<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p> Community radio is considered as an intervention strategy of choice for deepening participation and community ownership. Donors have funded a proliferation of community radio projects in the Global South, prompted by stories attesting to the power of radio as a tool for social change. The evidence suggests that beyond empowering communities, community radio can catalyse behaviour change and impact positively on wider development outcomes. In practice, the record has been mixed, with sustainability a critical challenge. A recent evaluation found that radio stations created through top-down initiatives tend not to survive when external funding dries up. Where such stations do survive, their purpose often becomes different from what was originally intended. Only in a handful of cases have previously aid-dependent radio stations become sustainable. Informed by insights from practitioners, and evaluation reports and scholarly literature, this article draws some emerging lessons.</p></abstract>

Community radio is considered as an intervention strategy of choice for deepening participation and community ownership. Donors have funded a proliferation of community radio projects in the Global South, prompted by stories attesting to the power of radio as a tool for social change. The evidence suggests that beyond empowering communities, community radio can catalyse behaviour change and impact positively on wider development outcomes. In practice, the record has been mixed, with sustainability a critical challenge. A recent evaluation found that radio stations created through top-down initiatives tend not to survive when external funding dries up. Where such stations do survive, their purpose often becomes different from what was originally intended. Only in a handful of cases have previously aid-dependent radio stations become sustainable. Informed by insights from practitioners, and evaluation reports and scholarly literature, this article draws some emerging lessons.

The Growing Pains of Community Radio in Africa

Communication for development specialist and a consultant to multilateral and bilateral development agencies and philanthropic foundations

Nordicom Review

Emerging Lessons Towards Sustainability

Community radio is considered as an intervention strategy of choice for deepening participation and community ownership. Donors have funded a proliferation of...

The Growing Pains of Community Radio in Africa

Published Online: Jul 30, 2013

Page range: 135 - 147

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/nor-2013-0031

This content is open access.