Immigrati e media: tanti difetti, qualche virtù

Uscendo di casa questa mattina ho afferrato dalla cassetta della posta l'ultimo numero di Riforma, il settimanale delle chiese evangeliche e ho cominciato a leggere il pezzo d'apertura che vedete riportato in parte qui sotto (e che potete leggere online qui), dedicato all'immagine che i media italiani dipingono quotidianamente degli immigrati di tante nazioni. Un'immagine molto negativa, come emerge da una ricerca svolta dalla facoltà di Scienze Politiche dell'Università di Torino. Alla fermata della metropolitana ho preso una copia del freepress City (gruppo RCS) dove oggi in prima pagina, di taglio basso, compare uno "strillo" che mi lascia molto perplesso. «Questa volta è andata meglio del previsto,» scrive City sotto il titolo Maltempo e neve: pochi disagi al traffico. «I quindici centimetri di neve previsti non hanno provocato disagi. Intanto continuano gli sgomberi dei rom dai campi.» Solo a pagina 19, trasformato in articolo, lo strillo spiega che gli unici ad aver subito le consueguenze del maltempo sono stati i rom di via Bonfadini, costretti dalla polizia ad abbandonare il campo malgrado la nevicata. Il giornale riporta anche i commenti critici di Opera Nomadi. Ma in "prima" sembra quasi che i rom debbano essere trattati alla stregua di mucchi di neve da spalare via.
E' esattamente il tipo di informazione parziale e sciatta di cui parla lo studio citato da Riforma. L'immigrato è innanzitutto un problema da risolvere, non una risorsa preziosa che in molte situazioni sta cavando fuori d'impaccio centinaia di migliaia di italiani (e che rappresenterebbero un'ottima opportunità economica trattandosi di consumatori con esigenze diverse e variegate). ll settimanale evangelico si dilunga anche sull'aspetto dei media radiofonici locali, considerati mediamente i più sensibili. A proposito della notizia della nascita di Ansi, Associazione nazionale stampa interculturale, il sindacato dei giornalisti stranieri, Riforma cita i dati raccolti dall'agenzia di comunicazione Isi Etnocommunication (specializzata in marketing interculturale e confezionamento di testate etniche) nel suo "Osservatorio media etnici", che recensisce 46 stazioni radio con programmazione rivolta, in 17 lingue, ai cittadini immigrati. Milano non è la più grande città europea, ma in diverse città europee anche più piccole mi è capitato di ascoltare intere stazioni create per le comunità straniere. Qui sull'etere metropolitano sentirete parlare solo in italiano, per gli italiani. Gli stranieri sono appunto un problema da delegare alle forze di polizia di uno Stato dalle tendenze razzistiche sempre meno celate.

Una recente ricerca su immigrati e mezzi di comunicazione
L'immigrato come problema

Giornali, radio, televisioni trasmettono prevalentemente messaggi negativi sulla presenza degli immigrati nel nostro paese. Passi indietro sull'intercultura
Emmanuela Banfo

