That's not the case in Africa. Most private radio stations in Africa are commercial stations. And most radios are important for the development of the country. I'd prefer to speak of development radio. More of these stations are popping up across West Africa.
African culture is based on oral history.
Radio now adopts the role of village chief who used to tell stories sitting under a village tree. Radio is a very efficient means of communication in Africa. In those areas, people are dependent on the radio for information. In cities there are newspapers although they don't appear regularly. Most of the literate people live in the city.