"This is the first time that we have attempted to put together an overall picture of the community broadcasting sector of the Asia-Pacific region into one publication. I hope you – as a community broadcaster,advocate, teacher, and student of community radio, will find it interesting and useful. Th
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e publication is primarily based on information collected through two methods. A comprehensive survey was conducted in ten countries of the Asia-Pacific region. The survey sought to collect general information about community radios in terms of location, transmission capacity, staff situation, involvement of volunteers, broadcasting languages and formats, content types, and ownership model. The survey also included questions about gender and social inclusion, disaster preparedness of radio stations, and involvement of indigenous communities, Dalits, and family (small) farming communities in community broadcasting. Surveys were conducted in Bhutan, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, South Korea, and Timor Leste." (Introduction and methodology, page 5)
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"There seems to be little knowledge and awareness of the relevance of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) among communities in Ghana. The study’s main objective was to find out how the 22-member Community Radio (CR) stations of the Ghana Community Radio Network (GCRN) – the umbrella organis
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ation of community radio in Ghana, mobilise their communities to tackle development needs and aspirations within the framework of the SDG 1 to 6. The study employed a qualitative research design. Specifically, a case study approach was adopted. CR stations’ mission is to promote community development in a participatory manner. The expectation is that CR stations would facilitate efforts to tackle development needs and aspirations of communities within the framework of the SDGs. The study found out that even though the application of the participatory communication methodology is central to the work of CR stations, particularly increasing community members’ awareness and understanding of the broad meanings of particularly SDG goals 1 to 6, they were unable to sustainably employ the methodology because of resource constraints. The implication is that CR stations need to devise innovative ways of raising resources to enable community members actively participate in radio programmes." (Abstract)
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"The paper’s aim is to demonstrate the relevance of applying the core principles of Community radio (CR) as a basis for CR’s drive for a democratically participant approach of communication, which can facilitate development communication. In a democratic society, the participation of people in d
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ecision-making processes is important. However, in Ghana people’s participation in decision-making processes seems inadequate. Community participation in the management of resources and discourses about people’s general well-being can be more meaningful if people are empowered to communicate. Since the wind of democratization blew across Africa in 1990s, government monopoly over the media is somewhat relaxed. In this context, the emergence of CR movement in Ghana is important. However, until identified gaps in efforts geared towards making CR an enabler for communities to participate in development in collaboration with stakeholders are plugged, the power of CR to engender community development would seem intangible. In this regard, a critical review of documents on CR’s contributions to development is relevant. This paper’s general contention is that despite the over two decades of the presence of CR in Ghana, some fundamental principles of CR are hardly applied to enable CR facilitate participatory communication in Ghana. This has implications for the realization of the rationale for which community radio stations are established." (Abstract)
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"Der partizipative Ansatz wird als Paradigmenwechsel zu den diffusionisti-schen Konzepten im Rahmen der Kommunikation für sozialen Wandel verstanden (del Valle, 2007, zitiert in Marí Sáez, 2013, Seite 556). Zur Umsetzung des Ansatzes wird in der internationalen Entwick-lungsarbeit insbesondere Co
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mmunity Radio eine zentrale Bedeutung zugeschrieben. Jedoch wird an der praktischen Umsetzung des partizipativen Ansatzes kritisiert, dass die Teilhabe der internen Ak-teure weiterhin durch Interessen externer Akteure beschränkt werde (Jacobson, 2003, Seite 98). Hin-sichtlich der Realisierung von Community Radio wird zunehmend angenommen, dass diffusionisti-sche und partizipative Ansätze in der Praxis miteinander kombiniert werden würden (Backhaus, 2019, Seite 138). Anknüpfend daran analysiert das vorliegende Literature Review 14 empirische Fall-studien zu Community Radio-Projekten aus dem globalen Süden und erörtert, wie die Partizipation der Gemeinschaften innerhalb der Stationen umgesetzt wird. Anknüpfend an die Ergebnisse aus der bestehenden Forschung zur passiven Teilhabe in CR-Stationen ergibt sich aus dem Review, dass der Fokus innerhalb der Projekte auf einer thematischen Ausrichtung an den Interessen der Gemein-schaften und deren Integration als Protagonist:innen der Programme oder in Form von Feedback-Möglichkeiten liegt. Die Teilhabe an Entscheidungen im Rahmen der Konzeption oder des Manage-ments wird durch Umfragen oder Etablierung von Räten eingeschränkt ermöglicht. Ebenso unter-stützen die Ergebnisse im Kontext der theoretischen Konzepte, dass Community Radio als Instru-ment zur Vermittlung von Entwicklungszielen konzipiert und verwendet wird, wobei Partizipation ein Ziel darstellt und durch die Verbreitung von Informationen erreicht werden soll. Die Ergebnisse bestätigen für die weitere Forschung, dass das normative Konzept des partizipativen Ansatzes und die Vorstellungen von ganzheitlicher Partizipation der Gemeinschaften im Rahmen von Community Radio hinsichtlich der Umsetzbarkeit hinterfragt werden sollten." (Zusammenfassung)