Immigrati, extracomunitari, rifugiati, stranieri, clandestini, sono termini pressoché sinonimi nel linguaggio dell’informazione e perciò finiscono per rappresentare una nebulosa di persone, un magma indistinto, una macchia oscura che provoca paura e diffidenza. Giornali, radio, televisioni, trasmettono prevalentemente messaggi negativi. E il messaggio passa attraverso l’associazione di alcune parole, quali «problema», «sicurezza» ma anche «lavoro» e «organi di polizia». Emerge da una ricerca che sarà presentata il 12 marzo al Circolo della Stampa di Torino dove qualche giorno fa si è costituito il primo sindacato nazionale dei giornalisti stranieri, l’Ansi (Associazione nazionale della stampa interculturale). La ricerca, in estrema sintesi, conclude che sul piano dell’intercultura i mass-media hanno fatto passi indietro.
Ma che cosa si intende per intercultura? È un modo – spiegano i ricercatori – di relazionarsi, di rapportarsi, della società plurale. E nel momento in cui la comunicazione diventa interculturale significa che è capace di restituire punti di vista diversi sulla stessa società, letta con gli occhi delle diverse culture che la compongono. Un ideale, al momento lontano.
La ricerca, promossa da «Paralleli. Istituto Euromediterraneo del Nord Ovest», ha visto impegnati tre docenti della Facoltà di Scienze Politiche dell’Università subalpina, Marinella Belluati, Cristopher Cepernich e Michelangelo Conoscenti.
(...)
La ricerca non trascura, tuttavia, alcuni segnali di cambiamento. Prima di tutto va sottolineata la centralità che il sistema locale dei media ha acquisito nel campo della comunicazione e dell’informazione interculturale. Si sottovaluta troppo spesso – osservano i ricercatori – che il sistema dei media non è solo fatto dai grandi giornali, dalle tv nazionali o dai quotidiani, ma da «piccoli media» che, soprattutto in Piemonte, rappresentano una realtà importantissima. Media locali che sembrano essere più sensibili alle trasformazioni in senso multietnico delle comunità. Tra maggio e giugno 2009 sono state contattate tutte le redazioni regionali del Piemonte attraverso un questionario: 208 redazioni (69 radio, 110 periodici locali e 29 emittenti televisive). Al questionario ha risposto il 48, 8%. Le Province che hanno risposto di più sono state quelle del Verbano Cusio Ossola (93, 3% dei questionari inviati), di Novara (81, 1%), di Vercelli (64, 3%) e di Cuneo (58, 3%). In generale i ricercatori colgono segnali positivi più nelle radio e nelle tivù locali che non nella carta stampata e tra le realtà informative sono quelle a matrice religiosa cristiana a confermare la loro vocazione all’intercultura. Tra le «eccellenze» sottolineate dallo studio universitario è stata inserita Radio Beckwith Evangelica (Rbe) che, nata nel 1984 come radio a carattere comunitario legata alla Chiesa valdese, si rivolge alle minoranze linguistiche francofone e occitane. Radio Beckwith risulta particolarmente attenta ai temi dell’integrazione interculturale, in particolare con riferimento ai migranti dall’area africana. Nel complesso più della metà delle redazioni locali (60%) dichiara di occuparsi con frequenza delle questioni legate all’immigrazione, ma non sempre nella direzione dell’intercultura. Lo si deduce prima di tutto nel tipo di interesse giornalistico/redazionale ancora fortemente schiacciato sulla cronaca nera e sugli episodi di devianza. Dalle risposte ai questionari emerge una propensione a parlare di immigrazione quando lo straniero è autore di crimini (67% dei casi) e quando ne è vittima (56%). Sempre su questi mezzi di informazione però si evidenzia anche un altro dato più confortante: il 56% riconosce un certo interesse a documentare le good news ovvero le storie di integrazione riuscita e che danno conto di buone pratiche di convivenza presenti nelle comunità locali. Ed da questa nuova sensibilità che – stimolano i ricercatori – occorre partire.
(10 marzo 2010)

Non posso certo pretendere una copertura capillare dai poveri colleghi di City, ma solo grazie a Internet vengo a sapere che la Commissione Europea ha organizzato ieri e oggi a Bruxelles una importante conferenza dedicata ai progetti dell'Unione a favore della comunità Rom in occasione del "2010 Anno europeo di lotta contro la povertà e l'esclusione sociale" (ne sapevate qualcosa? no? strano, eh?). Ne ho sentito parlare solo grazie a Presseurop, nuova splendida iniziativa giornalistica in dieci lingue di Courrier International e Internazionale e ai link a Euranet, European Radio Network, consorzio di diverse emittenti europee da cui è vistosamente assente ogni rappresentanza italiana. Il servizio di Radio France Internationale dalla conferenza di Bruxelles propone una intervista al responsabile aggiunto di Amnesty International, David Diaz-Jogeix, che parla molto male della politica italiana nei confronti della popolazione nomade, sottoposta a un pessimo trattamento e vittima di una grave carenza di forme di assistenza pubblica strutturata. Così, se volete approfondire il tema di questo convegno potete non vi resta che seguire - alla conferenza sui "Roma" viene presentato un interessante progetto italiano del Laboratorio di Architettura Nomade - i link contenuti nel seguente comunicato o nei palinsesti di Euranet.

