ICT minister lauds podcasters as Uganda commemorates International Podcast Day
For the first time in Uganda over 40 podcasters gathered at Alliance Francaise Kampala’s Akatuuti (platform) to share experiences about their podcasting art form and to bring more awareness to this form of communication aside from TV, Radio, and the newspapers.
The podcasters drank from the well of knowledge of prominent names of podcasters abroad like George Mpanga (aka Georgethepoet), The Africa Podcast festival (Nairobi), Freddie Boswell (Raydh), and Kotlego C (SouthAfrica).
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The minister of ICT, Chris Baryomunsi congratulated them upon their effort in creating this kind of content noting that there has been a paradigm shift in the mode of communications.
Podcasting (audio on demand) is syndicated through the web are the convenient option people are gradually choosing to consume their content globally while they cook, commute, do chores, garden, shower, relax and Uganda isn’t immune to this global trend. Out with the music/ radio - in with the podcasts.
Even the credible news outlets (radio stations) have morphed into podcasting BBC News, NPR, the Economist, the guardian, the Daily Show, and notably Vision Group name it is hosted on all podcast hosting platforms like Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud, Sticher, etc.
Ibrahim Bbosa, the Spokesperson of Uganda Communications’ Commission (UCC) said UCC will work with content creators, visual artists and more to facilitate and promote them for sustainable growth and development of Uganda's communications sector.
"Since audiences are mired in a lot of clutter on all the available channels of communication, brands and organizations need to find their audience where they are, and believe it or not they are several who would prefer consuming audio content. I believe to achieve great results, a marketing mix through all platforms is great for visibility but if you had to zero down, podcasts are the best channel for audio lovers like Gen X's and Gen Z's that are looking for targeted content," Bbosa said.
Aggie Patricia Turwomwe, the president of Podcast Association of Uganda (PAU) said podcasting is a new area in Uganda, yet podcasts have been around globally.
"This audio on demand is one of those digital platforms through which we can all communicate therefore I commended you for organizing yourselves to tap into the infinite possibilities. Let’s walk together to grow the industry, and if the policies aren’t favorable for you, tell us so that we tailor the one’s that fit your needs to create an enabling environment for podcasting to become stronger in Uganda," she said.