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"Dezessete emissoras de rádio comunitárias localizadas em 15 cidades pequenas no entorno de Imperatriz, a segunda cidade mais populosa do estado do Maranhão, são o objeto desta análise. As rádios comunitárias predominam na região Nordeste e, em muitos casos, são a única referência de míd
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ia para a comunidade, o que dá a dimensão dos efeitos da sua proximidade e influência. A maioria das emissoras analisadas está localizada em regiões com densidade demográfica inferior a 50 habitantes por quilômetro quadrado, apresenta Índice de Desenvolvimento Humano Municipal (IDHM) Baixo ou Médio e tem menos de 30 anos. Nesse cenário, os laços políticos, as ligações religiosas, o baixo orçamento e a falta de uma produção verdadeiramente local são os elementos estruturais que fundamentam este artigo." (Resumo)
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"O artigo é um relato de experiência da rádio universitária brasileira Paulo Freire, que em 2023 completa 60 anos, analisando como ela se reconfigurou, reinventando suas rotinas profissionais, formatos e modos de circulação, para enfrentar a desinformação sobre a Covid-19. A emissora AM tran
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sbordou para as mídias sociais, convocou a audiência para compartilhar seus conteúdos, apostou em diferentes formatos e uniu forças com diversos grupos na luta contra a desinformação. O artigo também é um resgate histórico para que experiências como essa não se percam nas reflexões sobre o rádio, que se reconfigura, mantendo-se vivo e cada vez mais firme." (Resumo)
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"El estudio ha permitido identificar que la mayoría de los medios comunitarios trabajan en condiciones muy precarias, debido entre otras cosas al contexto de extrema pobreza y aislamiento de las zonas donde operan, lo cual genera falta de ingresos (por publicidad, avisaje) y con pocas condiciones d
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e sostenibilidad económica. Asimismo, que varios de los medios comunitarios no vienen funcionando actualmente. De un total de 35 titulares de medios entrevistados para el presente estudio, solo la mitad de los medios comunitarios trabajan con relativa normalidad, mientras que la otra mitad no sale al aire o funciona parcialmente por horas. Se ha podido constatar también que algunos de los compromisos establecidos en el Proyecto de Comunicación son cumplidos parcialmente por los medios comunitarios y otros no se cumplen (como el hecho de que el responsable del Proyecto de Comunicación o de la Programación del medio comunitario sea un profesional de la comunicación o el periodismo con experiencia). Se observa también que la gran mayoría de los titulares de medios comunitarios entrevistados no son comunicadores ni periodistas de profesión, sino que provienen de otros campos profesionales y en algunos casos han realizado estudios técnicos (ej. locución, manejo de equipos de estudio o cabina), lo que es una limitación para la gestión de un medio de comunicación. Asimismo, en la mayoría de los medios comunitarios participan entre una y dos personas, lo que habla de la debilidad institucional de estos equipos." (Resumen ejecutivo)
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"Community media is widely recognized as a tool to give voice to the voiceless. This study investigates the transformative potential of community media in India as a vehicle for promoting inclusive development and enhancing democracy. The research aims to examine the distinctive ways that community
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media promotes diverse viewpoints, local content, and participatory communication, contributing to social change and community empowerment. It draws on secondary data and case studies of successful community media initiatives in India and other nations with comparable socio-political contexts. A thorough literature review and thematic analysis are used in the study’s qualitative methodology to identify major topics, such as community participation and empowerment, local content and cultural preservation, solving development difficulties, and challenges and opportunities. The results show that community media projects like Radio Namaskar and Radio Mewat effectively foster community ownership, empower marginalized populations, and involve community members in content development and decision-making processes. The findings also emphasize how community media may help with local development challenges and cultural heritage preservation. However, community media initiatives in India encounter several obstacles, such as legal restrictions, a lack of funding, and low media literacy among underprivileged groups. The findings of the study also provide policy recommendations for boosting community media efforts’ efficacy in India, dealing with the problems they encounter, and utilizing the advantages offered by digital technologies and social media platforms. The research adds to the current discussion about the function of community media in advancing democratic ideals, inclusive growth, and social transformation in India and elsewhere." (Abstract)
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"[...] this paper reviewed the literature on community radio in the past 10 years, i.e., from 2010–2020. The review covered 25 empirical studies conducted in developing countries. Leximancer was used to assist in data analysis. It was found that the literature has focused on how community radio is
