Community
Radio serves a local community or a community of interest. The emphasis
is on the democratisation of media, that it should be accessible to
the community, both in terms of ownership, decision making and programme
output.
Programming is produced by the community, with an emphasis on local
concerns and issues, the difference being that rather than merely
talking about the community, the people themselves make the programmes.
This strengthens local culture with the recognition that this is their
station, it becomes a forum for a wide diversity of local opinions
and views and rather that trying to continue this into a homogenous
station image usually adopted by mainstream stations,
this diversity can be respected and encouraged.
The station as a whole can still have an identity, but
this can be only acceptance, diversity and in short pluralism. |