WHAT IS COMMUNITY RADIO - amarc

Preface
This booklet discusses the role of community radio stations in building participatory democracy and
development in Africa - and offers ideas as to how such stations can be established. It provides an
understanding of the renewed popularity in community radio, as well as the reasons why it is
controversial, and perhaps threatening, from the point of view of commercial and public broadcasters.
It has to be remembered that the definitions and examples referred to in this booklet are dynamic and
that the concept of 'community radio' should be re-visited or redefined as societal developments
dictate.
It is hoped that this booklet can provide relevant information for those who would like to start up a
community radio station in a particular community, lobby for legislation enabling the development of
community radio in their country, or reinforce the development of an existing community radio station.
However, this publication is not a training manual. The issues touched upon need to be revisited to
answer the day-to-day practical challenges and problems facing community radio stations. There are
more detailed manuals from Latin America, Europe and North America which offer practical hands-on
experiences. Nevertheless, AMARC is mindful that there is a need for more training manuals for
African community radio stations, and hopes to address this issue in collaboration with African media
training institutions in the course of 1999.
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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