Starting a Local Radio Station

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Starting a Local Radio Station STARTING A LOCAL RADIO STATION A MANUAL FOR AFGHANISTAN STARTING A LOCAL RADIO STATION A MANUAL FOR AFGHANISTAN JULY 2011 ACKNOWLEDGEMENts This manual was compiled by Parisa Saadatmand-Zitouni with the valuable contributions, advice, comments and support of many of the staff working with Internews. Thank you. Layout Design: Kirsten Ankers Citrine Sky Design Editing: Susan Haas This publication is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through a subgrant from Pact under Leader Award # GEG-A-00-01-00005-00. The contents are the responsibility of Internews Network and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID, the United States Government or Pact. 2 STARTING A LOCAL RADIO STATION: A MANUAL FOR AFGHANISTAN TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................................... 5 HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL ...................................................................................................................................... 7 SECTION ONE: GETTING STARTED ........................................................................................................................... 8 Creating Your Mission Statement ................................................................................................................................................................ 9 Writing Your Station Policy Guide ................................................................................................................................................................. 10 Creating an Organizational Structure ......................................................................................................................................................... 14 Applying for Your License ................................................................................................................................................................................. 15 SECTION TWO: BASIC TECHNICAL TOPICS ............................................................................................................. 19 Creating Your Studio ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 20 Transmitter, Antenna and Mast ...................................................................................................................................................................... 23 Selecting Studio Equipment ............................................................................................................................................................................ 24 Field Recording Equipment .............................................................................................................................................................................. 27 SECTION THREE: VALUE OF STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS ......................................................................................... 30 Recruiting Staff and Volunteers ...................................................................................................................................................................... 30 Rights and Responsibilities of Volunteers ................................................................................................................................................ 36 Inspiring Staff and Volunteers to Work Effectively .............................................................................................................................. 37 SECTION FOUR: COMMUNITY RADIO ..................................................................................................................... 41 Defining Community Radio .............................................................................................................................................................................. 41 Empowering Community Involvment ...................................................................................................................................................... 43 Forming an Effective Advisory Board .......................................................................................................................................................... 43 SECTION FIVE: CREATING POWERFUL PROGRAMS ................................................................................... 47 Understanding Radio ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 48 Involving Your Community in Programming ......................................................................................................................................... 48 Radio Program Formats ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 53 Audience Survey and Feedback..................................................................................................................................................................... 58 SECTION SIX: FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT .............................................................................................................. 62 Defining Financial Management ................................................................................................................................................................... 63 Creating Your Budget ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 64 Developing Your Business Plan ....................................................................................................................................................................... 67 Sources of Revenue ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 70 SECTION SEVEN: ETHICS AND MEDIA LAW ............................................................................................................ 74 Part I-Ethics Benefits of a Code of Conduct .............................................................................................................................................................. 74 Crucial Ethical Considerations ............................................................................................................................................................... 76 Part Ii-Media Law Important Institutional Structures ...................................................................................................................................................... 78 Provisions and Prohibitions ..................................................................................................................................................................... 80 APPENDIX Mass Media Law ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 84 STARTING A LOCAL RADIO STATION: A MANUAL FOR AFGHANISTAN 3 INTRODUCTION Welcome to “Starting a Local Radio Station: A Manual for Afghanistan”. Each year, more and more Afghans enjoy the benefits of independent radio stations in their communities. Since 2001, the establishment and growth of local, independent media across Afghanistan has been remarkable; this achievement is part of the growth of the whole media sector that also includes commercial media, government media and community media. In this manual we use the word ‘independent’ to describe media that: 1) give communities the information they need to be informed and to make decisions about issues that affect them, and, 2) make editorial decisions to choose and cover stories without allowing the radio station owners, powerful people or anyone else to influence those decisions. This definition comes from the idea of the media as the Fourth Estate, whereby financial and editorial independence allows the media to balance the other three estates or branches of power—the legislative (parliamentarian), executive (all government officials including security officials), and judicial (judges). Local independent media give citizens opportunities to learn about what is happening in their commu- nities, to discuss issues and to let their views be known to their governments, civil society organizations and the international community. Worldwide, there is recognition that local independent media can help communities make progress in education and health, and toward economic stability and peace. By local media we usually mean smaller media organizations that have one radio station that serves a city or town and areas nearby. Some smaller media organizations have grown into larger organizations that serve more than one place (sometimes with repeater transmitters and sometimes by adding new sta- tions). This manual may be helpful for new and smaller organizations as well as those that are expanding or have expanded already. In
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