where locals have no reliable source of the news which affects them in their daily lives – such as road closures, planned …

Andy Iverson; "In a country where mobile data is increasingly affordable and smartphones are in nearly every pocket; traditional radios are no longer the only way people are tuning in to programmes." South African brands and companies that rely solely on traditional media are leaving audience, influence, and revenue on the table. Live streaming platforms such as Algoa FM’s live stream, are powerful tools for fine-tuning advertising budgets to connect more closely with your target market. Insights into your customers' engagement - measurable and targetable A whole new world of data becomes immediately available to you. Platforms like Algoa FM’s iono.fm turn every listener into a traceable, actionable data point. We can measure how long they’ve listened, to which show, to what segment, on which device, in which province or city, and even which advertiser’s spot they skipped (or didn’t). This is not just numbers. It’s pure gold for your sales strategy. Algoa FM brings the human touch to the digital realm Listeners connect with Algoa FM because our presenters are not faceless algorithms. They are personalities with familiar voices who bring your message closer to a loyal, affluent audience: SEM 8 to 10 decision-makers who tune in for local news, traffic from the N2, and the feel-good vibes. Studies show that radio streaming retains the medium’s trust factor, with 75 to 90% ad completion rates because listeners choose the station for its personality - not just a song. In contrast, the ad-skipping culture (especially on premium tiers) of other platforms dilutes your intended impact. Beyond the broadcast footprint Does your brand have national potential? Do you need to reach high-SEM listeners even when they’re outside the traditional Algoa FM broadcast footprint? With a pre-roll commercial on Algoa FM's Live stream, your message reaches listeners in Gauteng, KZN, the Western Cape, or any other province – hitting them while they’re in …

Remember those family holidays to the coast? When the living was easy? The long summer days spent on Hobie Beach, catching a wave in J-Bay or enjoying a sunset at Sards from the top of a sand dune? And who can forget hanging out with the beautiful people in Plett, or taking a long walk along Nahoon Beach in East London, and all the fun and games at Diaz Beach in Mossel Bay? Summer is a special time in the Eastern Cape and Garden Route. It is a time when many locals hit the beaches, visit family or vacation at their favourite resorts. Wherever you find braaivleis, fun, sunny skies and sunscreen, you can be sure Algoa FM will be invited along for the ride. As Mio Khondleka, Algoa FM’s programming manager puts it; “There is a unique rhythm that arrives every year around this time, what I like to call ‘the festive crunch.’ It is that time where the holiday pace picks up, the events multiply, and every day feels like both a celebration and a sprint. Across Algoa Country, schools are closing, the roads are filling, and the coast comes alive as holidaymakers arrive from all over South Africa. For those of us in radio, this is when everything shifts.” “Listener habits change completely. People are no longer in their workday routines, they are driving between destinations, spending lazy mornings at home, or listening on the beach. Our core audiences are still with us, but we also welcome new and returning listeners, some tuning in for the first time, others reconnecting with the station they grew up with.” This gives Algoa FM’s on-air team the opportunity to engage more intimately with their listeners, which in turn creates opportunities for Brands to get their Summer groove on. And what better place to do that than along the Indian Ocean coast this holiday season? Summer creates such a unique opportunity to turn brands on and sales volumes up in a region where the radio station enjoys strong engagement and loyalty. Algoa FM’s power to move people and lift …