Mercredi 10 et jeudi 11 mars: Conférence consacrée aux projets de l’Union en faveur de la communauté rom

La nouvelle:

Dans le cadre de sa participation à «2010 - Année européenne de lutte contre la pauvreté et l’exclusion sociale», la DG Education et Culture (EAC) organise une exposition et une conférence consacrées à l’aide qu’apportent les programmes de l’Union européenne (UE) à la minorité rom.
La manifestation, qui réunira 500 personnes dans le bâtiment Charlemagne, s’articule autour d’une sélection des meilleurs projets en matière d’éducation, de culture et de jeunesse liés à la communauté rom et financés par les programmes de la DG EAC et par les Fonds structurels gérés par les directions générales chargées de l’emploi et de la politique régionale.

Le contexte:

La Commission a désigné 2010 «Année européenne de lutte contre la pauvreté et l’exclusion sociale».
La population rom constitue l’une des plus importantes minorités ethniques de l’UE. Ses quelques millions de membres sont répartis dans de nombreux États membres. Leur situation se caractérise par une discrimination persistante et une profonde exclusion sociale. Les Roms sont les Européens les plus exposés aux risques de pauvreté et de chômage. Plusieurs enquêtes d’opinion européennes et nationales indiquent que de nombreux Européens ont une perception négative de ce groupe, souvent due à des idées préconçues et à des préjugés. D’autres minorités ethniques européennes traditionnelles souffrent d’une situation similaire dans plusieurs États membres.
Beaucoup de domaines prioritaires pour l’intégration des Roms – éducation, emploi, insertion sociale, services de santé, égalité des sexes ou infrastructures et aménagement urbain – sont principalement, voire exclusivement, du ressort des autorités nationales. La Commission s’est engagée à soutenir les États membres dans la mise en place de politiques visant à améliorer la situation de la communauté rom.

L’événement:

La conférence sur les projets de l’UE en faveur de la communauté Rom aura lieu dans le bâtiment Charlemagne, au 170 rue de la Loi, à Bruxelles.
Elle est ouverte à la presse après inscription des journalistes sur le site web de la conférence: http://roma-conference.eu/web/roma/home

Les sources:

Site web de la Commission européenne sur l’éducation et la formation:

http://ec.europa.eu/education/index_fr.htm

Site web de la Commission européenne sur la culture:

http://ec.europa.eu/culture/index_fr.htm

Site web de la Commission européenne sur la jeunesse:

http://ec.europa.eu/youth/index_fr.htm

Site web de la commissaire Vassiliou:

http://www.ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/vassiliou/index_en.htm

* I-058087 VNR: Citoyens européens oubliés : la défense des droits des Roms dans l'Union européenne (version longue)
* I-058853 Memo-clip: La situation des Roms dans l'UE

La crisi economica colpisce l'emittenza etnica USA

Un business che sembrava molto promettente fino a pochi anni fa sta cedendo sotto i colpi della crisi pubblicitaria figlia di una ancora più profonda crisi economica strutturale. Anche la radio etnica americana piange, persino nella sua articolazione più importante, quella ispanica. E i 30 mila latini di Eugene-Springfield lamentano l'improvvisa scomparsa della loro stazione di notizie e sport KLZS, un solo kilowatt su un canale, i 1450 kHz, di stazioncine piccole piccole. KLZS ha chiuso i battenti senza preavviso, insieme alle consorelle KXOR di Junction City e KXPD di Tigard, tutti centri minori dell'area di Portland e Salem, nel lontano Oregon. La proprietà, Churchill Media, controllata da una impresa di costruzioni, ha deciso di staccare la spina il 30 dicembre a causa delle crescente difficoltà finanziarie. Anche il mattone è in grosse difficoltà e Churchill era diventata solo una fonte di guai. Chiusi anche due canali televisvi controllati dal microscopico impero mediatico. Nell'articolo del quotidiano locale Register-Guard (altra categoria a rischio) viene intervistato il proprietario di un supermarket, Plaza Latina, uno degli inserzionisti di KLZS, che sta seriamente pensando di rilevare la stazione.
Intanto, tre frequenze locali in onde medie restano in silenzio.

