RTV Theory and Practice - Special Issue

and a less-than-satisfactory relationship with the academic program in communications and thus a shaky training function. While in rhetoric its 10-hours a day , 5-day a week programming in Jazz (with a very small smattering of news and public af fairs) serves the needs of Centrai Harlem , in reality WHCR is far from the neighborhood communication center envisioned in the Conceptual Manual, Did something go drastically wrong? If so , what? Does the fault tie in the praxis of/ the Manual itself - or the lack of tactical organizing skill of its author? Answers to these guestions are beyond the scope of this paper . 3 ) Indeeđ, since they address the central scholarly concerns of the role and context of social communication processes , it is reasonable to assert that no one yet has conclusive information. Thus , we woulđ justifiably argue that WHCR as an action-research project in community communication praxis has succeeded in putting exploratory studies to extenđ the theoretical scope of this агеа on the communications and radio agenđa . But we can look at the current situation at WHCR in relation to the Manual as a new development in radio broadcasting not yet blooming . There may be a far longer incubation period involved here: the two years WHCR has been on the air may well be the germination only , Circulation of the Conceptual Manual beyond the limiteđ experimental group of staff and students at the College will be an important next step . After updating the 1985 version to reflect the developments of the last three years , a 1989 Manual, still positioned rhetorically as a "document of the future" , would be a useful strategic tool to engage again the guestion of WHCR's form and content . The goal, this time as last, would be to prod station management (and the College's supervisory structure) to take seriously the concepts of organization articulated in the đocument. Last time around , too early in the organic lif espan to have the đesired impact, those who read the Manual viewed it as an intriguing but utopian construct. Next time , the author will situate it аз a concrete and groundeđ blueprint anđ guideline for change . Funđamental to creating a transformative impact using the Manual and its embedded community communication concepts will be two đevelopments. First , the current station manager must be either won over to

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