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developing communities through information dissemination, community participation/inclusion, and community access through programming among others." (Abstract)
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"[Este libro] condensa textos elaborados por mujeres que llevan adelante proyectos colectivos, gestionan, producen, investigan, aprenden y enseñan. Recirculan la palabra desde la experiencia pero, también, desde la teoría comunicacional [...] Sobresale una convicción: no es posible transformar e
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l mundo sin transformarnos entre nosotras y nosotros. Por eso mismo, lejos del tono celebratorio o autocomplaciente, las autoras nos señalan los desafíos de las experiencias de comunicación popular. Ofrecen un balance crudo. Sin omitir errores ni contradicciones." (Cubierta del libro)
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"In the discussion of possible solutions to the business crisis facing legacy media, insufficient attention has been paid to existing arrangements that channel public money to media serving marginalised audiences, particularly in Global South countries. Argentina and South Africa are upper middle-in
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come, often turbulent countries that have set up official mechanisms to help fund local and community media. They are here compared with Norway, where such mechanisms are a key, long-standing element in a media system that is often held up as the gold standard of public communication. Three main mechanisms are compared: indirect subsidy, direct subsidy and government advertising. Differences in political and media history and landscape have led to variations in the relative importance of the various mechanisms, the media platforms targeted and the institutional arrangements. It is argued that arrangements for public support must be understood and designed in context, are always politically driven, must be safeguarded against political interference, and should be long-term and redistributive in approach." (Abstract)
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"This article aims to present an emerging perspective for analyzing digital technologies, centering around the concepts of pluriversality and communality, and drawing on the experiences of the Network of Communicators Boca de Polen, a civil organization that has been supporting community and indigen
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ous radios in Chiapas, Mexico for over two decades. Using a Participatory Action Research framework, the study delves into the network’s experiences and those of the radios it has accompanied, revealing a profound interplay of sociotechnical practices deeply rooted in communal experiences. It sheds light on a particular pathway of technology appropriation and resistance and, by shifting the place of enunciation, explores new dimensions of concerns and possibilities enabled by digital technologies. The experiential knowledge gained from Boca de Polen is presented as a tangible manifestation of a pluriversal vision of technology, vital for fostering inclusive critical reflections on the multifaceted implications of digital technologies." (Abstract)
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"We look at community media in Bhutan from three important perspectives – the concept of community media in general, a modified self-evaluation tool developed by UNESCO Chair on Community Media, Vinod Pavarala, and the Gross National Happiness index where we show in what way community media may co
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ntribute to the growth of rankings within this index and how this index may help to better understand the community media phenomenon in this country. The research is based on desk research and interviews with the key actors in community radio development in Bhutan, in 2019, supported by the first-hand experience gained during conducting research on Bhutan media system gained by one of the authors during visits in this country in the years 2015–2018. In this article we concentrate on local community radio stations located in rural areas: KYD from Khotakpa, Edi from Dechen Pelri and Lhop Community Radio Station from Lotokuche. We highlight the unique context in which community radio in Bhutan functions – the geographical conditions and mountainous terrain, which cause separation from other surrounding indigenous communities, differences in spoken language and the cultivation of their own cultural identity. The over-arching argument in this paper is that local factors are really important to understanding national media systems and that the national government commitment to GNH helps to explain community radio in Bhutan." (Abstract)
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"This article examines the sustainability of community radio, the ‘third pillar’ of Indonesia’s democratic media system, after twenty years of government recognition. It focuses particularly on the strategies adopted by the Indonesian Community Radio Network (Jaringan Radio Komunitas Indonesia
