RTV Theory and Practice - Special Issue

turn on each other , finding them to be more convenlentlr placed representatives of the social, political, economic, and cultural conditions that have been suppressing them . The result is that a great deal of time and епегду is spent on internecine guarrels within the station , rather than on program production , commumty outreach , and the liKe . Thus , it is important to mamtain an atmosphere of mutual respect within the station , since the station serves as a resource to the community , not the other way around . This is , of course , easier said than đone. LESSONS FOR THE FUTURE Community radio in the United States is almost as old as the medium itself . It has consisted at various times of amateurs , citizens concerneđ about the content of what was made available to them , musicians, and people representlng various ethnic communities in the larger cities of the country . It is now a means by whlch people who want access to speak to the community or members of a community of needs can come mto contact with each other inexpensively . Some of the issues with which people interesteđ in promoting community rađio are as old as the concepts themselves . Within апу communlty there are political forces vymg for mfluence and control; these issues become magmfied when dealmg with the radio station since public ехрозиге translates into mfluence . The three problems of community radio delmeated above are all mterrelated , and each deals pnmarily wlth the issue of control. Which communities should be given access , who gets to speaK for these communities , and whose interests are bemg served by these selections all beg the guestion of who deciđes . It is in roles of mediators and đecision-maKers that the greatest opportumtles for political leverage (and abuse ) exist . In commercial radio , decisions can изиаМу be justlfied by the bottom llne (at least to station owne.cs ) . This is usually not the case for community stations , smce they are not mtended to generate profits for those who control thelr licenses . Brecht's dream of allowmg the listener to speaK as well as to listen , of connecting people rather than isolatmg them through the radio , is alive . The problems come with its implementation . The degree to which community radio activists and planners can address their' mherent poiitical problems directly , anđ to which they can construct an evolvmg mechamsm to safeguarđ agamst abuses of power , will be the

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