What makes community radiosuccessful
Robert A. White
Coordinator of the PhD Programme, University ofNairobi
Member of the “Think Tank” group, Media Councilof Tanzania
For Scribes
November 24 - 2011
One of the biggest communication problems in Africa is
the lack of information reaching rural communities and the
poor urban neighbourhoods. Newspapers and magazines are
expensive and reach mainly urban elites. Even radio, which
is mostly music and advertising, provides little news and
useful information on health and agriculture that can be
used by rural people or poor urban people.
Community radio(CR) is often said to be the way to get
relevant information to rural communities because it
operates with a small paid staff and produces programmes
with leaders in community organizations, development workers
in the community or volunteers from the community. Radio
Ada in Ghana, with just three or four full-time paid staff,
is often cited as a successful community radio that enabled
the local people to solve many of the local economic, health
and development problems at relatively low cost. Radio Ada
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also brought a cultural revival of music, drama and other
local talent. News programmes circulate the current issues
of the community with many call-ins, but also adapts the
national and international news to the level of
understanding and concerns of the local people. Local
community organizations have been revitalized and strong
community leadership has been developed. Radio Ada has
enabled local leadership to prevent outside economic
interests coming in to take over local economic resources.
With all of this activity. Radio Ada has proved financially
viable. The fundamental reason for success is that Radio
Ada follows faithfully the principles of good community
radio with full participation and involvement of the people
of the community.
Community radio (CR) in East Africa, including
Tanzania, has been much less successful, and the reasons
given in various studies is that CR here does not follow the
principles of good CR. A comparative study of local
commercial radio and CR in Uganda found that the commercial
radio actually had more community participation than the CR
stations. Studies show that CR in Kenya also involve the
people of the community relatively little. The tendency of
CR in East Africa is to hire a relatively large staff, often
with little training in programme production for rural or
lower-status urban communities, to write what they know
about health or other community problems and read these into
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the microphone to the presumed audience. There are no
courses in CR in degree programmes in East Africa, and
studies have shown that most CRs are started with people who
are trained for commercial radio
The present article is based on personal visits to
successful CRs in Africa and data from some fifteen or
twenty studies of community radio in Tanzania, East Africa
and other parts of Africa over the last ten years or so.
The key question here is: what makes successful community
radio.
The staff of community radio
The key to the success of CR is the competence of the
managing staff which understands thoroughly the principles
of CR. The small programme producing staff of CR is
typically not made up of people trained in communication
schools to write programmes and read them over the
microphone, but people skilled in community development,
training community leadership and forming community-based
organizations. They are particularly skilled in leading
discussion groups which get all participants to contribute
ideas, listen to others in the group, build on the ideas of
others and gradually lead a discussion to consensus and
group action.
CR staff are especially skilled in the classic
Freireian consciousness-raising methods. That is, they are
specialists in getting relatively dependent, passive,
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poorer people at the bottom of the community who almost
never speak out, to discover deep in their consciousness
their own ideas and bring these ideas out in discussion and
planning. They lead people to listen to each other,
building on other’s ideas and engaging in real dialogue.
The most important competence is the ability to stimulate
the creativity of the community in problem solving, music,
entertainment, better farming, better health, story telling
and every other facet of community life.
Building on community-based organizations
Community radio typically is organized around sectors
of the community: women’s organizations, youth groups,
farmers groups, mothers of the community, the school
teachers and school children, health committees, religious
organizations, groups of HIV/AIDS positive people, and a
host of other organizations each with its subgroups and
constituencies. When a community radio is forming, one of
the first steps is to get all of these groups and
organizations involved. CR founders promote the organization
of every interest sector to assume part of the production of
programmes and promotion of listenership.
Community radio programming, like most radio, will
feature news, music, announcements, telephone call-ins, and
adverts. The small permanent staff will often be the key
programme producers, but much of the programming will be
produced by leaders in the community, by elected officers of
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local organizations, young people interested in getting
media experience, and by government or NGO workers in the
community. The leadership in these groups will be doing much
of the mobilization and motivating of the volunteer groups
and individuals.
By involving virtually every member of every village
and every neighbourhood in some programming group—even the
school children, virtually every person in the community
will at some time be speaking into the CR microphone and
will be heard in the community. The attractive entertaining
quality and building of loyal audiences will depend on the
ability to draw in virtually all the members of the
community as participants in the radio. Every youth music
group, every little women’s income producing group can hear
some of its members and their interests at some time.
