Comments on: Community radio & ICTs: Can the poor benefit? http://comunica.org/radio2.0/archives/22 Local & community broadcasting and new ICTs Fri, 29 Aug 2008 04:56:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: Ivan Lukanda http://comunica.org/radio2.0/archives/22#comment-666 Ivan Lukanda Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:51:57 +0000 http://comunica.org/radio2.0/archives/22#comment-666 Ideals indicate that the poor can benefit. But this benefit is only as far as analogue radio is concerned. In developing countries where modifications on traditional radio technology such as podcasting, Internet and two-way radio in the form of telephone calls in live programmes, the voiceless can hardly have their voices heard. The implication is that an elite group will naturally emerge within the so-called voiceless and overturn the intensions of community radio: management and programming by the people it serves; non-profit-making; accountability to the intended audience; and participation by the people it serves. The fact that most community radios have either government institutions, non-government Organisations or individuals supporting their stay on air means they can easily dominate the stations with their views at the expense of the voiceless. The rich, the educated and those with political or religious power end up dominating the media because they can have the access and the means to contribute. Ivan Lukanda Makerere University Ideals indicate that the poor can benefit. But this benefit is only as far as analogue radio is concerned. In developing countries where modifications on traditional radio technology such as podcasting, Internet and two-way radio in the form of telephone calls in live programmes, the voiceless can hardly have their voices heard. The implication is that an elite group will naturally emerge within the so-called voiceless and overturn the intensions of community radio: management and programming by the people it serves; non-profit-making; accountability to the intended audience; and participation by the people it serves. The fact that most community radios have either government institutions, non-government Organisations or individuals supporting their stay on air means they can easily dominate the stations with their views at the expense of the voiceless. The rich, the educated and those with political or religious power end up dominating the media because they can have the access and the means to contribute.

Ivan Lukanda
Makerere University

]]>