Community Radio and Empowerment

The book is based on the empirical research study conducted by the researcher to explore and examine the role of community radio stations in empowering the rural communities of Rajasthan state of India. One of the classic and universally accepted definitions of community radio, given by Louie Tabing emphasizes on three aspects of the community radio i.e. it is operated in a community; operated for the community; and operated by the community. This study examines key aspect of ‘by the community’ in the operation of a community radio station. The book explains the fundamentals of community media along with its origin and development across the world. It also traces the historical linkage between community radio and empowerment with theoretical background of the study. It also explains the socio-economic status of the community radio volunteers and the role of community radio training programmes in the process of empowerment. Four well known community radio stations of Rajasthan state of India, situated in the rural territories have been covered and hundred volunteers of these CRS are interviewed in the study. It analyzes programme content, training programmes and various activities conducted by the stations to ensure the community participation. The book explains the process of empowerment of volunteers through the community radio participation. The book also identifies the issues and challenges of volunteers in participation and discusses how the community radio stations are promoting the contemporary public sphere like social media and the traditional public sphere like gram Panchayat, gram sabha and chaupal and how it has also created some new public sphere like community radio listeners club especially in the rural communities.