Everybody will be sharing their best ideas with others.
Thus, the permanent staff must be skilled in finding,
encouraging and training leadership from all sectors in the
community to become involved in programme production. There
will be, of course, a few full-time radio technicians, but
often much of the broadcasting control staff will be
volunteers from the community.
Problem-solving discussion and debate
One of the basic principles of CR is that the people of
the community must define the problems of each sector—
farmer’s groups, health groups, marketing ladies, unemployed
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youth—and that the people must discover the solutions to
their problems. Each sector of the community—for example,
young mothers—will have its time slot set at a convenient
time for that audience and with the mobilization of all the
listening groups of that sector. The moderator of the
programme will lead the participants toward voicing problems
and articulating key obstacles. Each programme session will
end with a clearer definition of the causes of the problem
with the understanding that solutions begin to emerge when
the causes are clearly defined. Sharing of ideas about
solutions may come from the studio discussion group, but
also from the listening audience calling in.
Community workers in the area of health, agriculture,
marketing of community products—or outside specialists in
these areas such as medical doctors—will be invited to
contribute ideas for the solution of the problem. The
success stories of community development will be celebrated.
Bringing national news down to the questions of the local
community
Radio is a news medium, but most news on local
commercial radio stations are flashes that often means
little to people of low educational levels and with little
acquaintance with national or international affairs. Also
those selecting news for commercial radio have little
knowledge of the questions of local people and little
training in national political and economic issues.
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National news on CR is carefully selected for its relevance
for the issues of that community and those responsible for
news programmes try to explain how national news will affect
the people of the community. News is usually selected by
volunteers who are trained and guided by the permanent
staff, people who have education in social, political and
economic development. Since programme planning is done with
participation of representatives of community leaders in
community organizations, the important questions of the
community are always before those responsible for news and
other information programmes. CR gives far more time to
news, debates and discussion of items which are of interest
and relevance to the local people
More than just report news items, the station calls in
those working in health, agriculture, employment or other
community services to comment on the significance of current
government decisions and debates. Some CRs have regular
weekly sessions with the member of parliament from the area,
answering questions of leaders in community organizations.
Often people from the community who are working in
government agencies can be a type of correspondent regarding
issues of importance to the people. Some national
associations of CR have special news services of interest to
local CR.
CR has regular programming slots for interest groups in
the community—farmers, health organizations, small
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businesses, teachers and school administrators—and invites
leaders in the community debate problems with these service
organizations. Those planning these programme slots usually
are familiar both with the “hot questions” people are asking
about services and arrange programmes on issues people want
to bring up. At the same time, community radio offers time
to health, agriculture, to small loan agencies explain new
services or will provide time for educational programmes.
Of special interest are news commentaries with call-ins
from the audience. Often local leaders with more
experience in regional or national affairs are invited to
comment on these calls. The full-time staff with their
training in development and political affairs often host a
daily lively discussion programme with call-ins and with
people invited for interviews on hot issues that gets a
lively, community-wide debate on going over a period of
weeks or months. A given issue may be brought back every
other day to provide new ideas and progress in the
discussion.
Local community news
Every community and ward in the broadcast area will
have one or two local correspondents reporting news from
these communities, not just reports to be read but live
interviews with voices from the grassroots. The aim is to
hear from every ward at least once a week or more often so
that news of every sector of the audience will be heard very
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frequently, at least briefly. Priority is given to progress
reports on community development projects or problems that
should be addressed by government or other service agencies.
Government services are often praised for their good work
or, more often, pressure is put on local government services
or NGOs. Most CRs have brought remarkable improvements in
services to the communities and provide an opportunity for
horizontal dialogue and exchange of good ideas among wards
and villages in the area. Debate about government services
is also sparked by call-ins from the audience.
Community festivals are highlighted or festivals in
churches, schools and community organizations. The
educational, employment, special honours or other
achievements of sons and daughters of the community are
lauded.
Problems in the communities such as a blight on crops,
epidemics, attacks of thieves, food shortages, floods are
reported in part to put other communities on the alert but
also tell how the communities are coping and where to get
help to meet crises.
