"This dissertation explores the role of community media in democratic civil society governance through an examination of participatory communications under socialist administrations in Latin America, with a primary focus on the Bolivarian government of Venezuela. In so doing, it seeks to establish a
...
theoretical framework that will facilitate publicly supported democratic media systems capable of displacing hegemonic commercial and state models. One major axis of investigation is the utility of public sphere theory for the structuration of participatory media institutions that function within a system of civil society governance." (Abstract)
more
"Community radio remains the most readily available means of access to information for the majority of poor communities in South Africa. In this regard, the purpose served by community radio within communities is elevated to encompass greater significance in the promotion of active citizens and part
...
icipation at the local level. In a rapidly changing socio-economic and civil-political context, it is therefore vital that the long term sustainability of this medium be ensured. This study explored the operating environment and narrows the scope of issues impacting on social, institutional and financial sustainability of community radio. The influence of government regulation and community participation were identified as the primary concerns for sustainability. Government, through ICASA and the various broadcasting legal and policy instruments, has immediate responsibilities for community media and community radio in particular which include: the allocation and management of radio frequency spectrum; regulation of spectrum and content among others. How these responsibilities are fulfilled can greatly affect the long term sustainability of community radio in South Africa. These concerns require further examination in order to ensure that efforts of government are influenced for apt and suitable regulatory response. On the other end of the spectrum, the role of communities requires further exploration to ensure that it is exercised with positive effect." (Conclusion)
more
"El objetivo de este trabajo es ampliar la información y difusión sobre el contexto real en el que las radios comunitarias posibilitan el ejercicio de la libertad de expresión desde las comunidades. Con este informe esperamos contribuir a visibilizar e impulsar el análisis sobre el tercer sector
...
de la comunicación en el país. Este trabajo ha sido elaborado a partir de los resultados obtenidos de la investigación de campo levantada en siete estados de la república con contextos diversos que han incidido en el quehacer radiofónico de la ciudadanía y de las comunidades. Con la ayuda de nuestras asociadas se contactó a otros colectivos radiofónicos en Puebla, Veracruz, Oaxaca, Michoacán, Sonora, Nuevo León y Chiapas, con quienes se organizaron entrevistas semiestructuradas grupales e individuales." (Presentación)
more
"Kenya has over a hundred radio stations today a good number of them being commercial stations while the others are community Radios. Some of these commercial stations broadcast in vernacular therefore causing confusion as to what exactly is the difference between a community radio and the commercia
...
l radio broadcasting in a local language. This paper attempts at elucidating vividly the difference between the two and the role they play in the society with a bias to the Kenyan context of legal and policy frame work." (Abstract)
more
"This assessment was done to determine the level of quality content at the community radio stations in Kenya, as well as the key determinants of this content quality, with the aim of informing interventions to address the identified challenges or gaps at the various targeted radio stations. The asse
...
ssment is part of a project to strengthen the capacities of community radio stations in Kenya better their content, and hence develop the much needed identity, funded by Hivos, through its Kenya Media Programme. In developing this report, a desk review summarizing key findings from the recent assessment reports on the kind of content and programming being carried out by community radio stations in Kenya was done, as well as a sample of actual practice on the content and programming by three partner community radio stations: Baliti FM (Isiolo), Koch FM (Nairobi) and Ekialo Kiano (Homa Bay)." (Executive summary)
more
"This paper examines the potential uses of community radio in political awareness, especially in Nigeria where community radio is not yet in existence. The existence of community radio in other parts of Africa but not Nigeria leaves a void because there may be a lot of uses to which community radio
...
can be put to. This study explores the “would be” relationship between community radio and political awareness especially at the grassroots in Nigeria. Using a survey of radio producers, announcers, correspondents, reporters and other broadcast professionals who understand the concept and have had some experience with community radio elsewhere, the study finds that effective programme selection and scheduling will be essential to raising political awareness in Nigerian communities when such stations start operation. Also, interactive approaches in radio programme production will give listeners a chance to clear their doubts and seek illumination on complex issues. Radio producers, announcers, correspondents and reporters should realise that community radio will be a viable tool in raising political awareness in Nigeria, only if used appropriately. Lessons from other countries (where strategies in raising political awareness via community radio have been successful) should be learnt and used when community radio sets foot in Nigeria." (Abstract)
more
"This document details the current situation in seven out of 14 Community Radios in operation in Bangladesh at present. While one of the motives behind this study is to see how these young stations are faring and catering programmes to the target audiences, but definitely the study's scope is not li
...