Local Spanish radio, TV stations go off the air

Churchill Media abruptly pulls the plug Wednesday, citing a steep decline in advertising revenue

BY DIANE DIETZ
Thursday, Dec 31, 2009

Spanish–language radio abruptly left the Lane County airwaves Wednesday as Churchill Media pulled the plug on its three radio and two television stations and announced it was out of business.
Employees learned minutes before the stations were silenced. Listeners and advertisers learned as the news traveled without the help of amplification throughout the afternoon.
“This is the only way that we can communicate to our Spanish language population here in Eugene. I thought they were joking,” said Samuel Recinos, owner of Plaza Latina and an advertiser on the stations. “It’s really bad news, honestly, for the Hispanic community. What’s shocking is there weren’t any warnings. All of the sudden, I turned the radio on and it’s off the air. People don’t even know what’s going on yet.”
About 30,000 Spanish speakers live in Eugene-Springfield and rely on the station, Recinos estimates. For three years, the station sponsored two annual festivals in Springfield that drew as many as 20,000 participants each. “Those will no longer be happening, unfortunately,” company spokeswoman Sadie Dressekie said.
Churchill Media blamed a sharp drop in advertising revenue for the demise of the company, although Dressekie declined to say how much the station has lost. The company was formed in 2004 by Suzanne Arlie, who is also president of the Eugene-based Arlie & Company real estate development firm. Arlie’s projects include Crescent Village in north Eugene.
At its peak in early 2008, Churchill media employed 45 people, maintained offices in Eugene and Wilsonville and had a radio operation in Yakima, Wash., and an additional television station in Salem. Besides local news and commentary, the station offered syndicated programming and Spanish-language sports through ESPN’s Deportes Radio.
“Revenues were good and the network grew fairly quickly. But the world changed for everybody in 2007,” Dressekie said. “The whole of the last year was a challenging year for us. … We’re a victim of just what’s happening all over in the broadcasting industry.”
Seventeen people in Eugene and Wilsonville lost jobs Wednesday when Churchill Media pulled the plug.
Arlie needed to get out of the broadcasting business, Dressekie said. Arlie & Company’s core business is real estate and development, where it must now focus its efforts, she said. “We’re also being challenged in that area, too. We couldn’t continue to split our time and resources between these two businesses.”
The radio broadcasting industry, meanwhile, expects about a 20 percent drop in advertising revenues this year, according to national news reports. “Radio is struggling. Everyone is struggling,” said Tim Gleason, dean of the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication.
The country’s third largest radio broadcasting company, Citadel Broadcasting Corp., filed bankruptcy earlier this week. “It’s a combination of the recession and the changing economic models. Advertisers have so many different ways to reach audiences now. It is increasingly fragmented, and every one of the legacy media channels is struggling,” Gleason said.
Two Oregon radio stations — in Albany and Waldport — threw in the towel in 2009, said Bill Johnstone, president and CEO of the Oregon Association of Broadcasters. But within a few months, buyers materialized and both stations will soon be back on the air, he said.
“In some cases, the station may go off the air but there’s already been a deal or arrangement for somebody to pick up the station. They may go off the air on Tuesday but they may go back on the air the following Tuesday with a different owner,” he said.
In past years, Dressekie said, broadcasters have approached Churchill media with offers to buy one station or another. “We haven’t wanted to break up the network. But now we will sell those off piecemeal,” she said.
Already, Arlie is entertaining offers from buyers who want to convert the Eugene radio station to religious broadcasting or a business news station. A Portland broadcaster is interested in Churchill’s north valley television station, she said.
Recinos said he’s tempted to try to raise money to buy the Eugene radio station because of its important link to his customers and for general communications within the local Spanish-speaking community. “It’s crossing my mind. I’m going to talk to a few people. We’ll see,” he said.

