"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 ... 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) more

"Kenyan community radio works between international and national media paradigms, while seeking to meet the expectations of its local communities. International funding and training organizations active in the sector focus on enhancing technology for development, freedom of expression, democracy and ... governance. At the national level, community stations are expected to act as development-oriented media. While development is a value embraced by most stations, freedom of expression is embraced more cautiously, given the political contexts in which they exist. Drawing on fieldwork conducted between 2014 and 2016, this article explores the operational choices that community broadcasters make in view of their funding and training partnerships, all the while negotiating their local, social and political contexts in order to survive. It focuses on Mugambo Jwetu FM, a community radio station in Kenya, as a case study." (Abstract) more

"Koch FM is a community radio station located in Korogocho, a slum in Nairobi, Kenya. The station aims to provide alternative information, education and entertainment content. Producers at the station and community members who make up the station’s audience have different perceptions of Koch FM’ ... s role. While the producers envision Koch FM as the provider of information and a space for community voice, the community evaluates the station’s performance based on parameters drawn from commercial broadcasters. Consequently, the station acts as a space where sometimes-contradictory ideals play out. In exploring these contrasting viewpoints, this article highlights contextual production practices and the shifting audience expectations facing community radio in Kenya’s vibrant radio broadcast environment. The data are the outcome of ethnographic fieldwork conducted in 2014 and 2015." (Abstract) more

"Community broadcasting is known as the third tier of broadcasting, occupying the space between commercial and state broadcasters. In Kenya, this sector has been active only since 2004. Despite its recognised value in other contexts across the globe, community broadcasting is still struggling to fin ... d footing in the Kenyan media landscape, and there is a paucity of research on how this sector actually operates – its structures, content and audiences. This work therefore explores the roles and relevance of community radio in the vibrant Kenyan media landscape. Using a complementary mix of qualitative and quantitative methods, three community radio stations with different social contexts, funding and management structures were investigated. The research focused on the ideas and actors behind community radio, its funding and management structures, content, content production processes, listenership patterns and participation practices. Brought to light was that this sector navigates legislation and funding challenges, and juggles between global and local ideals about community broadcasting, most distinct of which are democracy and development. The local, the national and the global inform the ideas under which Kenyan community broadcasting operates, and these ideas are interpreted differently in each context. Communities interact with each of the stations based on their particular local contexts. Not only do they listen to community broadcasters according to specific daily rhythms, but they also mobilise themselves into social formations – most often fan groups and clubs – as a way of collective participation in the life of the station. Contrary to much radio audience research, this work shows that listenership is a distinct activity and participation in and through the media is not only an individual endeavour, but a collective undertaking drawing on pre-existent social solidarities. Community radio content addresses its listeners as different kinds of communities and publics at specific times of the day, and they respond accordingly. As well, there is content transformation across diverse media platforms, which may be a step towards new genres. Despite working within different and hybrid journalistic cultures, the producers play similar roles to their communities across the three contexts including mediation, mobilisation, space-creation, information and entertainment. Of these roles, mobilisation is a strength of community radio. The research reveals the intertwined nature of state, media and audience relationships, and argues for the fact that there are no homogenous audiences even at a micro-level, and that the affective and democratic functions of media participation are intricately linked to each other." (Abstract) more