Media Development2/2013
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WACC Media Development2/2013 What future for community radio? + plus Rethinking the growth of print media in India Media Development is published quarterly by the World Association for Christian Communication Why not join the World 308 Main Street Toronto, Ontario M4C 4X7, Canada. Association for Christian Tel: 416-691-1999 Fax: 416-691-1997 Communication? Editor: Philip Lee WACC is an international organization that Editorial Consultants promotes communication as a basic human Clifford G. Christians (University of Illinois, right, essential to people’s dignity and commu- Urbana-Champaign, USA). nity. Rooted in Christian faith, WACC works Margaret Gallagher (Communications Consultant, with all those denied the right to communicate United Kingdom). because of status, identity, or gender. It advo- Robert A. Hackett (Simon Fraser University, cates full access to information and communi- Burnaby, Canada). cation, and promotes open and diverse media. Cees J. Hamelink (University of Amsterdam, WACC strengthens networks of communica- Netherlands). tors to advance peace, understanding and Patricia A. Made (Journalist and Media Trainer, Harare, Zimbabwe). justice. Robert W. McChesney (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA). MEMBERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES Francis Nyamnjoh (CODESRIA, Dakar, Senegal). Membership of WACC provides opportunities Rossana Reguillo (University of Guadalajara, to network with people of similar interests and Mexico). values, to learn about and support WACC’s Clemencia Rodriguez (Ohio University, USA). work, and to exchange information about Ubonrat Siriyuvasek (Chulalongkorn University, global and local questions of communication Bangkok, Thailand) rights and the democratization of the media. Dennis Smith (Presbyterian Church, USA, and WACC President). WACC Members are linked to a Regional Annabelle Sreberny (School of Oriental and African Association for the geographic area in which Studies, London, United Kingdom). Pradip Thomas (University of Queensland, they are based. They receive regular publica- Brisbane, Australia). tions, an annual report, and other materials. Regional Associations also produce newslet- Subscriptions ters. In addition, members are invited to par- Individuals and subscribers worldwide US$40. ticipate in regional and global activities such as Libraries and institutions in North America and seminars, workshops, and webinars. Europe US$75. Libraries and institutions elsewhere in the world Full details can be found on WACC’s web site: US$50. www.waccglobal.org The contents of Media Development may be CURRENT MEMBERSHIP RATES reproduced only with permission. Opinions North America 40 USD (Personal) expressed in the journal are not necessarily those of the Editor or of WACC. 120 USD (Corporate) Cover design: Brad Collicott Rest of the World 30 USD (Personal) 100 USD (Corporate) Published in Canada Student Rate 10 USD ISSN 0143-5558 ii Media Development 2/2013 Media Development VOL LX 2/2013 1 Editorial FORUM FORUM FORUM 2 Community radio: Petri dishes for journalists and critics 28 Rethinking the growth of print Elizabeth Robinson media in India Gopalan Ravindram 6 Look back for the future of com- munity radio 32 On the Screen Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron 37 On the Page 12 Impact of digital convergence on community radio in the USA Bill Hamilton 20 Low power radio stations IN THE NEXT ISSUE 21 Radio Days 2012: Chances and The current issue is the second to be challenges exclusively digital. The journal is no longer Stefan Möhl available in print. Members and Subscribers can download 23 Why the Arab world needs com- and print a PDF or individual articles. munity radio Daoud Kuttab The theme of the 3/2013 issue will be “Dialogue for Change”. It will explore the 26 Directory of Community Radios in true meaning of development in a world of Bangladesh economic disruption and imbalance. Focusing on the needs of marginalized and 27 Apoyo para adopción de DRM en dispossessed people, it will question the América Latina role of development agencies and put forward new ideas for discussion. Media Development 2/2013 iii towards greater social justice Gordon. Contributions focus EDITORIAL and an opportunity for people on how community radio to participate in the taking of broadcasters and activists are WACC has been publishing decisions that affect them.” using the medium to challenge articles, reflections, and This is also the conclusion corruption, aid the transition opinions about the world of reached 20 years later by Birgitte to political democracy and communications for more than Jallov in her book Community broadcast voices that might 60 years. In 1953 the first issue Radio for Development and otherwise be