Onde medie "espanse", in Australia parlano italiano

La Radio Heritage Foundation neozelandese tra le sue numerose benemerite iniziative gestisce un piccolo osservatorio sulla banda espansa delle onde medie in Australia da 1611 a 1701 kHz, dove da circa 18 anni operano emittenti a bassa potenza a carattere etnico-comunitario. Si tratta di licenze concesse in base alla Section 40 della legge sull'emittenza, mentre quasi tutti gli operatori commerciali sono titolari delle licenze previste dalla Section 36, in base alla quale le onde medie terminano a 1602 kHz. La banda era stata costituita su modello della expanded band americana, per dare più spazio alle licenze per stazioni locali e ai servizi alternativi.
In anni recenti c'è stato un tentativo di rivalutare questa porzione di frequenze attraverso il consolidamento di servizi commerciali a copertura nazionale, ma il tentativo più clamoroso, quello di Radio 2 del gruppo World Audio Limited, non è andato in porto e l'editore è finito in amministrazione controllata. Così la banda allargata è rimasta sostanzialmente immutata nel tempo, con un forte predominio di emittenti etniche che sfruttano la maggior facilità di ottenere una licenza in un segmento per così dire meno pregiato per consolidare la loro presenza su scala inter-regionale (in Australia questo vuol dire molto in termini di copertura territoriale).
Nel corso del processo di stesura delle normativa sulla radio digitale DAB+ (ecco un bellissimo dossier che Agcom dovrebbe consultare a mo' di esempio) - da poco partita in Australia - le emittenti commerciali hanno fatto lobby per evitare che i licenziatari delle frequenze espanse potessero avere accesso ai multiplex del DAB. Ma è difficile pensare che la radio digitali interessi ai proprietari di queste piccole stazioni. Tra i più consolidati utenti delle onde medie allargate in Australia c'è guarda caso il gruppo Italian Media con Rete Italia, il cui radicamento fa sì che oltre i 1602 kHz in Australia si sente parlare parecchio italiano. Anche le stazioni greche sono molto attive, insieme a quelle di musica country. In totale trasmettono 70 stazioni, che periodicamente vengono censite dalla Foundation (nella foto, di fronte alla sede di Rete Italia, c'è David Ricquish, autore del report.

Australian AM Radio 1611-1701
Italian, Country, Arabic, Greek and Gold

Almost 70 low power stations are now broadcasting in Australia's expanded AM radio dial almost two decades after the new channels became available.
Originally populated by ethnic broadcasters and niche formats, the situation remains little unchanged in 2009 as attempts to bring the low cost extra frequencies into mainstream media have largely failed to materialize.
Existing commercial broadcasters saw these licences as a dangerously cheap back door into digital broadcasting and lobbied strongly to exclude 1611-1701 AM stations from digital entitlements. Coupled with poor availability of AM radios able to tune to the new frequencies, attempts by commercial aspirants like Radio 2 to establish economics of scale and a nationwide network collapsed.
In 2009, the major players on air are Rete Italia [part of the Italian Media publishing and media group], Radio 16 The Goanna [a fledgling country music network co-owned with 2ME an Arabic language station], Smart Group's Hot Country from Queensland, whilst a small foothold in the band has been claimed by Queensland based Christian network Vision FM.
A small cluster of independent stations air a variation on the 'Gold' music format of 1960's hits popular with babyboomers, two Greek language stations compete for listeners in Sydney, and a handful of other stations serve ethnic markets for Chinese, Hindi, Arabic, Islamic and Lebanese Christian audiences.
A large number of licences held in the 1611-1701 AM band have remained silent for many years and are unlikely to ever come on air.
The Radio Heritage Foundation has released a detailed list of Australian stations currently operating in the 1611-1701 AM band together with analysis of this fascinating and little known broadcasting landscape.

Viva la coca! Evo Morales DJ al carnevale dei cocaleros

Il presidente boliviano Evo Morales sarà ai microfoni di Radio Causachun Coca martedì 24 febbraio, ultimo giorno di carnevale in Bolivia, dalle 5 del mattino locali (le dieci da noi). Sarà un programma maratona che durerà fino a mezzogiorno e in cui Morales - riferisce il portale di Red Patria Nueva (la catena di emittenti voluta dallo stesso presidente) - rievocherà il suo passato dai microfoni di un'altra emittente della regione dei cocaleros, Radio Chipriri.

