First Cordillera community radio station launched in Sagada
We felt the people’s desire and interest for a radio station they
truly own long before this launch. Radyo Sagada is no longer a dream
but a reality.”
By RAYMUND B. VILLANUEVA
Bulatlat.com
SAGADA, Mountain Province — Radio Sagada 104.7 FM was successfully
launched last Friday as the first-ever community radio station in the
Cordilleras.
After five months of test broadcasts, the people of Sagada converged
at the town center to end almost a decade of hard work and anticipation.
Friends and supporters from Baguio, Manila and even abroad made the
long trip to this famous tourist town to celebrate with the community
and participate in the event.
“With this launching, Sagada proved once more its leadership in
pushing for the people’s communication rights,” Kathleen Okubo, Radyo
Sagada director said.
Okubo, Baguio-based Northern Dispatch Weekly editor in chief,
recalled that Sagada published the first newsweeklies in the Cordilleras
with a letterpress printing machine that also gave birth to the
country’s oldest existing community newspaper, the Baguio Midland
Courier.
Radyo Sagada station manager Mary Carling for her part urged Sagadans
and all Cordillerans to claim the community radio station as theirs.
(Photo by Ray Villa / Bulatlat.com)
“We will welcome anyone who wish to broadcast programs on Radyo
Sagada, because it is owned, managed and operated by the people,” she
said.
Non-commercial and pro-people
Aside from having weaker signals, community radio stations differ with other types of radio stations in more ways than one.
Their primary mandate is to give voice to citizens usually ignored by
commercial or government-owned radio stations that number around 600
all over the Philippines.
Community radio stations often give people and sectoral
organizations, peasants, women, indigenous peoples, workers, youth,
environmentalists and other marginalized sectors free airtime.
Community radio broadcasters also generally lack formal training and
education on broadcasting but there are many non-government
organizations that give them free training and assistance.
While community radio stations may air commercial advertisements,
proceeds are exclusively used for operations. Advertisers are also not
allowed to influence editorial policies if they run counter to the
pro-people advocacies of the station.
For instance, these stations almost never air pesticide and fertilizer
advertisements if their peasant listeners advocate organic farming.....
MORE
Source: Bulatlat.com
URL:
http://bulatlat.com/main/2011/11/17/first-cordillera-community-radio-station-launched-in-sagada/
