RTV Theory and Practice - Special Issue

others cling percariously on the brink of extinction as the tidal wave of sameness attempts to wash away all that is unipue . And those that have managed to maintain their tradition and culture have by and large remained at the bottom of the totem pole , seconđ class citizens neglecteđ and shunned by the mainstream of society . PARTICIPATORY MEDIA (I) - RADIO BAHA'I Baha'i radio stations on three continents are becoming the vanguards of a new and holistic kind of radio , in which cultural heritage , tradition and native language are not only tolerated but emphasized and encouraged; radio by and for the people in the communities served . Radio Baha'i appeals to the whole human being . The program mix includes f olkloric music indigenous to the culture and classic in the sense of standing the test of time . Not only are the highest quality renderings from commercial sources broađcast, but also many locally-made tapes of native groups not available elsewhere . Baha'l radio stations in regions as diverse as the Andes , West Africa , southern Chile , and western Panama hold music festivals where indigineous groups come to share their talent and their heritage , and where much of the stations' music is recorded . In addition to playing "roots" music , Baha'l radio stations in Ecuador, Peru , Bolivia , the U.S.A. , Panama , Liberia and Chile f ocus upon cultural roots , encouraging oral tradition and folklore , native art, dress , handicraft anđ dance . In each case , station personnel are not content until they are one with the communities served, participating in - If not initiating various activities and events featurlng local tradition , craft and lore . At an activity commemorating the fifth anniversary of Radio Baha'l del Ecuador , the тауог of Otavalo , the town hosting the station , hađ the following to say : "What tribute can I рау to Radio Baha'i? Perhaps the best tribute is to say that it has become a vital and permanent institution in our commumty; I cannot imagme Otavalo without Radio Baha'i" . The station has become an institution by being part of the people of Otavalo and the surrounding countryside . The information it broadcasts is news of interest to the audience : a sporting event , a vaccmation campaign, a music festival, a cow đisconnected from its owner . In fact, the local news program is affectionately referred to by station personnel as "La Vaca Perdida" (the lost cow ) . Sometimes the news is of a more serious nature : Radio Baha'i del Ecuador has assisteđ m the location of literally hundređs of lost or stolen children .

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