National Educational Radio Network

Overview

In 2008 Radioactive conducted a technical feasibility study for the possibility of creating a national educational radio network to cover the whole of Mali.  The study looked at what were the technical options for production and distribution of content from a hub in Bamako to reach all of the schools in Mali.

About the project

Commissioned by PHARE, an educational project run by EDC, with funding from USAID, Radioactive went to Mali to conduct a feasibility study to examine the technical options for creating a national educational network to cover the whole of Mali. PHARE produce educational radio programmes that are broadcast on the Malian National Radio, which are tuned into by classrooms across Mali.  The programmes are used to enhance teaching of French and Maths and are accompanied by written materials for the teachers to use in the classroom.

There is a limit to the amount of time the project can get to air content on the Malian state broadcaster, which is why the commissioned the study to see what options were available for creating a new dedicated. educational radio network.

Main Objectives

• to determine the best and lowest cost technical solutions for covering the whole of Mali with a new educational radio network
• to provide a written report with coverage predictions and costings for the different technical solutions

Our Role

• we analysed the existing broadcast infrastructure in Mali
• we determined the costs of using existing infrastructure and creating new infrastructure
• we provide a detailed cost breakdown of each option along with a technical explanation of each option
• we produced a report with all of the above analysis and recommendations