Community radio's impact on community building: case studies from Kwazulu-Natal
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Date
2005
Authors
Teer-Tomaselli, Ruth
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Department of Communication Science, University of the Free State
Abstract
The major objectives of community radio are to "encourage widespread community
participation in broadcasting, provide an opportunity for horizontal communication
between individuals and groups in the community, stimulate more free and open debate
of community issues and reflect the cultural and social diversity of the community"
(White 1990: 4). The article focuses on six community radio stations in the greater
Durban and Pietermaritzburg metropolitan regions of KwaZulu-Natal: Highway
Radio; Radio Khwezi; Durban Youth Radio; Radio Maritzburg; Radio Al-Ansaar and
Radio Phoenix. The ultimate purpose of the project is to explore the radio stations'
relation to, and representation of, the audiences they define as their communities. The
article traces the history of community radio in South Africa by assessing each of the
radio stations in the province. The schema developed here can be further developed,
modified and applied to other radio stations elsewhere in the country in later research.
The project tests the thesis that community radios which have stable and representative
governing bodies; adopt their budgets on time; spend their money as planned; and fulfil
the requirements set down by the IBA, are for the most part the same radio stations with
strong community ties, effective "development programming", sustainable funding
situations and high listenership levels.
Description
Keywords
Community radio, Community radio stations, History of community radio
Citation
Teer-Tomaselli, R. (2005). Community radio's impact on community building: case studies from Kwazulu-Natal. Communitas, 10, 67-85.