This presentation says about the sustainability of Community Radio.

1. :
Sustainability of
Community Radio
N.A.Shah Ansari
Chairperson, Radio Namaskar
Chairperson, Namaskar Community Media Network
President, Young India
National President , Community Radio Association-
India
Compiled on: 13 March 2019

3. SUSTAINABILITY
MANAGE
MAINTAIN
MEET
NEEDS
IMPROVE
LIVES
TIME

5. Core principles of CR
 Promote community ownership and
management
 Operate on a not-for-profit basis
 Reflect social and cultural diversity
 Enhance community participation
 Encourage inclusion
 Contribute to horizontal communication
 Exercise editorial freedom
 Espouse self-sustainability (both social &
financial)

6. Indicators of Sustainability
An important measure of financial sustainability for a
community broadcaster is the ability to secure contributions
from its own community by, for example, generating fees from
announcements by local organizations and businesses etc.
Early involvement of the communities (in the planning and
implementation phase) and their organization in listeners' clubs are
two factors that lead to stronger participation
Lack of funds is referred to as the main challenge regarding
community participation. 77% of the stations complain about
insufficient revenues, which caused the failure of participation
strategies
Creative and cost effective ways of making local content more
appealing and relevant by CR Broadcasters and their service to
community members and other stakeholders more professional and
reliable serves as a means to enhance financial sustainability.

7. Aspects of Sustainability
• Social
• Institutional
• Financial
• Technological

8. Social
• Community needs, aspirations
• Respecting local knowledge, beliefs,
values
• Preserving local culture, promoting local
talent
• Celebrating diversity
• Providing relevant, useful and timely
information
• Role in decision making

9. Some Questions
 Is the NGO licenced for a community radio station,
required to have worked with a definable community (s)
in order to obtain a license? (e.g. India –Yes, policy
requires that)
 Do members of the community participate various
administrative bodies in the radio station? (e.g. CRS
should have management committees with community
members on board)
 Is feedback from the members of the community taken
into account, irrespective of caste, class, gender,
occupation?
 Are members of the community actively involved in
promoting the radio station within the community?
 Is the radio station’s policy inclusive of all the members of
the target community in terms of class, caste, religion,
ethnic, linguistic, gender and geographic characteristics?

10. Institutional
• Training and Capacity
building for community
• Resource Pool
• Content Sharing
• Listening groups
• Outreach activities
• Volunteer groups

11. CR Station Management
• Content-creation, archiving, retrieval
• Scheduling-FPC, repeats. Live,
interactive
• Staff roster
• Volunteers
• Training/retraining
• Finances
• Responding to local issues

12. Technological
• Choosing right
equipment- low
cost/robust
• Insurance
• AMC
• Training local persons
• Buildings back-ups
• Networking to share
info

13. Some Questions..
• Are there positions for members from the community in
the technical management team
• Is there significant focus on capacity building for the
community with respect to handling and maintaining
technical equipment in the radio station?
• Is there an onus on the radio station to organize
workshops for people from the community to learn
production of programmes?
• Is there an existence of a team assessing the technical
equipment available to the radio station?
• Does the station policy ensure compliance with safety
standards for studio and production facilities?

14. Financial
“low” cost, not ”no” Cost
• Ads- government
• Ads -private
• Sponsorships
• Local classifieds
• Announcements, Greetings
• Membership fee
• Special days
• Studio hire

15. Compiled on: 13 March 2019