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Austrian Parliament passes legislation on Community Media |
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Policy -
News
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Tuesday, 26 May 2009 |
 The Austrian Parliament has passed a legislation recognizing Community Media that includes a legal definition of non-commercial Radio and Television as specific form of broadcast media. The text also includes a "fund for noncommercial broadcasters (Radio, TV)", 1 Million Euro per year, administered by the Austrian Media Regulator RTR and financed partly from broadcasting fees. Among the aims of the Fund for the Promotion of non-commercial broadcasting':
- To encourage the private noncommercial broadcasting and its contents the Austrian Broadcasting regulator receives RTR 1 million euros per year from revenues from broadcasting fees.
- To promote the non-commercial broadcasting within the Austrian media landscape and its support in the provision of diverse and high-quality programs, which in particular contribute to the promotion of the Austrian Culture, the Austrian and European identity, the information and education of the Austrian population.
Grants may be used for production costs, financial support of projects that lead to production or broadcasting of programmes, training offers, research and surveys.
Noncommercial broadcasters are those that are no profit-oriented, whose program contains no advertising and who provide open access to the public.
> Download the full text of the (in German only, details at page 4)
> Austrian Federation of Free Radios
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Spanish Community Media Network legally constituted |
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Practice -
News
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Tuesday, 26 May 2009 |
 On 24 May 2009 the Red de Medios Comunitarios (ReMC/) Community Media Network was legall constituted. It aims to defend the right to create community media initiatives, demanding a public space of communication that guarantees the existence and the development of community media. In addition, it aims to promote freedom of expression and the circulation of ideas, opinions and information through any mean of communication.
The ReMC considers that social development, human rights, cultural and linguistic diversity and the rights of the women and the minorities are fundamental for the social transformation and establishment of a democratic culture. The process of legal constitution of the ReMC began in 2005, when a group of community media initiatives met to analyze the reality of their everyday work and to identify common issues and challenges, as well as share experiences and aim to influence in communication and media policy.
After this initial meeting a series of other events took place. Among these, the fourth edition, held in November 2007 in Bilbao, a working group was setup to create a legally constituted organization that it would promote a network and campaign for community media recognition at the regional and national level. |
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Pathways for Community Media in London seminars |
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Research -
Events
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Saturday, 02 May 2009 |
 The Community Media Research Group at London Metropolitan University is organising a series of three seminars, to be held between May and July 2009, to bring together community media practitioners to identify the needs and aspirations of London's many disenfranchised communities and discuss a way forward that will give them a voice over the airwaves and the internet. The meetings have the support of the Community Media Association, BBC London and Ofcom. Project Coordinator Donald McTernan and Peter Lewis, Senior Lecturer in Community Media will be organizing the events.
The meetings will be of interest to Community Media practitioners, Community Radio licensees and aspirant groups, those working for Local Authorities in fields where community media can have an impact - health, youth, social inclusion, regeneration, community arts, minority ethnic groups, as well students and lecturers and researchers in community media.
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Britain: Communities are the radio stars |
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Policy -
News
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Monday, 09 March 2009 |
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 More than 8 million people are now able to tune into community radio stations in Great Britain and demand is still high for licences, British Media regulator Ofcom’s first Annual Report of Community Radio reveals. Over 130 community stations are now broadcasting across the UK, with another 50 preparing to launch. These not-for-profit radio stations cover small geographical areas and each typically provides 81 hours of original and distinctive output a week – mostly locally produced. Community radio licensing was introduced by Ofcom and the first licence was awarded in March 2005.
Peter Davies, Ofcom’s Director of Radio Policy, said:
“Community radio is a real success story. It delivers rich and varied content to listeners and provides additional benefits through community involvement and training. Our Community Radio Annual Report reveals that, in just over three years, 130 stations have sprung up across the length and breadth of the UK. They reach many communities: from rural to inner city areas and serving diverse audiences with content ranging from religion, experimental music to RnB.”
“We are delighted that interest from those wishing to run such stations for their own communities remains high.” |
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Community Media and European Policy workshop in Halle |
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Policy -
News
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Monday, 16 March 2009 |
 The medien ost e.V. held an international workshop on 12-14 March 2009, in Halle, Germanym aiming at networking and discuss on the status of Community Media (CM) in the European Political Sphere. Representatives of European Community Media organizations, as well as representatives of national and regional organizations, researchers and members of German and European institutions, including the European Parliament and the Council of Europe, debated the potential and the perspectives of the third media sector in Germany as well as in Europe in Halle.
During the two-day workshop "Community Media and European Policy", held in Halle on 13-14 March, participants from 14 countries reviewed current trends of the sector in Europe, highlighting some of the immediate actions occuring as a result of the adoption of these decisions.
As part of the workshop, a plenary session was convened on Friday evening. Invited speakers were Minister of State Sachsen-Anhalt Rainer Robra, German representative in the Steering Committee for Mass Media and Communication (CDMC) at the Council of Europe Bernhard Möwes, and MEPs Elizabeth Schroedter (Green Party) and Dr. Horst Schnellhardt (CDU). The speakers broadly agreed that community media need to be strengthened. The speakers also agreed that community media advocates should be given status in Brussels, and that community media should be involved in European political decision-making processes.
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Community Media Sustainability guide published |
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Practice -
News
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Friday, 27 February 2009 |
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 Internews has launched a wide-ranging new guide addressing the challenge of how to make community media financially sustainable in countries around the world, including also examples from Europe (UK and Croatia). The Community Media Sustainability Guide: The Business of Changing Lives (3 MB PDF), is a 81-page publication covering topics such as incorporating new online platforms and using alternative energy to power radio stations, all with an eye to keeping the doors open in a sector not known for its profitability.
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Council of Europe adopts Community Media declaration |
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Policy -
News
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Friday, 13 February 2009 |
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 The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopted on 11 February 2009 the Declaration on the role of community media (CM) in promoting social cohesion and intercultural dialogue.
The Community Media Forum Europe has been working as an observer with the Group of Specialists on Media Diversity (MC-S-MD) of the Steering Committee on the Media and New Communication Services (CDMC) of the Council of Europe since December 2007 and contributed actively to the drafting of this Declaration, cooperating closely with AMARC Europe . Pieter de Wit, President of CMFE, stated : 'We are pleased to see the positive results of this work and are convinced that the declaration can support the further development of CM across Europe. This declaration surely helps strengthening the position of CM in national regulatory and legislation processes, for example concerning financial support and access to communication infrastructures. It also strengthens the presence of CM on European policy level'.
> Access the full text in English
> Access the full text in French |
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