How can we make a Community Radio be self sustained in the year 2010?

Dear Colleagues,

As we are waiting for the new year 2010 to come I have been wondering how best we can make these community Radios to be fully self sustained.

I guess this is one of the most challenge faced by most of the Rural Based Community Radios especially those with Limited coverage like 25km-35km.

Am looking forward to hear from your strategies in the year 2010

Wishing a prosperous new year

Peter Balaba

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by John J W Mahegere on December 31, 2009 at 12:20am: Hi Peter,

There are a number of things to do to make the Community Radio if not the Community Media to be sustainable. I will start a bit of the discussion by mentioning the acceptability of your programmes by the concerned community. The local people should be part of the programmes so produced i.e the programmes should put the interest of the local people at the forefront so that they see for themselves that their voices are heard (I can term this socio-cultural sustainability). By so doing, I am sure they will definitely render you their full support and in a long run, sustainability.

They should be run on a commercial mode so that they solicit some money from both the locals for adverts (however small the amount of money might be!) and the business companies to sponsor some of the programmes.

The political sustainability can be gained by ensuring that the Radio is completely neutral and does not support any political fragmentation at the expense of the other and every political segment should be equally treated and by any means its programming should be 'off the hands' of the political elite of the community and 'in the hands' of the development strategists of the particular community.

The management also needs to have the business acumen so that it runs the centre profitably. They should train and acquire the very basic skills in financial management and human resources management skills albeit at the very basic level.

There are a lot to do and share but hoped I should shade some light on the topic at least to keep the ball rolling. Peter, this is a good topic! Greetings to your team and Nakaseke in general.

To the other members of the KM4Dev, I wish you a happy and prosperous New Year 2010. Let us make year 2010 the year for immense sharing and learning from one another for development.

John Mahegere; ▶ Any comment to this