BCR FM

Barberton Community Radio was an initiative of a group of young people who were

visiting towns lobbying for support of one of their friend who have enter the

completion of future presenters in the SiSwati public broadcaster of the SABC (Radio

Swazi) now known as Ligwalagwala fm. On their mission to visiting the different

towns they came across the Community Radio in Bushbuck Ridge BBR and through

that discovery the whole program changed course.

The group started engaging the community, influential members, business people,

the local government and other stakeholders. This initiative had a positive respond to

many and efforts were put into realizing this dream. From 1994 a group of executive

member from different race groups was established. After a brief process of

presentation were made to intuitions such as the IBA, SENTEC, Open Society

Foundation, etc., the license to broadcast be grated.

There was a major excitement for the project and many people who saw the field of

media as an unattainable dream rose today light. About 20 people were volunteers

to the station since it started as a small institution with minimal funds. It later grows

into one of the major local project run professionally with good governance structure

and accountability thereof.

In the early 2000 the radio saw some of its member recruited by the SABC both

radio and the Deletion. To date the radio has produced a total of 24 personnel that

joined Ligwalagwala FM, 8 on SABC TV, 2 on the provincial Commercial Radio

(Power FM) and many joining various government departments and the private

sector.

In the recent years the radio lost its position in the society and fall back in both

professionalism and support. This has seen the radio suffer financially and in its

status in the society. It became a forgotten brand. The current leadership is faced

with reclaiming the position of the radio in both the community and corporate world.