RAB closing

The membership of the RAB voted unanimously to dissolve the organisation at a Special General Meeting last month.

Chairperson Ryan Till said the SABC made the decision to resign from the RAB in July this year.

"The SABC is the biggest funder of the organisation. In light of that, it would have been foolish and ultimately short-sighted of us to continue operating, if we were to remain a truly representative body."

Disappointing development

Till said this development is disappointing as the RAB has contributed much to the radio and advertising industries in the six years it has been in operation. Highlights include: the annual RadioWorks conference and the launch of a multi-disciplinary, highly resourced website complete with category-specific case studies. It has also undertaken a number of qualitative research studies including the UK-affiliated RadioGauge report and provided independent consulting during agency pitch processes on the use of radio in potential advertising campaigns.

Till also stresses that although this marks the end of the RAB, collaboration of the radio industry is still taking place on bodies such as the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB).

The broadcast industry has also recently established the Broadcast Research Council (BRC), which is the body responsible for overseeing the new research currency expected to roll out in late 2015. The BRC includes representation from all major broadcasting players as well as the advertising and marketing community.