The BBC's Legacy in Africa

Continuities and Change
1. Auflage 2025
ISBN: 978-1-041-01739-4
Verlag: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Buch, Englisch, 220 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm

Reihe: Routledge African Media, Culture and Communication Studies

This book critically examines the historical and ongoing influence of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on African broadcasting, tracing its colonial roots through to its post-colonial legacy.

The book details how in the 1940s the BBC established radio transmitter sites in East and Central Africa, thereby positioning itself as a model for broadcasting in British colonies and beyond. Grounded in a decolonial perspective, the book then explores the evolution of African radio structures, funding models, editorial policies, and programming strategies. In the post-colonial era, the BBC continued to train, equip, and support African broadcasters while maintaining a strong presence through African-focused programming. Some nations fully embraced the BBC model, while others developed hybrid broadcasting systems integrating British, local, and transnational influences. Beyond historical analysis, the book interrogates the BBC’s enduring influence on African media, examining how contemporary local broadcasters negotiate, adapt, or resist its legacy. A nuanced exploration of these dynamics provides critical insights into the intersection of colonial-era institutions and contemporary African media landscapes.

This book is an essential resource for scholars and researchers in media and communication studies, African studies, and decolonial studies, offering a comprehensive understanding of the BBC’s role in shaping African broadcasting.

Zielgruppe

Academic and Postgraduate

Autoren/Hrsg.

Sharra, Albert

Gunde, Anthony Mavuto

Kainja, Jimmy

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politische Kultur Politische Propaganda & Kampagnen, Politik & Medien
• Sozialwissenschaften Ethnologie | Volkskunde Volkskunde Historische & Regionale Volkskunde
• Geisteswissenschaften Theater- und Filmwissenschaft | Andere Darstellende Künste Filmwissenschaft, Fernsehen, Radio Radio
• Sozialwissenschaften Medien- und Kommunikationswissenschaften Medienwissenschaften
• Sozialwissenschaften Medien- und Kommunikationswissenschaften Kommunikationswissenschaften Kommunikation & Medien in der Politik
• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Spezielle Soziologie Mediensoziologie

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1. Introduction: The BBC’s Legacy in Africa: Continuities and Change  2. Decolonising the African Radio: Changes and Continuities in Malawi  3. BBC’s Mixed Legacy in Uganda: Ownership, Programming, Training and a Fightback  4. Torn between multiple interests: Correspondents and the BBC legacy in Africa  5. BBC Focus on Africa and the African story  6. Influence of BBC’s HARDtalk on Zimbabwe’s Political Interviews: A Culture of “Agonistic” Deliberations  7. “Voice of Record”: The Enduring Legacy of BBC Radio in Shaping African Languages, Culture and Politics.  8. Sports Reporting and Audience Engagement: Examining BBC Yoruba Service Sports Colloquial Headlines  9. ‘The Continuity of the Propinquity Effect’: The BBC and broadcasting in Mozambique 10. Glimpses of BCC Broadcasting in Anglophone and Francophone Africa: The Case of Nigeria and Benin Republic  11. BBC’s public media legacy and the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation  12. ZBC’s BBC Model: A Failed Public Service Vision?  13. Conclusion: Decolonising the African Radio, Prospects and Challenges

Über Autor(innen)

Albert Sharra is a Joint-postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Witwatersrand and University of Edinburgh. He is a multi-award-winning journalist and an academic who conducts research on African journalism, digital media, digital culture and artificial intelligence. He has trained over 500 African journalists through international workshops. Albert is an Honorary Fellow in the Centre of African Studies, University of Edinburgh and a Visiting Research Fellow in the Communication and Media Research Institute (CAMRI) at the University of Westminster.

Jimmy Kainja is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Malawi and a PhD student at the University of Witwatersrand. He has over ten years of experience teaching Media, Communication, and cultural studies. He holds a BSc in Media Studies and an MRes in Media and Communication. His research focuses on media and communications policy, journalism, digital rights, freedom of expression, access to information and the intersection of media, democracy and development.

Anthony Mavuto Gunde is an Associate Professor of Media, Communication and Cultural Studies at the University of Malawi. He is also a Research Fellow of the Journalism Department at Stellenbosch University. Gunde holds a PhD in Journalism Studies from Stellenbosch University and a Master of Arts degree in Communications from Missouri State University. He has co-published a book, multiple chapters and journal articles in international peer-reviewed journals and books.