mited to that only. Rather, a major thrust of this whole exercise is to see and explore the sustainability aspects of this community media that Bangladesh is exposed to only in recent years. The National Strategy for the Implementation of Community Radio policy places the government at the centre, having two pivotal roles: as regulator and facilitator, to enable community radios to become full-fledged partners in the development process of Bangladesh. In doing so, government laid out rules of the game for operation of the Community Radio and gave licenses to some Community Radios of which 14 are already on air for last three years while a few more are in the pipeline to join the league. This study appreciates that despite many odds, the Community Radios, if not all - many of them, have succeeded in winning hearts of their target audiences. Some of these stations are quite popular among the communities they serve. And that again against the reality that people, even in the rural Bangladesh today are having well access to national and local newspapers and scores of satellite television channels. It is well captured from this study that amidst the milieu of so many other interesting and colorful audio-video, print and online media platforms, many of these Community Radio stations have succeeded in eking out a niche for them." (Executive summary)
more
"Community radio is often theorized as being (1) independent from political and economic influence and (2) a platform for the meaningful engagement of marginalized populations traditionally excluded by its private and commercial cousins. Contrasting this theoretical model against the reality of prac
...
tice, this study argues that the theorized benefits of community radio are unlikely to be realized given the reality of donor, rather than community, funding structures. Voices from 64 in-depth interviews reveal a community radio environment in East Africa that is significantly influenced by the interests – both political and economic – of external donors. Rather than engendering meaningful participation in media-making, this study also demonstrates that donor funding has caused some communities to assume recipient roles in the communication process." (Journalism)
more
"This publication is a diagnostic tool for a "health check" or assessment of the sustainability of community radio stations. The check includes five areas: mission and governance of a community radio station; management and staffing; infrastructure and finances; programming; and community involvemen
...
t. Core aspects of these five areas are succinctly described in the first part of "The healthy community radio station". The second part provides checklists of ten factual questions (which require a simple yes/no answer) and two qualitative questions for each of the five sectors, and proposes combining the "checklist scores" and "judgement scores" to get an overall picture of the "health" of a given radio station. Also included are guidelines for focus group discussions. This publication is highly recommended, both because of its convincing concept of five "pillars" of community radio sustainability and its practical approach." (CAMECO Update November 2013)
more
"In der noch jungen indonesischen Demokratie gibt es mittlerweile um die 600 Community Radios, wovon sich 400 auf Java befinden. Sie senden in einem begrenzten Radius und im Interesse ihrer Community. Je nach Region und Bedarf gibt es verschiedene thematische Ausrichtungen. In katastrophengeplagten
...
Gebieten geht es um Disaster Management, in anderen Regionen geht es um nachhaltige Entwicklung und Wiederaufforstungsprogramme. Bei manchen geht es um die Bewahrung der Kultur, oder um politische Partizipation. Durch viel Engagement und Eigeninitiative schaffen die Radiomacher es, die Gemeinschaft zu verbinden und zu stärken. »Der Staat hilft uns nicht, also helfen wir uns selbst«, war ein Satz, den ich auf meiner zweimonatigen Reise durch Java oft hörte. Die Erwähnung der Community Radios im Rundfunkgesetz (Broadcasting Act No. 32/2002) wurde 2002 als großer Erfolg gefeiert, denn es bietet die Möglichkeit, durch den Erwerb von Lizenzen aus dem Zustand des »illegalen Radios« herausgeführt zu werden, was letztendlich auch vor Polizei-Razzien schützt. Bis heute jedoch stecken die Community Radios im Registrierungsprozess fest, und kein einziges hat bisher eine Lizenz erworben. Netzwerke wie JRSP fordern die Regierung auf, die hohen Hürden zu überarbeiten, doch bisher ist nichts passiert." (Seite 41)
more