COMMUNITY MEDIA SUSTAINABILITY GUIDE The Business of Changing Lives An Internews publication written and edited by Jean Fairbairn “Innovative program production can go straight to the station’s bottom line — every time a new audience is created, there are new opportunities for funding and sponsorship.” — PROFESSOR JOHN VAN ZYL, MEDIA EDUCATOR, SOUTH AFRICA COMMUNITY MEDIA SUSTAINABILITY GUIDE 1 COMMUNITY MEDIA SUSTAINABILITY GUIDE About Internews Internews Network is an international media development organization whose mission is to empower local media worldwide to give people the news and information they need, the ability to connect, and the means to make their voices heard. Founded in 1982, the organization has worked in over 70 countries and trained over 70,000 media professionals worldwide. Internews Network Administrative Headquarters: Washington, DC Office: P.O. Box 4448 1640 Rhode Island Ave. NW Arcata, CA 95518 USA Washington, DC 20036 Phone: +1 707 826-2030 Phone: +1 202 833-5740 Fax: +1 707 826-2136 Fax: +1 202 833-5745 Email: [email protected] Web: www.internews.org © INTERNEWS NETWORK 2009 CREDITS: COVER PHOTO: Radio listenership has increased in Afghanistan since 2001. Picture by BARAT ALI BATOOR. Source: Internews Afghanistan. COVER QUOTATION: From A Sense of Belonging: Community Radio and Civil Society, by Professor John van Zyl (ABC Ulwazi, 2005, p. 12). ABC Ulwazi is a radio training and production house based in Johannesburg, South Africa. www.abculwazi.org.za DESIGNER: CORY DEIBERT COPY EDITOR: NANCY KOTARY This publication is made possible by the gener- ous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Develop- ment (USAID) through a subgrant from Pact under cooperative agreement #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. COMMUNITY MEDIA SUSTAINABILITY GUIDE 2 COMMUNITY MEDIA SUSTAINABILITY GUIDE Table of Contents Project Staff, Acknowledgments .....................................................2 Advisory Committee ......................................................................3 Introduction .................................................................................4 Section 1: .....................................................................................6 Community Media: Core Principles and Definitions ......................................... 6 It’s Not Just About the Money: Approaches to Sustainability ......................... 11 Sustainable Energy for Sustainable Stations .................................................. 15 Models of Sustainable Funding ..................................................................... 16 Business Models, Business Plans, and Community Media .............................. 19 Making Donors Work For You ......................................................................... 21 How to Write a Successful Funding Proposal and Achieve Your Goals ............. 22 Getting Your Support to Media Right ............................................................. 24 The Role of National Networks in Sustaining Community Media ................... 26 The Need for an Enabling Environment ......................................................... 27 Community Research for Community Media Sustainability ........................... 34 Section 2: ...................................................................................38 The Business of Changing Lives ...................................................................... 38 Work with What You Have .............................................................................. 39 You Cannot Put a Price on Community Involvement ...................................... 42 Keeping the Money Neutral ........................................................................... 45 Soweto’s “Number One” Station ..................................................................... 48 Diverse Sources of Funding Keep the Five Rivers Flowing Strongly ................. 51 It’s Your Baby—It Needs Food ....................................................................... 54 Sustainability Through Partnerships: A Lasting Cup of Coffee ........................ 57 The Road from Community Service to Social Enterprise ................................. 60 Listener-Supported Public Radio in the United States ................................... 63 Balancing Continued Aid with a Public Service Mission in a Competitive Market ........................................................................... 66 Sustaining the Intercontinental Radio Communication System ..................... 71 Peru’s CNR: A Decentralized Network ............................................................. 74 Small Towns Find a Voice Online .................................................................... 76 Resources ...................................................................................81 COMMUNITY MEDIA SUSTAINABILITY GUIDE 1 staff / acknowledgments Project Staff Acknowledgments JEAN FAIRBAIRN, the guide’s director, MARJORIE ROUSE, vice president for We thank all the people and organiza- chief writer, and editor, has more than Europe and Eurasia Programs at In- tions who helped in creating what we 20 years’ experience in the international ternews, has worked in media develop- hope you will find to be an informative development sector. Specialist areas are ment since 1997. Rouse’s background and useful guide to sustainability of communications for development, local in journalism includes work as a TV community media. independent and community radio, journalist in Moscow from 1989–1995 building democracy and civil society, for NBC News, covering the breakup of We especially thank our Advisory Com- HIV/AIDS, and monitoring and evalu- the Soviet Union and the conflict in the mittee for advice that helped shape the ation. Fairbairn directed the Open Soci- Balkans. She then went on to start her guide and who also wrote sections of the ety Foundation for South Africa’s Media own production company doing long- guide. We also thank other writers and Support Program from 1996 to 2003, and short-format programs for a variety other contributors, who are credited in playing a leading role in developing of broadcast outlets including WGBH, the text. South Africa’s vibrant community radio the History Channel, NBC, and others. sector. She also served as general man- Our partners ager of the Freeplay Foundation, which ANAMIKA NELSON is senior program as- Thanks to the United States Agency for distributes wind-up and solar-powered sociate for New Initiatives at Internews. International Development (USAID) radios and integrates them into com- She has worked for Internews since and our partners at Pact for support- munications projects serving poor and 2004, supporting implementation of ing this project. In particular, we thank marginalized communities in Africa. media development programs globally. Mark Koenig at USAID for providing She is presently a freelance consultant Nelson’s background is in International ideas, content, commentary, and con- based in the United Kingdom. Development, concentrating on democ- nections. racy and governance. TUPUR CHATTOPADHYAY, researcher We would also like to acknowledge the and intern for the guide, has recently NANCY KOTARY copyedited the guide. support of Internews staff, field offices, completed an MA in Post National She has been editing projects covering a and partners on the ground in Rwanda, Communication at London’s School of wide range of topics since 1995. Haiti, Afghanistan, and Nepal. Oriental and African Studies (2008). While studying, Chattopadhyay worked CORY DEIBERT, design consultant for the Most of all, thanks to the many people on several research projects for organiza- guide, has designed several projects for we interviewed for their time, their tions including Youth for Peace and Act Internews, including annual reports honesty, and their courage in discussing Now for Harmony and Democracy. She from 1997 to 2007. what are sometimes difficult issues. also edited the University of Delhi’s His- tory Society magazine, Tarikh. One of her interests is drama; her master’s thesis focuses on Indian cinema. Chattopad- hyay is currently working for a televi- sion news channel in Mumbai, India. COMMUNITY MEDIA SUSTAINABILITY GUIDE 2 advisory committee Advisory Committee KATE COYER, PhD, is a research fellow BIRGITTE JALLOV has worked for 25 years IVAN SIGAL is executive director of Glob- and lecturer with the Annenberg School with media development, press freedom, al Voices, a citizen media project that for Communication at the University communication for empowerment, and seeks to aggregate, curate, and amplify of Pennsylvania and Central European community radio in 50 countries in Af- the global conversation online—shining University (CEU). Coyer has been rica, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. light on places and people that other producing radio and helping build com- Jallov has worked with community ra- media often ignore. Before joining munity stations over the past twenty dio as a producer, a trainer, an organizer, Global Voices in August 2008, Sigal was years. a lecturer, a writer, a film maker, a devel- a senior fellow at the U.S. Institute of opment strategist, an evaluator, and an Peace, where he researched digital media BRUCE GIRARD has more than twenty advisor. Jallov is often invited to advise in conflict-prone parts of the world. years’