Free radio

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Princesa FM from Ponta Grossa , southern Brazil , an example for FR . As stated, the frequency is 87.9 MHz, one of the most common tunings dedicated to this type of radio in this country.

Free radios are independent, self-determined, “open” mass media that operate non-commercial , grassroots democratic social broadcasting that critically examines the existing social conditions and, according to its own statements , is intended to promote free expression .

history

Free radios are organized collectively and socially and often not for profit, are not geared towards profit and refuse to be financed through commercial advertising. They are based on the concept of counter-public . They see themselves as a means of communication in the local and regional area and support regional development.

Free radios see the non-commercial local radio , to which they and the open channels (these are also referred to as citizens' broadcasting ) belong, as the third pillar in the media landscape next to the public and commercial-private broadcasters. Political pirate broadcasters are considered to be the forerunners of free radios .

In Germany, free radios are active in twelve federal states and have so far been able to enforce media law principles for independent radio broadcasting in seven countries . In three other federal states, free radio initiatives broadcast in open channels or on community radio. There are also several citizens' initiatives, u. a. in Berlin, Brandenburg, Dresden and Konstanz, who work there for the creation of free radios.

There are 13 active radio stations in Austria and 18 in Switzerland.

Problem of demarcation

“Free radio” is the most accurate equivalent of the English term “community radio”, even if the demarcation between free radios, community radios , open channels and training and further education radios is historically not the same in most countries or does not differentiate between these models everywhere becomes.

In the USA, which only knows radio broadcasting under private law (and differentiates between commercial and non-commercial broadcasters, the latter known as National Public Radio (NPR) and supported by public funds with funding guidelines), the FCC, as community radio , licenses non-commercial local broadcasters, mostly from associations operate, produce at least 50 percent local programming, and differ from NPR broadcasters in that they have more diversified programming and a low number of contributors and financial support. Other countries such as India provide for lower content regulation for these channels, but there are requirements for the transmission strength and the mast height for the transmission system (in India up to 50 watts ERP and 30 meters high), with cultural funding added and advertising time sales of five minutes per Hour is limited. The rules were last re-created in 2006 after a landmark judgment from 1995 defined broadcasting as common property and public access to broadcasting facilities was required (“airwaves are public property”). In New Zealand, the ACAB (Association of Community Access Broadcasters) broadcasters are separated into platform operators with production and broadcast facilities and citizens as content providers. The system corresponds to the model of the open channel.

Even within the German-speaking area, differentiated models of non-commercial radio stations developed within the framework of media-political regulatory processes. While in North Rhine-Westphalia commercial private broadcasters initially had to make 15 percent of airtime available to non-commercial citizen radios, classic open channels were created in 2007, as they have been available to citizens in Rhineland-Palatinate since the beginning of private radio. In Bavaria there are only training and further education channels regulated independently by the BLM, while free radios require licenses as regular private programs. In Austria there is no independent model at all, only private broadcasters, some with municipal funding such as B. Radio OP as a funding project for minority languages ​​in a grammar school. In all countries, many of these stations are organized in the national associations of free radios.

Advocacy

Switzerland

The Union of Non-Commercial Local Radios (UNIKOM) was founded in 1983.

Austria

The predecessor of the Association of Free Radios Austria (VFRÖ) was founded in the early 1990s . 15 free radios and radio initiatives are members of the VFRÖ. With the Cultural Broadcasting Archive, the VFRÖ operates an exchange platform for audio contributions.

Germany

In November 1993, during a media conference in Hattingen, the Federal Association of Free Radios (BFR) was founded and has held a congress and a listening festival (“Hirn & Hertz”) (almost) every year since then. In addition to these events, there was always the initiative for individual projects, for which further meetings took place. In Baden-Württemberg there is also the Association of Free Social Radio (AFF) as a state association of Free Radios.

The Federal Association of Free Radios represents the interests of its members externally. The BFR organizes the joint further development of (media) political objectives for free radio stations as well as of program content and forms of broadcasting. It promotes the exchange of information among the member initiatives and with other media projects. In addition, the BFR operates a website for program exchange, whose contributions can also be subscribed to as podcasts.

International

The worldwide association for free radios is the Association mondiale des radiodiffuseurs communautaires (AMARC).

List of free radios in German-speaking countries

Switzerland

Austria

Germany

Baden-Württemberg

Bavaria

Berlin-Brandenburg

Hamburg

Hesse

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

Lower Saxony

Saxony

Saxony-Anhalt

Schleswig-Holstein

  • Free Radio Neumünster (on air from 2019)

Thuringia

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ UEPG Notícias | Jornalismo e Rádio Comunitária estreiam 'Democracia em Debate'. Retrieved January 25, 2019 (Brazilian Portuguese).
  2. ^ Ralf Hutter: Setback for Free Radio. Neues Deutschland, April 25, 2012, accessed on February 10, 2019
  3. ^ Stefania Milan: Four steps to community media as a development tool. tandfonline.com, December 14, 2010
  4. ↑ [1]
  5. ↑ Decision of the Supreme Court of India in the decision on a complaint by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting against a cricket association
  6. ↑ Community Access Broadcasters - Description on the acab.org.nz website (in the web archive)
  7. ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original dated May 8, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.lpr-hessen.de

Germany

  1. ↑ a b media server of the Federation of Free Radios (program exchange, podcasts)

Austria

  1. ↑ a b Free Radios in Austria
  2. ↑ Cultural Broadcasting Archive (program exchange, podcasts)

Switzerland

  1. ↑ a b Free radios in Switzerland

International

  1. ↑ AMARC - Free Radios Worldwide ( Memento of the original from November 9, 2005 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.amarc.org

literature

  • Citizen media, new media, media alternatives. Munich 2009, ISBN 978-3-9805604-5-0 .
  • Ron Steinke, Stephen Rehmke: Ether for everyone - opinion power and counter-public opinion using the example of free radios. In: ForumRecht. 1/2006, pp. 10-14.