Putting pressure on local government
Most African countries are making efforts to de-
centralize government decision making, so that government
will be more responsive to local needs. But this usually
has not improved services because there are so few
communication linkages between district or ward councils and
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community discussion. There needs to be systematic
reporting of what village-level meetings or leadership
discussion are voicing as their needs. CR can pointedly
direct village decisions to local government decision making
councils. There should be systematic reporting to community
leaders about what local government is discussing, what
positions it is taking and what local village organizations
and leadership think about this. Village-level leadership
evaluations of the action of local government needs to
brought into public discussion and debate. Such discussions
can be very sharp and personal, but the small permanent
staff of CR can moderate such on-going discussion so that a
variety of balanced and respected perspectives can be heard.
The outcome is thus likely to be constructive and supportive
rather than simply negative criticism.
Political leaders in Africa, whether at national or
local levels, have little experience with free, open debate
and generally want themselves respected as “elders” rather
than questioned by the people. Leaders tend to get very
angry at any sort of questioning of their actions. CR can
help to moderate the discussion so that it is more
responsible and, in the African context, respectful, but
also educate all parties regarding the benefits of open,
free, truthful and constructive public debate. CR can make
local government truly participatory—bringing the people of
the villages into the debate, but also much more effective
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in solving local problems. By bringing in all perspectives,
it is possible to create a much more positive and peaceful
resolution of issues.
Developing the local music talent
Radio is above all a music medium and most radio
programming is music. CR gives priority to locally produced
music and promotes the best of local talent. In every
community of Tanzania as in other African countries there
are often dozens of local music groups. All churches,
schools and community organizations have their choirs and
soloists, many of them of excellent quality. Much of this
music is composed by local people about local events. Every
community event, from graduations to weddings and funerals
are family and community celebrations with music and
dancing. In every village young people have their own music
groups playing everything from taarabu to bongo flava.
Not all locally produced music is of the highest
quality. The selection is often done through contests with
outside judges. A community radio station in southern
Zambia has an annual festival in which hundreds of music
groups come from all over the country to compete. The
festival always attracts some of the top talent in the
country which are, of course, prize winning. This contest
furnishes some of the best music played on that CR station
for a good part of the year.
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In some communities there are persons of unusual
musical talent that are willing to perform even regularly
for the community. CR is also a chance for young people to
try out their talents as a means starting, hopefully, their
own careers. CR is able to discover an amazing range of
local talents. I will never forget discovering in a visit
to one CR that that a local person had a hobby of collecting
jazz records and regularly putting on a weekly program
playing and explaining the music of famous jazz stars!
Drama programming
Drama programmes are another standard type radio
programme that attracts rather large audiences. One may not
think that lower-status groups have much capacity for
producing radio drama. In fact, there are many amateur
drama groups and comedy groups in rural and urban
communities in Africa. I recall, in a visit to Radio Ada in
Ghana, that in one studio a young Ada-speaking student of
drama in the University of Ghana was training a group of
volunteers from the community to produce a radio drama that
the group itself had produced.
CR as peace-building institution in the community
East African communities are experiencing an increasing
amount of violence and insecurity which grows out of
struggle for land and other resources. CRs are proving to
be one of the major instruments for peace because of the
method of inviting people of different points of view to
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find consensus on how to solve common problems. Radio
Peace, a CR station in Ghana that began in a region of
tribal conflict, violent gangs, struggle over land and a
host of other disputes is only one CR that has brought peace
and cooperation1. Radio Peace began by bringing together
the chiefs of the area to make a pledge of peace, and they
return to make progress reports. The station has an early
warning system to report any illegal activity or violence so
that this can be settled. The station promotes work with
unemployed youth that are prone to violence. A community
festival every year with all the different clans and ethnic
groups celebrates their unity in diversity. The station
finds ways of helping the poor and often desperate
marginalized and has become a focal point for the socio-
economic development of the region.
Africa is a continent of deeply religious people and
most CR stations will involve virtually all the different
religious groups of the community in producing their
programming. CR, however, puts great emphasis on dialogue
between religious groups, especially groups that tend to
have a tradition of antagonism with other traditions.
Educating...from the indigenous knowledge of the community
CR is also an educational radio, but not the old form
of education from “experts” to supposed knowledge-less
illiterate peasants. Rather, it is assumed that rural and
urban lower status people have a wealth of knowledge and
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problem-solving ideas that they can share among themselves.