unheard. They of The Christian Broadcaster Empowerment (2012) appeared, running until 1969. www.empowerhouse. From 1970 to 1979 WACC eu, which is an published the WACC Journal, in-depth survey renamed Media Development in of concepts and 1980. It is still going. practical knowledge In that same period the world essential to creating has been utterly transformed sustainable, by new technologies – from community-run television to satellites to the and well-managed Internet to digital platforms – in platforms for ways that were unimaginable. community voices. Communications today are She writes, “When fluid, dynamic, interactive and well organised, potentially liberating. Yet the old community radio is questions remain: accessibility, the voice of everyone, affordability, diversity, including those living ownership and control. in poverty, which in With the capabilities offered many rural contexts by new information and means everyone in communication technologies, the community. This how can we bridge long- is the core of the standing information and use of community knowledge divides? How radio in development can we empower people to for empowerment: that it is a demonstrate the pivotal role articulate and shape processes of community channel, and space of small radio stations in development and social change? for everyone’s voices, especially developing, sustaining and How can we tackle questions of those who do not have access invigorating communities. power, inequality and identity? to speak elsewhere. So when Community radio today Fundamentally, what kind of development facilitators cannot be divorced from society do we want? advocate that the voice of the technological convergence – as The 4/1990 issue of Media poor be heard, they actually several of the contributors to Development was titled “Radio advocate part of the core this issue of Media Development – The Sound of the People”. conceptual framework of point out. No longer does In the editorial, its then editor, community radio.” community radio simply benefit Dr Michael Traber, wrote: A second invaluable book a local audience but also, via the “More than anything, people’s that has recently appeared Internet and social media, one or radio could provide a climate is Radio in the Twenty-First more diasporas or communities conducive to development. It Century (2012) www.perterland. of interest. It is simultaneously could symbolically establish an com, a collection of essays and narrowcast and broadcast with atmosphere of freedom, a move case studies edited by Janey a certain element of Pirandello’s 1 Media Development 2/2013 “Six Characters in Search of an Author” – whose tragic denouement calls reality into into question. Carlos Arnaldo says that, “Community radio Community radio: is a social process or event in which members of the community associate together to design programmes and produce and air them, thus Petri dishes for taking on the primary role of actors in their own destiny, whether this be for something as common as mending fences in the neighbourhood, journalists and or a community-wide campaign on how to use clean water and keep it clean, or agitation for critics the election of new local leaders.” Quoted in the Community Radio Handbook written by Colin Elizabeth Robinson Fraser and Sonia Restrepo (UNESCO, Paris 2001), Community media – of which community radio While preparing to write this article, the is one sector – enable people to voice common following message arrived in my email on concerns, to unite around common causes, to a community radio list: “Nobody under challenge decision-makers on their own turf, to 30 listens to radio at home or in their cars create communities that better respond to the needs of their members. anymore, they plug in their devices and As such, technological convergence posits listen to podcasts or radio on demand... a future in which community media (radio, The monopoly we used to hold: ruling over television, digital platforms) become the nexus of radio signals is gone. It’s over. Community grassroots democracy, of a genuine forum for good Radio Stations that resist this change will citizenship and good governance. be gone in a few short years” (Scooter, In that sense, community radio could enable people to take on the “primary role of actors in KPFT volunteer programmer). Within a their own destiny” instead of being bit-players in day or so, another programmer had replied someone else’s drama. indicating that over 90% of young people The risk is that community radio loses its listen to radio daily. relevancy by becoming just one more voice among many. The challenge is for community radio to f course, neither provides substantial evidence represent the locality in ways that shape it for the Ofor their assertions; rather they are evidence better. n of how seriously many of us feel about