RTV Theory and Practice - Special Issue

Florida A . Kweekeh ,

University College in Liberia

THE ROLE OF REGIONAL, LOCAL AND COMMUNITY RADIO IN RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN LIBERIA: A CASE STUDY OF THE LIBERIAN RURAL COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK

INTRODUCTION This paper attempts to give an impression of Liberia's practice of integrated rural development through the use of a regional, local or community radio . In order to portray Liberia's experience of that practice - the Liberian Rural Communications NetworK , a networK of community radio stations has been cited as a case study . The paper intends to focus on the role community radio stations play in maintaining anđ sustaining collective iđentities in the development of rural Liberia by integrating local languages in the mainstream of radio broadcasting and emphasizing the need to share cultural, educational and informational programs among various ethnic groups through rađio . BACKGROUND Located in the Western coast of sub-saharan Africa , Liberia covers 4 3,000 sguare miles and is bordered on the north by Sierra Leone and on the north-west by Guinea and on the east by lvory Coast . It is a country entirely within the humid tropical zone . The population of about 2.2. million estimated m 1985 has an annual growth rate of 3.5 percent . Density averages 27 рег sguare mile but varies greatly over the whole country .Population is divided into more than sixteen local ethnic groups , majority of whom live in rural parts about 80 percent. Seventy-five to eighty percent of the population is illiterate . Rural roads are madeguate and during the rainy season they become impassable . Infant mortality rate is high but is declining steadily with the years,but it is a problem , it decreased from 42 deaths to 16 per 1000 births , between 1960 and 1983. In early 1970'5, the Government of Liberia accelerated its development efforts and mcreased its budget allocations for rural development , the highly centralized approaches to

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