Causachun o kausachum in lingua quechua significa evviva!: evviva la coca è uno degli slogan coniati dal presidente più etnico dell'america latina. L'emittente di Cochabamba trasmette in onde medie, ma da qualche tempo è stata segnalata in onde corte su 6075 kHz (credo che ultimamente sia un po' irregolare). La trasmissione dovrebbe essere ripresa da Red Patria Nueva, ma non so se sarà possibile avere uno streaming (col mio Mac non riesco a collegarmi al link pubblicato sul sito). A quell'ora, non sarebbe comunque possibile sintonizzarsi dall'Italia. L'annuncio di Causachun registrato in Colombia è disponibile su Dxing.info.

Morales conducirá el martes un programa maratoniano de radio
21-02-2009 La Paz | EFE

El presidente de Bolivia, Evo Morales, dirigirá el próximo martes de Carnaval un programa maratoniano de radio que comenzará en la madrugada en una emisora de propiedad de los productores de coca, informaron hoy fuentes oficiales.
El programa comenzará a las 05.00 hora local (09.00 GMT) en la radio Kausachum Coca (viva la coca en quechua), situada en la zona cocalera del Chapare, confirmó el ministro de Culturas, Pablo Groux.
En la publicidad difundida hoy sobre el programa, que será retransmitido al país por la red Patria Nueva, el propio Morales confirma que hará la dirección durante el mayor tiempo posible.
"(Vamos) a ver hasta dónde puedo aguantar dirigiendo la radio", dijo Morales en esa cuña, en la que también se anuncian contactos en vivo con corresponsales y la población durante la emisión.
El martes será el cuarto y último día del Carnaval en Bolivia, jornada conocida como "martes de Ch"alla", dedicada a rituales de madrugada para pedir a las deidades andinas, como la Pachamama (Tierra), bendiciones para los bienes de la casa y la producción agrícola.

***

EVO MORALES EL MARTES 24 INICIA RED DE TELEFONÍA DE ENTEL EN TODO EL TRÓPICO DE COCHABAMBA Y CH`ALLARA INSTALACIONES LA RADIO CAWSAMCUN COCA

La Paz, 22 de febrero- El presidente del estado Plurinacional, evo Morales, anunció que este martes 24 indicará la red de ENTEL en todo el trópico de Cochabamba y ch`allará las instlaciones de la radio Cawsacum Coca en el Trópico de Cochabamba.
Indicó que en esa oportunidad recordará desde las 5 de la mañana hasta el mediodía sus tiempos de lucha en Radio Chipriri y estará en contacto con el pueblo para dialogar con el pueblo. En esa ch´alla estarán presentes, Ministros den Estados e invitados especiales.
Además en el Trópico de Cochabamba inaugurará un canal de televisión con el propósito de informar a todoa lam población así como difundir programas educativos.

Voci amiche per i creoli rifugiati in Florida

Molto interessante questo articolo del Sun Sentinel, un quotidiano della Florida meridionale che offre uno spaccato della programmazione radiofonica dedicata alle comunità caraibiche residenti in questo stato-simbolo del melting pot americano. Per una volta non si tratta della potente comunità cubana di Little Havana ma di haitiani e creoli che vivono spesso in condizioni di estrema indigenza e in stato di clandestinità, sempre con il timore di essere forzatamente rimpatriati in luoghi dove le prospettive di vita sono di gran lunga peggiori.

Ethnic radio is a lifeline for Caribbean expatriates in South Florida
S. Florida transplants rely on local stations for news of home

