WHAT IS COMMUNITY RADIO - amarc

To obtain a license for broadcasting, financial assistance from donors, or support from local
authorities, a need assessment will be required. This will probably be one of the most challenging tasks
that you
might have to face. Proving the need for a community radio station is not as easy as proving a need for
a health centre in the community. People have to be first convinced enough that the need to
communicate in the developing society is as essential as the need for health, education, housing and
other things.
People are generally of the opinion that communication is amongst the least important issues on their
agenda. One has to clearly show how radio can bridge the gap between local authorities, national
government and other developmental organisations. This need has to be quantifiable by means of
statistical figures to be convincing. For example, mentioning the number of people your community
radio aims to service is important and some research can be required at this stage.
Participation
Community radio is characterised by an active community participation in all the structures of the
organisation. The community that the station serves has to be involved in developing the radio station
project and mission, and in designing future programmes. The community participatory structure might
not yet be in place but people must be invited to join the process and contribute to setting up that
structure (see below).
As community radio stations depend on volunteers, it is therefore important to recruit from your actual
target community right from the beginning, because no other person has a better understanding of the
issues than the people who are part of it.
Great efforts will have to be put into empowering the local people to run the station. It may be difficult
to obtain participation and enthusiasm at the very early stages of the project preparations, but it is
important to involve as many groups and individuals as possible from the start.
Organisational structure
The structure of the organisation should be as democratic as possible, such that the community
becomes actively involved in the election of the board members or trustees, and any other portfolio in
the radio station.
The structure could include the following bodies:
� the Members, and the Annual General Meeting of the members (AGM),
� the Board of Directors or Trustees,
� the Executive Committee of the Board (or the co-ordination/management committee),
� the Volunteers Group and/or the Open Forum,
� the staff (if any or at a later stage).
The role of each and every body and person in the station must be clearly defined, in order to avoid a
situation where some people feel that they have more power than others.
The role of the highest decision-making body and of the volunteers must be carefully outlined.
Employed or even volunteer members of staff should have appropriate job descriptions. All of these
processes must unfold in a very transparent and democratic manner.
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What is Community Radio? A Resource Guide
Published by AMARC Africa and Panos Southern Africa in collaboration with IBIS/Interfund and WACC