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, JRKI) – Indonesia’s largest community radio network – to maintain its survival, with a strong emphasis on funding models. This article is based on a review of relevant documents (reports from local and international agencies) and semi-structured interviews with informants from JRKI’s central board and its partners. It is further enriched with a critical analysis of Indonesian broadcast policies and a review of community radio funding models in developed countries. Through its analysis, this article shows that community radio network in Indonesia is facing a managerial and financial crisis, one that leaves its sustainability in question. It also finds that the sustainability of JRKI and its members depends on the political climate and that the organization requires friendly regulations as well as partnerships with local and national public institutions. The recent trend (2015–21) of establishing partnerships with various government bodies has resulted in the association becoming increasingly state-driven in its management." (Abstract)
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"Community radio has gained traction with the grassroots in South Africa, especially subaltern groups excluded from the public sphere during the colonial and apartheid years. This paper argues that rural audience acceptance of and participation in community radio is closely associated with indigenou
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s language, which invokes cultural affinity. The paper used a qualitative methodology within the framework of the theories of cultural affinity to interrogate community radio listeners in Northwest Province, South Africa, looking at how local languages might influence listeners’ preferences and interactions with the stations. The results suggest language was essential for listening in and participating in community radio programmes among those interviewed. Community radio provides listeners with the outlet, social and linguistic resources to evoke and express their cultural heritage and participate in national dialogues. It also offers subordinated communities the opportunity to deconstruct dominant frames of reference and representations of themselves and others." (Abstract)
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"This article explores how local values and social identities can be integrated into Ghana’s formal COVID-19 public health communication interventions using community radio. The study adopted a qualitative approach using focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and reflexive thematic analysis
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. The ten-step participatory planning and action model to involve the community in the social change process is employed as the theoretical framework for this article. The study found that Radio Peace’s COVID-19 communication intervention is participatory due to the involvement of listeners in its programming. Also, local narratives and values were considered in designing locally relevant COVID-19 interventions through the audience’s access to the station’s activities. We suggest that dominant narratives about the COVID-19 pandemic be adapted to local realities by recognizing marginalized voices through listener involvement and access to local community radio stations." (Abstract)
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"Although it is a community broadcasting station with a small radius, Koch FM conceptualises itself as part of a national and global civil society network and acts as such. Specifcally, it sees its role as promoting democracy and Good Governance. The station has consequently decided to stay away fro
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m government funding. However, despite an assumed freedom from government and commercial infuence, the station is subject to implicit infuence by its donor(s) as far as setting the agenda is concerned. In the case of Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), while climate change issues are not negative, this relationship of “gentle pressure” to move in one direction and not the other illustrates the infuence that comes with financing from sources outside the community, even when legally speaking, community representatives own the station. For a community station, reliance on a single donor comes with the challenge of dependence on them. This dependence could be reduced if stations explored more diverse funding models including community contributions or subscriptions, and through capping the percentage of total funding that a single external donor can provide. Although Kenyan legislation does not address the issue of ownership of community broadcasters, station ownership and control by communities may be gauged by their formal and informal participation in the life of the station. Much as a grassroots community like that around Koch FM does not contribute substantial fnances to the station, it expresses a sense of ownership and control through informal interactions with the station. It wields infuence through contributing to the station’s content and content management agenda and sometimes, resisting pressure from the station staf to participate in particular ways and not others. Thus, ownership and control are not dependent solely on who has the fnancial clout. Rather, they are the subject of constant negotiation, both formally and informally." (Conclusion)
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"This study examines the role of community radio in increasing climate change awareness in Malawi. The article broadly reaffirms the importance of community radio in Africa in democratizing media access, more interestingly by using radio listening clubs in the production process and participation. T
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he study used focus group discussions, participant observation and analysis of radio programs produced by members of Chanco Community Radio listening clubs. The study found that although spaces in which communities participate are controlled by experts, community radio and radio listening clubs have emerged as spaces for marginalized voices to share knowledge, and experiences about climate change and influence change." (Abstract)
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