Community Radio Case Studies

The three case studies summarised here were presented at the UNESCO Conference of Ministers of Education of African Member States in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in December 2002. The Council of Learning (COL) and UNESCO-BREDA (The UNESCO Regional Office in Dakar is better known under its French acronym: BREDA) commissioned these case studies as examples of issues and good practice in community-based radio in Africa.

The purpose of the case studies is to demonstrate the effectiveness of community radio by challenging people to consider this medium as an effective means of achieving the targets of a world free of HIV/AIDS and of each child having access to educational opportunities. Along those lines, a key premise undergirding the three case studies is that there is an urgency associated with promoting community radio as an essential element “in the battle against HIV/AIDS and ignorance about the pandemic”.

Presented by Mohammed Boulahya, David Walker, and Gordon Naidoo, the case studies focus on the effective setup and delivery of community radio in the field, as demonstrated by the Ranet, Niger and the Apac, Uganda models. Though drawing on these particular models, the authors encourage readers to consider some of the issues that may be relevant to their own country situations.

Each author's case study focuses on particular elements of community radio. For example, Naidoo describes the “highly competitive, often volatile commercial environment” of community radio, which results in this medium being forced into “vying with the commercial and public broadcaster for listenership”.

Boulahya says of community radio: “as an open system that invites rural populations to participate, it offers returns to those who are willing to invest their energy and imagination.”

Walker draws attention to the issues of cost-effectiveness and the sustainability of such projects.

The case studies include:

• Click here for “Climate, Communications, and Innovative Technologies: Potential Impacts and Sustainability of New Radio and Internet Linkages in Rural African Communities” by Mohammed Boulahya, Director and Founder, African Center for Meteorological Applications for Development, Niamey, Niger.
• Click here for “Portable FM Radio Stations: Broadcasting with the Sun” by David Walker, Education Specialist (Educational Technology/Media), Commonwealth of Learning.
• Click here for “Effective Community Radio in Education” by Gordon Naidoo, Director, OLSET, South Africa (Open Learning Systems Education Trust).