A five hectare farm plot of a so-called “peasant farmer” is,
in fact, a tremendously complicated farming system. When
one begins to talk to rural people, one finds that the
farmer with a plot of maize, a few chickens and cattle is
constantly trying out new ways to improve his production—
very conservatively, of course, because, if he makes one
mistake, he starves. The lady selling vegetables in the
market is constantly trying out new methods of sales
improvement. Every carpenter and bicycle repairman is trying
our new ideas. CR puts all these people into dialogue
bringing out their little success stories and best ideas.
This is another way to get everybody in the community heard
and their best talents made known.
Professionals are invited into programs--agricultural
extension agents, community nurses and doctors, small
industry guides—but are presented as sharing ideas and
solutions with farmers, pregnant mothers, and market ladies.
Particularly attractive are field demonstrations out in
rural communities or urban neighbourhoods. This gives a
farmer and the people of a village the chanceto show off
what they have accomplished and can share with others in the
radius of the radio station.
Schools and youth clubs
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One of the most valuable services of CR is the support
of every aspect of education. This can range from field
reports of what parent-teacher organizations are doing to
improve school buildings and the facilities of the school
such as desks, textbooks and small libraries to improving
teacher housing. A favorite of many CRs is to feature
school choirs, school sports, student academic achievements,
student talent shows, and a host of other school activities—
all in the form of contests among schools. Again, this is a
way to get every school in every village or ward heard on
air at some time. CR also is open to complaints about the
poor educational services in schools, but the permanent CR
staff tries bring local village leaders to contribute to
school improvement...not just complain.
In some cases CR has lent its airtime for special
instructional classes, for example, retired teachers
offering to coach students in preparation of exams. At
times it may be a special support in maths which is a weak
area in most of the schools of Tanzania. Or a fluent
English speaker in the community may volunteer for special
English lessons
There has always been a strong “youth club movement” in
Tanzania and other countries of East Africa. Most youth
groups are fortunate enough to have good adult sponsors or
to be attached to youth centres that guide them in a variety
of group projects. Youth groups are attracted to volunteer
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for many activities in CR from the music programs to the
news selections and drama groups. Activities in a radio
station have a certain glamorous attraction for young people
whose lives are often media-centred. Young people often
dream of a career in the media. In fact CR can be a kind of
training ground for young people who later do get involved
with livelihoods connected with the media. Almost all of
these youth clubs have a range of projects—drama groups,
music groups, sports clubs, hobby groups and especially
income-generating projects which help to pay for school
fees. Youth clubs are especially good for the experience of
democratic leadership and learning other civic capacities.
Often CR becomes a major support of all these activities.
And, again, this is a way of getting a wide range of young
people from virtually all the villages, wards and
neighbourhoods heard on the local CR.
Support of local government
Many CR stations cooperate with local district
commissioners or other officers of local systematically
support, in a non-partisan way, all the priority
improvements districts are trying to introduce. The CR may
give the microphone to the district commissioner as long as
this is not a form of politicking or the CR may support
projects by the campaign method, providing regular reports
on the progress and successes of the project. CR gives
interviews with villages and wards that are particularly
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successful in the projects, or provide instructions on how
to carry out the projects. At least one district
commissioner was heard to say, “I owe my last promotion to
the support of the local CR station”.
As was noted above local CR gives the microphone to
the people to voice their own complaints, and these
complaints not infrequently are directed against a broad
range of local public officers, from the police, to the
schools, to the lack of health facilities, bad roads, or
even the unsanitary conditions of the local markets.
District commissioners or other public offers often are not
accustomed to the people speaking out, and often become very
defensive. More than one district commissioner has come
storming over to the CR with threats for allowing such free
speech. To gain some dialogue with local government, one of
the committees that provides policy guidance for CR can be
made up of public officials. This is an opportunity to
explain to local government leaders that they should be
ready to allow the public to voice complaints because this
may reveal the real feelings of some people and may be a
source of many good ideas for improving their own
governance. It is better to know the complaints of the
people and be able to deal with them calmly and positively
than to build up a hostile relationship with citizens and be
rejected at the polls. In short, a CR station may be a good
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context for educating public officials in the principles of
freedom of speech in a democratic society.
The thorny problem of financing CR
CR stations have a problem in financing all over the
world, but the problem in greater in Africa because of the
general poverty of the continent. Yet, CR stations in
Africa that provide good services to communities and defend
the interests of the community will find that the
communities also find ways to support the local CR. If all
participate and people truly feel that is “our radio
station”, then the people will not let the CR go out of
existence.