By Georgia East | South Florida Sun-Sentinel November 11, 2008

FORT LAUDERDALE - It was 6 a.m. on a Wednesday morning, and Paul Andre Mondesir was trying to save a life. The caller had given up hope. He had no job. He was sleeping on a friend's front porch, living with the fear that he could be deported to Haiti at any time because of his illegal immigration status. He heard Mondesir's radio program on 1320 AM while scanning the dial and felt the urge to call. Mondesir, whose listeners call him "Doc," told the caller that as long as there is a tomorrow there is hope. Then he swiftly ticked off a list of resources that could possibly offer him some temporary assistance. "I give them information with a little self-motivation," Mondesir said.
The incident points to the unique role radio plays in South Florida's Caribbean-American community. It goes beyond entertainment. For local transplants, ethnic radio serves as an information hotline, crisis lifeline and communication link to the islands they left behind. "It's like an umbilical cord to their cultural heritage," said Jean Jabouin, host of the morning show Good Morning Diaspora, which up until recently broadcasted on WSRF 1580 AM, a Haitian station.
Caribbean radio in South Florida can be heard on almost a dozen stations. The majority of the programs are on AM, and most are in Creole. But there are at least two English-language stations. WAVS 1170 AM, which serves the English-speaking Caribbean community, had 43,700 listeners when surveyed this past spring, according to media research firm Arbitron, and some say those estimates are low. There are about 500,000 Caribbean natives in South Florida.
Even with ethnic radio's reach, some within the medium say there's often an uphill battle to get major businesses to advertise with their station. In March, Mystik Radio, a Caribbean AM radio station, pulled the plug. Part of the problem, radio officials say, is that mainstream radio rating systems don't get an accurate count of their listeners.Arbitron sends out listening diaries to a sample of the community, spokeswoman Jessica Benbow said. But some within the Caribbean community say those diaries don't reach their listeners.
At WPBR 1340 AM in West Palm Beach, General Manager Markes Pierre-Louis refers to his station as the CNN of Haitian radio. "We have news live from Haiti every day," Pierre-Louis said. On Friday, when a school full of children collapsed in Petionville, Haiti, many of the Creole-language radio stations here launched into live reports on the victims and recovery efforts. "People want to know what's going on in Haiti because a lot of people want to see change there," said Rodrigue Sejour, a talk radio host on WPBR. On Monday evening, Sejour took questions from local listeners and fielded a debate about reports that the school was shoddily built. "I have a bunch of callers who can't wait to respond."
Fort Lauderdale taxi driver Miche Auguste counts on the radio to fill his cab with everything from compas music and political commentary to a roundup of news from Haiti. It was the first place he turned when friends and family called to say storms were battering his homeland last month."What they do is important," he said. "No matter what, home is home." While some advertisers are still slow to come on board with ethnic radio, politicians recognize itsreach. On the Duke of Earle's show on WAVS 1170 AM, for instance, candidates running for local offices made steady appearances to tap into the Caribbean base.
Last month, Patrick Gaspard, the national political director of Barack Obama's campaign, went on Jabouin's show to talk to Haitians about the campaign. Gaspard is Haitian-American. Most of the Caribbean-formatted stations in South Florida operate on a brokered system: Radio hosts essentially buy time on air and bring their own advertisers. "I don't think some of the larger advertisers understand the value of our community and the value of radio in our community," said Pat Montague, president of Princess PM Productions and a radio host on WAVS.
Just ask Hopeton Green. Before the Hollywood furniture refinisher grabs his drill or pounds any nails, he turns his radio to 1170 AM. It's as automatic as switching on the lights. This is where he can count on hearing a reggae classic. He's also an avid listener of Winston Barnes' Open Mic, a show where listeners talk about everything from politics to the economy, and he makes it a point to catch the Caribbean news roundups. "I have to know what's happening back home because I go home all the time," Green said.

Iraq, due storie di radio

Due rare storie radiofoniche dall'Iraq, un territorio che continua a essere, in larga misura, un buco nero del giornalismo. Una riguarda Sumer FM (due frequenze su Baghdad ed Erbil), una stazione amata perché dà la parola ai suoi ascoltatori. L'altra una emittente di Mosul che al contrario viene chiusa dalle autorità perché accusata di incitare alla violenza e all'odio etnico anti kurdo e sospettata di fiancheggiamento con i gruppi terroristici arabi nella regione.

Amidst Iraq's violence, a radio station gives people hope
By CORINNE REILLY McClatchy Newspapers

