radio, broadcasting, wireless, digital, networks, social, community, grassroots technology In this poster I aim to reconsider the role of radio broadcasting on a local level, and examine the interesting revival in this
'secondary' medium as a tool for community awareness and creative expression. Community radio broadcasting as a movement for social empowerment is undergoing transformation and expansion. Grassroots wireless digital networks are enabling localised sharing of bandwidth and services. This poster will explore these phenomena, looking at examples of projects, comparing and contrasting approaches and positions, and analysing issues.
Abstract When considering access to media and information technology there is often a tendency to fetishise the new and neglect the multifarious media which saturate our environment. The dominant narrative preferred in industrialised countries is the process of continual, market driven upgrade towards a technological event horizon. The utility and value in existing, or 'second tier' media can be overlooked in the rush to embrace the new. In this text I aim to reconsider the role of radio broadcasting on a local level, and examine the interesting revival in this 'secondary' medium as a tool for community awareness and creative expression. Long an over-regulated zone of control which excluded the majority from meaningful participation, radio is opening up further to groups previously denied a voice. The dreams of early radio pioneers are now beginning to be realised via a technology which, in the mainstream of culture, has to some extent been eclipsed by subsequent developments. In contrast, another recent movement involving radio technologies, the so called 'free networks' of community wireless enthusiasts, has to cope with increasing encroachment from the corporate sector, as 3G mobile networks and wi-fi hotspot providers battle for 'roaming' service consumers. The struggle to maintain an independent, 'home brew' ethos whilst connected to an ever more commercialised Internet is difficult, because the terms upon which it should be fought are as yet ill-defined. The means of access to wireless networks, and the forms of expression, are varied and constantly changing. Thus the imperative to become involved in community networking is to participate in a shared set of values, the desire for an alternative to commercially supplied services. In this respect the motivations for participation in new and old media forms are similar. It is these similarities which I will explore, using examples from projects in several countries around the world. I will also examine critical distinctions and discords in approach. Where there are confluences, this can be seen as a positive progression from one use of the radio spectrum to another; Where approaches diverge, the reasons (other than the purely technical) may be important to observe. URLS:
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