What's the state of public radio? Are listening patterns continuing to reflect the growth of digital technologies?

Jacobs Media has released their 2015 survey of listeners to public radio in the USA. Not surprisingly, the trend to digital continues - answering the question most everyone expected. So what's new? Podcasting!

The media are a powerful force in today’s world. They profoundly influence the social, political, cultural and ecomomic directions of societies across the globe. Media literacy is the understanding of media – the “who” of ownership and power, the “why” of varying agendas,  and the “how” media affects our daily lives. RadioExpert recognizes the importance of media literacy, and continually participates in projects to promote the understanding of media by citizens. The “Understanding Media” project is funded by the European Union and seeks to examine the concept of Media Literacy in Europe.

We ask: how has media literacy been defined at European institutionals, academia and communities, and how it can be embedded in the content of the training curriculum being delivered by community media. We seek to promote better understanding of how to ‘read’ the media, and also how to ‘write’ more informative and balance content as to promote equality, pluralism and diversity, and to increase active citizenship actions through media. Phase II of the project is well underway, with the goal of building an online toolbox for any user anywhere to access media literacy tools.

To learn more about this and other projects at RadioExpert, just drop us a line. We welcome your interest!

In the USA, the local, ad-based media business model does not generate enough revenue to pay reporters to do enough reporting. As a result, communities are not being well served by journalistic institutions. Steven Waldman writes in the Columbia Journalism Review: "It’s time for a dramatic new approach grounded in community service." That new approach leverages the idea of Peace Corps-style volunteers assigned to local news jobs supported by a mixture of funding sources. Can it work? And is there a role for local community broadcasters?

The underrepresentation of women is a problem that has long existed in media -- in print, television, radio and online. But PBS has managed to find effective solutions by making gender equality a priority.

"PBS has done a remarkable job of finding great women, promoting great women and making sure that women are not just on the air but also behind the scenes, making decisions," says TV anchorwoman Judy Woodruff.

The full story from the Huffington Post.

Several years ago, beset with past poor leadership, debts and burned bridges, the National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB) almost closed up shop. Sally Kane changed all that.

Since Sally became NFCB’s CEO in early 2014, NFCB has shown new vitality. It seems be playing a larger role in the public media conversation.  This is a good thing because community-based radio has the potential to become a bigger factor in American society. Now NFCB appears to be back on track as a vital and effective supporter of community broadcasting in the United States. For more info, go here.

The Ford Foundation announced a major change to it's core philosophy, doubling the amount it gives for operation expenses of community organizations.

Now Ford will place a high priority on alleviating what it sees as the key causes of inequality, including broken political systems, discrimination, dwindling support for schools and other public institutions, and a belief that the free market alone can cure social ills. "We’re going to move away from bending our grantees to fit into our boxes and do a better job of listening and learning," stated Ford Foundation president Darren Walker.

For more information, go here.

Listening in the car is nothing new, but new platforms and technologies are sprouting up every day. A new service of news and information hopes to capture a place in your dashboard.

A 3rd sector of alternative community broadcasting does not exist on terrestrial airwaves in the Czech Republic. To many observers, advocates, and citizens this is an obvious shortcoming of the development of a pluralistic democratic society. So if indeed community broadcasting were to considered in the Czech Republic, what would it look like, and how could it be implemented?

Here's a turn-key solution provided by RadioExpert, recently revised for more clarity and effectiveness.

Recently a TV crew interviewed Henry Loeser, RadioExpert director, about his thoughts on community media. Henry shares his personal and professional opinions about the role of community media in modern democracies.

https://vimeo.com/89727825

RadioExpert has launched a scientific research project to measure the reasons why citizens particpate in community broadcasting in Austria. In cooperation with various stakeholders, the project will survey the thousands of producers creating content for the Austrian community radio and televisions. For more information: http://diss-website.webnode.com/

Die Werte und Prioritäten der Gemeinschaft Rundfunk Teilnehmer als Reflexion von Medienrecht und Medienpolitik

RadioExpert partners with high schools and universities to support media skills development and cross-cultural understanding among European students.

The "Europa Schools On Air" project aims for students from various European countries to collaborate and prepare radio broadcasts while gaining experience in intercultural communication and tolerance towards other ethnicities.

Members of the project are secondary schools, universities and radio NGOs from France, Italy, Spain, Great Britain and Czechia respectively. In each mobility, the host organization prepares a program of sightseeing, culture events, radio excursions and workshops. At the and a joint broadcast takes place presenting all teams‘ mobility projects. Between the mobilities regular multiplex broadcasts are made including all partners.

The first mobility was in October 2017 in Salerno, Italy with Liceo Classico Francesco de Sanctis as the host organization. The second in March 2018 in Bordeaux, France whose Lycée Gustave Eiffel de Bordeaux was not only a host but the general authority and manager of the Europa Schools On Air project. The following mobility was in September 2018 in Madrid, Spain with La Universidad Complutense de Madrid hosting.

The big finale was held in Brno at Masaryk University in May 2019, when the groups came together to apply their skills to learn about Czech society and culture. It was a productive week of fellowship, training, and broadcasting in Brno!

Website: https://sites.google.com/site/europaonair/

Executive Summary

With more than 7 million listeners, one in five South African radio listeners tune to community radio. The government not only recognizes the sector, the media regulator/funder allocates valuable frequencies, builds the studios and transmitters, and even subsidizes initial operations for many radios. This has created an enabling media environment, facilitating a tremendous opportunity in South Africa for community radio to be an effective component of a healthy civil society. For a list of these radios, go here. In addition, a new group of community televisions have also launched.

However, with the exception of a handful of highly successful well-managed radios, many of these South African community broadcasters lack the organizational capacity to take advantage of their positive environment. Their sustainability depends on developing a well-managed entrepreneurial organization able to develop diversified sources of revenue utilizing best practices of systems, people and materials.

Enterprise Solution

The South Africa Community Broadcasting "Enterprise Solution" project promotes an enterprise solution that would include tools, training, and ongoing support for enterprise capacity development. Focusing on radio & TV directors and sales managers, we intend to supply the components necessary for entrepreneurship. This program introduces the concepts of successful enterprise, develops the tools, and delivers the know-how in a series of regional management training workshops. It then provides long-term support for continuing enterprise development, and provides reports for measuring performance. In short, we develop "Radio (and TV) Experts".
 

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RadioExpert is an international non-profit organization committed to increasing the effectiveness of community media. We work closely with organizations to provide project development, consulting, training, advocacy, networking, research, and more. 

We deliver expert support for community media.