"This publication allows community radio stations to assess their performance regarding: community participation and ownership; radio governance structures and procedures; radio programme structure; radio station management; financial management and resource structure; as well as networking. Using a
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detailed scoring system, the manual provides a comprehensive list of indicators that categorises assessed stations into four groups: evolving, progressing, performing and model community radios. It considers the issues that are at the heart of community media: public accountability, community representation, locally relevant programming, diverse funding, and due acknowledgement of staff, including volunteers. The manual is clear and concise providing a sound basis for the task it describes. Tailored to the needs of community radios in Nepal, not every single indicator may apply to stations in other countries. Nevertheless, the scoring methodology can easily be adapted to other contexts." (CAMECO Update 4-2009)
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"Among processes towards democratisation, it has been asserted that alternative radio has a central role in the citizen making of the poor. However, it is important to analyse in detail what possibilities an alternative or citizens' radio has to strengthen ideas of citizenship and transform the publ
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ic space into a critical and deliberative public in urban sites. This paper focuses on one local Catholic radio station in Huaycan, a shantytown on the outskirts of Lima. It describes the radio's journalistic work, showing examples of how they mobilise local leaders and monitor democratic processes, such as municipal elections and the district's participatory budget. In addition, it shows how the public uses the radio to channel their claims. It also identifies the factors that prevent the radio from fully empowering the public and transforming public space into a more critical and democratic one." (Abstract)
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"This guide and the included mulitimedia CD will guide you step by step mulitimedia CD will guide you step by step through the process of establishing your own community radio. It starts by explaining what community radio is and how to determine the communication needs of a community. It continues w
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ith the importance of community involvement and volunteering, includes information on appropriate technology and ends with financial sustainability and evaluation. This guide also builds on examples and reflects upon lessons learnt from the pilot project in Khoun District and draws your attention to important issues you need to consider when establishing your own station. The biggest challenge in setting up a community radio is not the technical equipment or the transmitter, there is always a solution to that. The challenge is how to organize the community support and involve members of the community right from the beginning in developing in developing their community radio. The other challenge is how to produce creative interactive programmes that community radio. The other challenge is how to produce creative interactive programmes that allow as many people within the community as possible to participate in the broadcasts in different ways." (Introduction, page 3)
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"In this article the legacy of struggle by community radio in the West is analysed from a comparative perspective. More specifically, the focus of this article is on Western media policies towards community radio. It is argued that while many community radio discourses, theories and policies are ori
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ented towards developing countries and emerging democracies, community radio stations in the West are often forced to operate in the margins. Case studies on the US, the UK and Belgium are presented. Some influence of distinct regulatory paradigms can be observed, but overall in each of these countries community radio stations have a legacy of struggle for their existence and survival. This exposes the need to account for the distinct nature of community radio in (Western) regulatory regimes. A common thread in the cases being presented is the difficulty involved in (local) community radio legitimating its existence on the FM-band alongside commercial and public broadcasters. Unlike these, community radio movements have little lobbying power and are usually positioned as rogue and unprofessional actors within the broadcasting community. From a democratic perspective emphasizing the importance of participation and civic culture, Western media policies urgently need to create an enabling environment for participatory community radio initiatives." (Abstract)
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"This guidebook offers instructions for strengthening the organisation of community radio stations, in order to improve their effectiveness and efficiency. The all-embracing essentials of community radio station management, ie, governance and programme/financial/technical management, are discussed i
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n detail. Aspects of these organisational tasks are human resource plans, resource mobilisation, fundraising, accounting, maintenance of equipment and the determination of a clear broadcasting policy. But not only advice for practical matters is given: The publication further discusses the underlying mission, vision and goals of organisations, which are viewed as not sufficiently thought through by many community radio stations, yet crucial for their survival. The guidebooks' step-by-step lists, tables and forms, in part taken from existing community radio stations like Radio Sagarmatha in Nepal, are particularly useful, as they show how theoretical and abstract manuals can be turned into practice." (commbox)
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"This five-page report details the results of an evaluation of four community radio stations in rural Sierra Leone and Liberia. The evaluation focused on areas still struggling to achieve meaningful development in a post-conflict setting and was designed to assess the relationships between drivers o
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f development and community radio stations. The study found that community radios are significantly impacting development in their communities via relationships with local and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
The study included an analysis of current radio programming for its impact on local development processes, while an audience survey and focus groups were used to better understand audience perceptions and uses of local radio. Stations were also evaluated on their capacity as independent development agents with an eye towards ongoing peacebuilding functions. According to the report, the impact of community radios falls into two categories: support for programme implementation leading to improved efficacy, broader reach, accountability, and community feedback; and regular airing of education and awareness programming - yielding results in changing attitudes and behaviours. The study found that the community stations had a positive and engaged relationship with local government as well as civil society organisations. Overall, the study found that community radio plays a central role in disseminating information related to development and in improving development outcomes through partnerships at all levels.
The study found that sensitisation and awareness programmes were often cited as audiences' favourites, as was interactive, public forum programming. A majority of listeners credited community radio stations with improving basic living conditions and encouraging an attitude of community responsibility and pride. Audiences also expressed a desire for expanded broadcast times. Station leadership was found to be the single overriding factor determining a station's impact and effectiveness.
According to the report, the stations also positively contributed to peacebuilding in their communities. Listeners reported a high impact from programmes that address peace and nonviolent conflict resolution. Community stations in all locations were also described as active participants in diffusing potential violent crises. It was found that radio helps marginalised people without access to other means of communications and was universally cited as vital in facilitating peaceful election processes.
