Community Radio and the Audience in Uganda: A Survey on the Community Radio Performance of Community Service.

Abstract

Most of Community radio (CR) stations in Uganda are run, managed, controlled and owned by the communities for easy service delivery to the population living in those communities. Meanwhile, few radio stations are owned and controlled by non-governmental organizations (NGOs), private individuals and government to monitor service delivery of these institutions to their receivers. Other radio stations under different institutions are profit making channels. Despite owners’ restrictions and government censorships, CR stations give chance to communities to have “total control” over their stations by allowing people to participate in community decision making through airing their voices and views. CR stations educate masses, sensitize them on health matters, involve in crime prevention, and fight domestic violence. They also play culture and religious empowerment role and serve the interests, needs and aspirations of the communities.  In different parts of Uganda, CR stations broadcast in the minimum of two languages including local and international languages to reach their targeted audiences. The understandable languages used plus public’s voluntary participation in programming helps to improve performances of CR radios and to strengthen the relationship between stations’ management and the audiences. This paper talked about simple back ground of radio development in Africa and Uganda in particular to have a hint on the roots of CR in Uganda. Meanwhile, it is indicated that 60 percent of CR stations target audiences only at regional level, 20 percent reach at national level, 20 percent community level and no station reached international level by the time this survey was conducted. Despite challenges, CR stations managed to be in good relationships with the masses although some stations divert from their major goal of serving communities to commercial broadcasting.