Algorithmic Music Rotations in Rural FM Stations: Playlist Software, Local Genre Diversity, and Audience Perceptions in Limpopo Community Radio, South Africa

This article examines how playlist software reshapes music diversity and audience experience on rural community radio stations in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Focusing on algorithmic music rotations, the study combines interviews with station staff, playlist log analysis, and audience focus groups. Drawing on an integrated theoretical approach that links algorithmic gatekeeping, cultural proximity, and media localisation, it introduces the concept of “playlist code as cultural filter” to explain how software logics narrow or expand local genre representation. Findings show uneven support for local music and mixed audience trust, with implications for programming policy and theories of mediated cultural diversity.