The report concludes that community radio does play a strong role in local peacebuilding, and that radio stations' promotion of inclusive development processes has a broad impact in promoting sustainable peace. However, it also found that radio's impact is often reliant on the cooperation of government, and that community radio stations are making limited use of their power as media outlets to compel government participation in media." (https://www.comminit.com)
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"[...] Radio Nawal Estéreo [es] una emisora indígena que transmite en idiomas K’iche, Kat’chiquel y castellano. Está ubicada en la localidad de Nahualá que, traducido al español, significa «el espíritu de las aguas». La ciudad, con unos 70.000 habitantes, huele a leña y a resistencia y
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parece haber sido intencionalmente dibujada en medio de montañas verdes. Su población de origen maya muestra aún los rasgos propios de su cultura. Las mujeres adornan el pueblo con los colores de sus wipiles (blusas) mientras son pocos los hombres que aún lucen sus ropas tradicionales. Radio Nawal Estéreo acompaña al pueblo maya a través de mensajes que se construyen con su propia lengua, donde se comparten costumbres y esperanzas. En las páginas que siguen se encuentra, además del perfil de la emisora, la riqueza del proceso de formación radiofónica que vivió Radio Nawal Estéreo impulsado por la Asociación Latinoamericana de Educación Radiofónica (ALER). Una riqueza que te invitamos a compartir, para conocer sus pasos, descubrir sus potencialidades y aprender de su trayecto. La primera parte expone los detalles referidos a la sistematización. La segunda descubre el escenario en el cual se desenvuelve la experiencia radiofónica. Luego nos referimos a las características más importantes de Radio Nawal Estéreo. La cuarta parte expone de qué manera el Proyecto Político Comunicativo (PPC), como propuesta pedagógica y metodológica, permitió actualizar los sentidos de lo que hacen, incorporar nuevos conocimientos y capacitarse. Por último, la quinta parte expresa lo que el camino dejó como aprendizajes." (Introducción, página 9-10)
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"Interconexiones Cono Sur es un programa de capacitación para radios comunitarias, ciudadanas y alternativas de Argentina, Chile, Paraguay y Uruguay. Nació en el año 2000, acaba de cerrar su tercera etapa y continúa. Es un espacio de aprendizaje, de encuentro, de intercambio de experiencias y co
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nstrucción de vínculos. Es fruto del trabajo conjunto. Formalmente, nació de la alianza de cinco organizaciones: FM La Tribu (Argentina), ECO - Educación y Comunicación (Chile), Radio Viva (Paraguay), El Puente FM (Uruguay) y La Crujía (Argentina) [...]
Interconexiones fue clave para que las radios comunitarias de cada país diseñaran su propia ruta de formación y decidieran los contenidos de cada proceso en función de fortalecer sus prácticas y objetivos. Una oportunidad de interlocución de personas, emisoras y procesos en talleres, con intercambios constantes, en espacios de encuentro, en materiales pedagógicos, en una página web, en producciones adiofónicas y audiovisuales. Las diversas instancias de este proceso reunieron a radialistas de toda la subregión: radios campesinas, organizaciones feministas, de pueblos originarios, de grandes ciudades, de barrios, radios con veinte años de historia, otras recién nacidas e incluso futuras radios. Aunque los números, por sí solos, no explican mucho de los procesos, algunos son contundentes: 440 radialistas integrantes de 178 emisoras participaron de Interconexiones.
Entre 2000 y 2009 Interconexiones desarrolló tres etapas de este proceso. En cada una emergieron múltiples iniciativas de capacitación ligadas a audiencias, coberturas periodísticas, lenguaje, producción, gestión… La propuesta inicial, estructurada a través de talleres anuales, fue acumulando una experiencia significativa hasta concebirse como un programa más ambicioso que implicó un enorme compromiso de sus participantes y acompañamiento en la formulación de proyectos específicos." (Página 10-11)
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"Given the centrality of communication to society, who ‘owns’ the media, who gets to speak on behalf of whom, and to what end are critical issues. The regression of ‘mainstream’ media from ‘watchdogs’ of democracies to business ventures resulting in Habermasian ‘refeudalisation of the
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public sphere’ is worrying. Community media re-engage communities on the periphery, opening possibilities for social change. The dominance of mainstream players in media governance, complicated by sustainability concerns of grassroots enterprises, result in legislation that impedes the potentiality of community media access and participation – as mapped in this paper with the case of community radio struggle in India." (Abstract)
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"This report aims to 'assist radio stations to understand formative target audience research and enable them to conduct such research'. The report is primarily based on the experiences with Focus Group Discussions (FGD's) of five South African community radio stations. The publication contains an in
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troduction to the history and situation of community radio stations in South Africa, followed by five detailed case studies. Besides general information about these community radio stations, the case studies picture and quote the opinions of the FGD participants on language use, programme content, listeners' participation, and other topics related to the programme and management of the radio stations they listened to. The publication is not a research guide, but gives concrete examples of the benefits which community radio stations can derive from audience research." (commbox)
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"This article is about the role played by Brazilian community radio stations as public spaces, including different action rationales and places where there are political, social and cultural discourses from various genres such as informative and opinionative, especially the latter. Such spaces are e
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mbedded by communicative and instrumental actions as Habermas notes, manifest in the tensions and approximations between public and common spaces. Based upon a cross-case study from these media, the action rationales and the dynamics of the spaces are analysed. Stemming from the way such radio stations work, it is possible to assess whether they are a ‘locus’ for public debates, involving the community and favouring communication which addresses the common interest, or, to a large extent, social arenas for welfare appeals and criticisms and fulfilling immediate needs from members of a particular locality. Data collection included unstructured and episodic interviews, radio programmes and analysis of documents from fifteen community radio stations in the Federal District and surroundings. After that, for more in-depth information, five case studies were carried out in Brazil." (Abstract)
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