Re: [GKD] Radio Browsing in Sri Lanka
Allow me to respond to the comments made by Meddie Mayanja. There is no doubt that a radio station requires devoted and appreciative listeners. However, the existence of such listeners offer no guaranty that the station will be able to sell on-air advertising to support their operation. Advertisers will assess the demographics of the audience with specific attention to purchasing potentials and intentions. If there is no proven evidence that the target group of listener have the money and the intention to buy the advertised product, there is no sale. The problem is an almost total lack of radio marketing expertise. It takes a large amount of well-honed innovative skill in marketing to find a potential advertiser and the formula which would prompt this business to sign up. Radio programmers and sales reps exist in two totally different worlds. The communication between these groups is usually strained and laden with complaints against each others. It is a difficult task to get the message accepted that the survival and success of the station depend on mutual respect and collaboration. Concerning Internet access, the cost of operation should be met through the marketing of services provided. It is a matter of researching and finding what type of services would appeal to users that they would be willing to pay for it. Depending on cultural norms and restrictions personal ads tend to carry some universal appeal world-wide. Local and regional barters and auctions could also generate substantial revenues. The issue is marketing or reliance on the good will of donors. Dr Sigmund de Janos, Senior Consultant Website: http://members.home.net/dejanos/webdoc11.htm Telephone: 613-731-3461 Fax: 613-731-3286 ***GKD is an initiative of the Global Knowledge Partnership*** To post a message, send it to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]. In the 1st line of the message type: subscribe gkd OR type: unsubscribe gkd Archives of previous GKD messages can be found at: http://www.globalknowledge.org
Re: [GKD] Article on How to Bridge the Digital Divide
In response to Richard Labelle's feedback on the Financial Times article: I think the legitimation of recycled PC's by donor government agencies to get past antagonism towards dumping practices felt by third world governments is a valid strategy, but does not address the fact that these governments may have a pint when thinking strategically. Perhaps if Donor agencies bought up or backwards engineered patents on technologies that are becoming cloned and so generic in developed country markets, then they could provide free licenses on these patents to firms in the developing world that have a focus on providing products and services to the low end of the market, possibly with a philanthropic emphasis. This would allow low cost applications of existing technologies to be developed in low invcome, low infrastructure contexts. This would also constitute a true transfer of technology since control of such products would reside within the recipient nation in terms of further research and development. The information generated from the monitoring and evaluation of such activities would also constitute commercially valuable market research for companies wishing to explore, exploit or develop such markets so could be used as an incentive to lever companies in to donating patents in the first place. Presumably the applications produced would be appropriate, with none of the stigma and strategic drwabacks associated with hand me down technologies. Large Donor agencies would have the resources and profile to carry off such a project, and it would strengthen the case for intellectual property rights if they were applied flexibly and constructively in such a fashion. Any more thoughts on this? Best regards, Daniel Taghioff School of Oriental and African Studies London email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ***GKD is an initiative of the Global Knowledge Partnership*** To post a message, send it to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]. In the 1st line of the message type: subscribe gkd OR type: unsubscribe gkd Archives of previous GKD messages can be found at: http://www.globalknowledge.org
