One FM community radio station uses crowd funding

The Blouberg Development Foundation (BDF), a non-profit company set up to manage the radio station, received a community broadcast license from ICASA in August 2014. The frequency will be 94.0FM and will broadcast 24 hours a day.

The BDF is now raising funds to buy broadcast equipment, build studios and furnish the offices with office equipment.

First in SA

"We're excited to launch a crowd funding initiative, the first in South Africa, where a radio station will go live with the assistance from the public's money," says Ian Ward, commercial radio veteran of 17 years.

"Crowd funding, while new in South Africa, has seen many projects come to light. Kahn Morbee from the Parlotones raised over R220,000 for his new album through Thundafund.com, a crowd funding website."

Crowd funding has taken the world by storm, and allows groups and organisations to raise funds in order to start their projects, but offers something of value in return to the donator. Internationally, the movie Veronica Mars was completely funded by crowd funding, and raised over $2,000,000 in ten hours, making it the fastest crowd funding project to reach $1,000,000 in the shortest time. In Kahn's case, he offered a CD once recorded to his funders.

One FM has various rewards it is offering, starting at R100. These include tickets to events that it will be hosting, membership to the radio station, a virtual wall that will be placed on the radio station's wall with the funder's name on it and pre-sold advertising packages with much value added to it.

Reward for donation

"I look forward to making history in South Africa, being the first radio station to be completely funded by crowd funding. I invite the public to view what we have to offer and buy a reward. I especially urge businesses to take advantage of the advertising packages on offer - they are crazy and will never be repeated."

The campaign ends mid June 2015, so funders would need to act soon.

The website to visit is www.thundafund.com/OneFMCapeTown. Alternatively, for those who do not have access to the internet but would still like to make a donation, they can SMS the word ONE to 49940. SMS cost R20 each, no free minutes apply. iTouch Media is sponsoring the SMS line. For more information, go to www.onefm.co.za.