Yet there are a number of sound principles of
financial management that are essential.
(1) The initial start up costs of a building, broadcasting
equipment and antenna can be far beyond the resources
of a community in Africa. Regardless of the poverty of
the community, however, a major effort must be made to
raise money in the community from the people. This
ranges from traditional fund-raising activities such as
raffles, festivals, contests or any other way that
everybody can give something however small and feel that
they are “owners” of this radio. Nearly all CRs have
been able to obtain funding for start-up costs or for
major equipment renewal from foundations or sometimes
from a consortium of sponsors such as the churches who
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have overseas sources, local branches of civic
organizations or from wealthy businessmen who proud to be
recognized for their generosity. But these agencies are
rightfully hesitant to contribute if the local people are
not involved and not contributing.
(2) Keep the number of personnel down to no more than four
to five really competent, dedicated people who know radio
well but are experienced in community development. The
station then depends on a carefully selected and guided
group of organizations, supervising committees and
volunteers. Volunteers should be accepted with caution
because they often begin by volunteering but then asking
for
help in covering incidental expenses and end up taking
the CR to court for non-payment of salaries. Some CR
stations will not take a person as a volunteer unless
they have employment or other source of support.
The major financial mistake that most CR stations
make is that they think of CR as similar to a traditional
broadcasting station and take on many personnel to
produce programmes. The studies of CR done in East
Africa show that many founders of CR have relatively
little training or experience in authentic CR. Often
these employees are not skilled in community development,
know little about the community and not really skilled in
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programme production so that they think they need a week
to prepare a half hour programme.
(3) Most CRs seek advertising support, but give priority to
advertising that is more socially beneficial and
informative for the community. One part of “social
advertising” will be announcements that community
organizations, government offices, and community leaders
bring to the radio. This should be paid for even if at
a more nominal amount. If a CR station builds up a large
and loyal audience, advertisers will know this and will
seek out space on the station. To gain a large audience
a CR radio will have to be lively, fast moving,
entertaining and in the thick of community debate and
discussion. Almost no communication schools teach what
is “lively, fast moving” radio. This is learned from
practitioners in radio.
(4) When a CR builds up a large audience and has a good
record of community action and community education, many
organizations involved in rural or urban lower status
communities will come to fund educational programming in
the area of health, agriculture or just about any other
area of popular education. The danger is that these
agencies will come with heavy, dull didactic programming
that they have produced. CR must maintain the right to
follow its participatory, community-oriented and debate-
oriented programming style.
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(5) The CR stations that gain a reputation for
effectiveness in community development will attract
funding from local and international funding agencies.
This can be accepted with caution as long as the central
budget of the station does not come to depend on these
“one-time” windfall sources. Once this funding is
finished, it probably will not be repeated. This funding
should be treated as a special project which can be added
to the programme and without disturbing the normal
community development activities and normal budget.
Maintaining community control
In many parts of the world community groups that have
started a community radio have lost control of the station
to political or commercial interests. Legislation often
sets down the guidelines that the ownership and control must
be vested in community organizations. It can be relatively
easy for political or commercial interests to move into a
public community meeting with their people and vote in
managers and personnel that represent their interests.
Precautions against this kind of “take over” must be
instituted in the basic charter of the station.
In almost all African countries successful CR has
formed a national association to defend interests, get
favourable support from government regulatory agencies,
provide training courses for staff, get the help of
foundations and UNESCO , and other support. Good CR cannot
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exist without national associations. Tanzania is
particularly fortunate to have a good national association.
We expect much from CR in Tanzania!
Useful reading about community radio in Africa
Community radio for development: The World and Africa, by P. Alumuku
(Nairobi,
Paulines, 2006) is still one of the best general
surveys, although it now needs some
updating. It is available from the Paulines
bookstore in Dar es Salaam.
Information about Radio Ada, Radio Peace, and other CRs can
be
downloaded from the Internet or from their websites.
The report edited by M, Bonin and A. Opoku-Mensah,What is
Community Radio: A
Resource Guide, 1998 can be downloaded from the Internet.
Fraser, C. and Restrepo, 2001, Community Radio Handbook,
Paris: UNESCO may be
obtained through UNESCO. The UNESCO office in
Tanzania has much material.
Meyer has a chapter, Community Radio and Development, in the
book, African
Broadcast Cultures: Radio in Transition, by R. Fardon and G.
Furness, James
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