Promoting social cohesion: the role of community media - amarc

6. Measures to support third sector mediaAMARCIn 2006, AMARC conducted aCommunity Radio Social ImpactAssessment – “a long-range participatoryaction research seeking toidentify the barriers that limit thepotential positive impact of communityradio and explore ways toincrease the effectiveness of communityradio in achieving povertyreduction, development objectives,inclusiveness and democracy buildingin local Communities” (AMARC2007:5). AMARC concluded that“the lack of proper enabling legislationis the single principal barrier toCR social impact” and emphasisedthe importance of advocacy:• Increasing lobbying and advocacyfor CR. More generally,AMARC should use its links withinternational forums to supportlobbying and advocacy in theregion in defence of freedom ofexpression, in encouraging theparticipatory nature of communityradio and support femaleempowerment.• Advising governments on CRlegislation: AMARC should alsouse its global experience andserve as a consultation body toadvise governments on how tointroduce further legislationfavourable to community radio.Lowering the licence fees forcommunity radios to ensureequitable access to frequenciesby communities is a key aspectof specific pressure put on governments.• Making the voices of CR heard ininternational forums. The participationof CR practitioners andstakeholders in internationalforums and multilateral institutions’gathering will improvepolicy level understanding andsupport of CR.(AMARC 2007:89)The Community Forum for Europe (CMFE)The CMFE has been an active inrepresenting the third sector atEuropean level. Some of its proposalshave appeared in Council ofEurope documentation as the CMFEwas present at the Council of Europe’sMinisterial Conference in Kievin 2005. The CMFE’s main demandscan be summarised as follows:Full recognition of CommunityMedia as the third audiovisualsector alongside public serviceand private commercial broadcasters,including:• involvement in all consultationand decision-making processesin all issues related to the sectorat European level;• access to frequencies and the reservationof a sufficient numberof frequencies for communitymedia, both analogue and digital;• public funding for communitymedia at national level includingproject-orientated funding toprovide start-up and continuingfunding on a structural basis;• a European Community MediaFund;• funding of community mediarelatedresearch and monitoring;• recognition of the role communitymedia can play in crossborderco-operation;• support for the formation of acommunity media network ofcorrespondents in Brussels andStrasbourg.Report commissioned by the Culture and Education Committee of the EuropeanParliament(European Parliament 2007)Understandably, the report looksclosely at EU funding and its relevanceto the CM sector. It notes that“the awareness of and the ability tobenefit from European fundingvaries greatly among the sector.6. Measures to support third sector media 31