With the FCC approving dozens of LPFM applications there’s a lot of excitement about community radio right now. But let’s not forget about the thousands of other community stations around the world serving their local communities in a variety of ways. Here’s some recent community radio news.
Robin Hood Radio Taking Over AM Station in Kingston, NY
NPR’s Morning Edition recently aired a short profile of Kingston Community Radio in upstate New York which came to air by leasing time from WGHQ-AM, in advance of being donated the station outright.
Siyere Jo Radio Serves India’s Rural Kutch District
Saiyere Jo Radio in the rural Kutch District of Western India was founded by a women’s collective in 2007. Writer Sevanti Ninan visited the station–the region’s first FM–for a profile in The Hoot.
Ninan reports that each day’s broadcast has a different focus, such as health, women’s rights and farm programming. Also, “On occasion, when there is a wedding taking place, people from that family will want wedding songs run that particular week on the music slots.”
Hungary’s Civil Radio Facing Financial and Political Threats
Civil Radio, one of the last independent community radio stations in Hungary, is facing both political and financial pressures that has already taken many other stations off the air. Media laws passed by the conservative nationalist Fidesz party in 2010 redefined the rules for community stations, reallocating public funding that used to go to them. In just one year the number of community stations went from 68 in 2010 to 44 in 2011. To stay on the air Civil Radio is asking for both donations and for supporters to spread the word.
