Radio snub inspires the birth of The 20th Avenue Podcast
Mompati Tlhankane | Sunday December 12, 2021 06:00
“They told me I do not have a radio voice which led me to create my own platform. It was supposed to be an online radio station but I decided to follow the podcast route,” Ncube who is also 360 media content developer told Arts & Culture in an interview. With podcasting now increasingly growing in prominence, Ncube added that he launched The 20th Avenue Podcast four years ago when the podcasting practice was not yet common locally but was a big thing overseas. He said at the time he had hope of seeing it grow locally.
He was glad that currently Botswana has a number of podcasters that are doing an awesome job. Looking back, Ncube said in its first two years of inception his podcast hit the ground running, because it was one of the first in the country. “It featured local and international big shots such as Donald Molosi, Scar, Kast, Jay Jay Okocha and Bonang Matheba.
The podcast is for the people, we tell stories through the platform which means that everyone can be part of this. We do not only focus on celebrities and entertainers,” he highlighted. He said as The 20th Avenue Podcast they are also looking forward to growing into a platform that will document and tell authentic black stories. Ncube, who produces content for television, radio, print and digital platforms, added that this coming year they have plans of growing the platform and hopefully it will tick all the boxes. In terms of funding, he also indicated that The 20th Avenue has been self-funded since day one which he regarded as not an easy task. “The equipment required is expensive.
We are talking of cameras, microphones and recorders. I recently got a studio sponsorship from Bornaking Studio which permits me to use the studio and equipment for the interviews. I haven’t really made money from the podcast but it has opened a number of opportunities for me,” he further revealed. Explaining the difference between the two, Ncube said the notable difference is radio stations aim to appeal to a mass audience by creating lots of content focused on a wide range of topics accessible to listeners which increases the chances of them staying tuned in while podcasts try to appeal to a more niche audience, due to their focus on individual topics.
The former Arts & Culture writer added that Podcasting can be done by anyone but they have to do it the right way. “The first stage of becoming podcaster is that one should have a journalism background and know a bit of media law and ethics so they do not find themselves in trouble.
He said The 20th Avenue Podcast hardly filter any content, but rather tell stories as they are. Ncube said as a podcaster his job is to ask questions, which sometimes include difficult and uncomfortable questions.
He said his advantage is that he comes from a journalism background. “I know how to structure my questions and tone to my interviewees in order for them to respond in a way that will not leave me as the interviewer in trouble. I hardly filter, the aim is to tell authentic stories which are not scripted. We have been fed enough scripted content. People are hungry for the real stuff and all they want is raw content. The only thing that I avoid on my podcast is swearing and using it as a platform to disrespect people or communities,” he further said.
Going forward he said the podcasting will be an ever growing industry that will change the media landscape and give a strong competition to the main stream media. He said currently it’s impossible for him to make podcasting a full- time job due to the fact that it’s not yet a profitable business.