"The Community Radio Support Centre (CRSC) at the Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalists (NEFEJ) assessed the performance of 15 community radios based on the Community Radio Performance Assessment System (CR-PAS) in 2012. The assessment was a first full-fledged test after a successful piloted the
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system in 2011. The radio stations were provided with organization development (OD) support to address to the findings of the pilot assessment. The OD support provided the stations with advice and mentoring on improving their structures, systems and processes to meet the requirement of community radios [...] None of the 15 stations scored enough to be included in ‘model community radio’ category, three qualified as ‘performing’, four as progressing, two as evolving, and six as ‘endeavoring’. If the previous assessment is taken as the baseline then the overall performance of the stations increased - from 44 to 48 - in six months and after the OD input. There has been an upward movement of the stations in terms of categories, as shown by reduction of number of stations in the endeavoring category and increase in the performing category. This suggests that frequent assessments such as this can encourage the stations to improve performance." (Executive summary)
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"This publication provides readers with fresh insights into the practice of participatory educational communication. The first section explores the educational potential of community media, reaching from participatory radio campaigns in Sub-Saharan Africa to school radios in Brazil. The second secti
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on, "stories of learning", shows the power of experience-based stories through interviews with community stakeholders or through drama and other cultural forms. The third section, "Praxis in Latin America", emphasises the centrality of popular and engaging formats, the importance of blended approaches, and the role of mobile and social media in reinforcing and complementing community-based broadcasting. The fourth section, "Praxis in the Commonwealth", examines strategies for enabling participation, experiences of collaboration at the local level, and the importance of assessing programme outcomes. The final section looks at how broadcasters and other community-based groups can make use of the voice and text functions of mobile telephones across different aspects of educational programming, including content provision, programme logistics and learner support." (CAMECO Update 2-2012)
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"Anyone working with community radio in one way or the other longs for a recipe on how to ensure long-term sustainability. Such a recipe does not exist. But there are a number of important factors that are crucial for sustainability - and a related number of traps on the way it is easy to fall into
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which will effectively undermine long-term sustainability." (Page 2)
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"Community radio is considered as an intervention strategy of choice for deepening participation and community ownership. Donors have funded a proliferation of community radio projects in the Global South, prompted by stories attesting to the power of radio as a tool for social change. The evidence
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suggests that beyond empowering communities, community radio can catalyse behaviour change and impact positively on wider development outcomes. In practice, the record has been mixed, with sustainability a critical challenge. A recent evaluation found that radio stations created through top-down initiatives tend not to survive when external funding dries up. Where such stations do survive, their purpose often becomes different from what was originally intended. Only in a handful of cases have previously aid-dependent radio stations become sustainable. Informed by insights from practitioners, and evaluation reports and scholarly literature, this article draws some emerging lessons." (Abstract)
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"The emergence of community radio in Ghana’s media sphere has changed the political economy of communications in Ghana. The participatory platform of the medium has led to citizens’ empowerment and facilitated the political, economic and social development of this new democracy. Marginalized com
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munities are now able to question policies. The views expressed during these participatory programmes like live phone-in have helped to promote accountability and transparency within government circles and the corporate world. However, concerns have been raised over the serious allegations and mischievous remarks made on community radio stations and how they can be regulated. This article shall argue that the complex and intricate nature of the regulatory mechanism and the conceptualization of community radio have made it difficult for the regulatory body, National Media Commission (NMC) to regulate the community radio. Seeing that Ghana is a multi-ethnic state, her democracy may be endangered if the content from community radio stations which could heat up the polity is not regulated." (Abstract)
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"This third module focuses on elaborates on the various aspects of human resources management such as evaluation and training, compensation for employees, communication and conflict prevention among staff members. The guide provides practical suggestions and guidance on how to motivate staff, how to
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handle conflicts and how to coordinate communication at the station." (Introduction)
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"This Module IV focuses on the particular characteristics of community radio stations and how these different features influence the way one determines programming. The first section examines ownership questions and the different forms of collaboration between the radio station and the community. Th
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e second section of the module provides insight into the preparation of a programming schedule and its importance. In addition, the module contains a sample programming plan, which can be adapted as necessary to help the senior management better structure their programmes, coordinate with the station’s producers and journalists, and manage the expectations of their audience." (Introduction)
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"This second module focuses on two main aspects of managing community radio stations. First, it examines the governing bodies of a station and gives succinct descriptions of each body’s function and structure as it relates to the governance of the radio. The second section of this module serves as
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a guide for human resources management. It presents the roles and responsibilities involved for each staff- and volunteer position, and gives an overview of the recruitment process for new personnel." (Introduction, page 2)
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"In Niger and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the rate at which listeners’ clubs are being formed and the fact that the approach is now being reproduced in various settings are indications of the success of this strategy and the extent to which it is proving sustainable. In South Kivu, for
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example, a new formula has been tested with excellent results: the introduction of Farmer Field and Life Schools has been supported by existing community listeners’ clubs. In addition, a process for evaluating the impact of the clubs has revealed an unexpected but promising factor: the improved capacity of club members to engage in more formal rural structures. In this sense, the clubs are paving the way for greater participation of women in producers’ organizations and rural cooperatives. The success of the clubs has led to the setting up of new projects in Burundi, Senegal, Mauritania and the DRC (Oriental Province). At the request of various organizations and agencies, FAO-Dimitra is helping to implement these projects based on gender sensitive participatory methodologies that are flexible and well adapted, with a goal that remains unchanged: the empowerment of men and women in a rural environment." (Editorial, page 2)
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"This paper will use the example of the approach taken by UK Community Radio station, 'Future Radio' to obtain both quantitative data primarily through street surveys and qualitative data through on-line questionnaires, exploring why the station felt such research to be both necessary and beneficial
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. Showing how reasonably accurate data can be obtained on a cost-effective basis, issues of accuracy and practical difficulties will also be explored. Finally, the paper will examine some of the opportunities and challenges raised by the changing nature of radio listening and interaction brought about by new methods of consumption such as Internet streaming and mobile 'smart-phone' applications." (Abstract)
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90 Indian community radio stations present their background, programming focuses, lessons learned and contact details.
"El presente artículo ofrece los principales resultados de una investigación orientada a conocer y analizar la actuación de dos emisoras educativas y comunitarias: Radio Cutivalú de Piura y Radio Marañón de Jaén, en el contexto del conflicto socioambiental generado por el proyecto minero Río
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Blanco (2005-2007) ubicado en una zona de cabecera de cuenca, en el nororiente peruano, cuyo ámbito de influencia abarca las provincias de Huancabamba y Ayabaca, en la región Piura, y de San Ignacio, en la región Cajamarca. El estudio pone énfasis en el tipo de involucramiento y en los roles configurados por ambas emisoras en la dinámica del conflicto social. No se centra en los relatos periodísticos construidos por las dos radioemisoras, es decir en un análisis de los discursos radiofónicos, sino más bien en los enfoques políticos y en los roles desempeñados como medios de comunicación y actores de sociedad civil en la dinámica y diferentes etapas del conflicto." (Resumen)
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