Inside a spacious studio with purple and yellow walls, Hana Abdulkadhim, a well-known Iraqi radio host, is preparing to take her first call of the day. A few minutes into Good Afternoon with Hana, the switchboard is already flooded with listeners eager to chime in on the day's topic. "This afternoon we're talking about circumstances in your life that caused you to lose something or someone you love," Hana says. "Were you able to overcome the situation, or were you defeated?"
A woman named Samma is on the line. "I lost my closest friend when she left our neighborhood," Samma says. Hana asks if her friend was forced to flee. Samma says yes. "Before, we had lots of time together. But now it's too far to reach her. We talk on the phone but it's not the same," she explains. "The circumstances defeated us." Hana tells her caller not to give up on the friendship. "I'm going to play a song for you, sweetheart," she says.
This is Sumer FM, Iraq's most popular independent radio station. It broadcasts from a state-of-the-art, brightly decorated studio in Baghdad's Karrada neighborhood, and its signal reaches every corner of the country. "It doesn't look like Iraq in here, does it?" the station's manager, Ammar Naji, says with a smile.
In a city overwhelmed by the complexities and uncertainties of war, Sumer FM is one thing its listeners can count on. Launched by a Lebanese businessman in November 2004, the station has stayed on the air every day since, even through Baghdad's most violent months.
A year ago, it was so dangerous here that many Iraqis were afraid to even leave their homes, and the cost of living in Baghdad has skyrocketed since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. But staying in and listening to the radio has remained safe and cheap.
Even when the electricity is out, as it still is for large portions of the day here, the radios stay on. "No matter what's going on, we can give people something to enjoy, something to take their minds off everything else," says Jaffar al-Zubaidi, Sumer's program director. "And we don't take money from any parties. We are for all Iraqis," regardless of politics, ethnicity, religion or sect.
Named for one of the earliest known civilizations in the world, Sumer employs 14 people, half of them on-air talent. All of its revenue comes from advertisement sales. About half the time the station plays popular Arab and Iraqi music. The rest of its programming is filled with news, variety shows and talk.
Most of the station's discussion topics come from listeners. The goal is to give Iraqis a venue to vent their frustrations, al-Zubaidi says. The U.S. occupation, the constant power outages, the violence, the traffic jams and the long lines at security checkpoints are among the topics that draw the most callers, he says. "We let people talk about their suffering so they don't feel like they are the only ones," al-Zubaidi says. "And we try to stop the suffering, too, by exposing the issues."
Recently a listener called to complain about how the government suddenly stopped paying his pension. "We heard that same problem from many callers, so we made it the topic one day," al-Zubaidi explains. "And we invited (an official from) the pension directory to come on the show and hear the suffering."
Hani Haroon, a 29-year-old unemployed Baghdad resident, started listening to Sumer FM three years ago. "It is different from other stations," Haroon says. "They talk about the real issues that Iraqis care about. We need that. It gives people hope." Haroon calls the station often, but gets through only once in a while. "It's hard because so many people want to be heard," he said. Sumer takes about 11,000 listener phone calls each month.

***

Radio station ordered closed in Mosul
The Associated Press November 1, 2008

BAGHDAD: Local authorities closed a newly opened radio station Saturday, accusing it of inciting violence and ethnic strife in the northern city of Mosul.

Al-Rashid radio was shut down because its programming was aimed at "sowing sedition and fueling tension" between Kurds and Arabs in the city, said Ismael Gouran, a Kurdish member of the local provincial council. The radio is linked to a Sunni Arab lawmaker, Osama al-Nujeifi, who is known for his fiery statements accusing the Kurds of working to annex Mosul to the three-province Kurdish self-ruled region of northern Iraq. "Today's measure is to silence patriotic voices and to please Kurdistan officials who want to get rid of any competitors in the coming provincial elections," said al-Nujeifi, who is a member of the secular bloc in parliament headed by former Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi.
Al-Nujeifi said the station, which went on the air three months ago, had begun broadcasting programs supporting a Sunni Arab political group that plans to compete against the Kurds in next year's provincial elections.
The ruling council of Ninevah province, which includes Mosul, is controlled by Kurds because many Sunni Arabs boycotted the last regional elections in January 2005. That allowed the Kurds to win a big share of power in areas where they do not form a majority.
The Baghdad-based independent Journalistic Freedoms Observatory condemned the action against the station and called on the Iraqi government to allow Al-Rashid back on the air. Mosul, 225 miles (360 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad, is an ethically mixed city where al-Qaida and other Sunni insurgent groups still operate. U.S. commanders believe the insurgents feed off the undercurrent of tension between Arabs and Kurds, including Kurdish units of the Iraqi army that have been sent to the city to fight the extremists.

Congo, una piccola radio per salvare grandi alberi

Biso na biso, che in lingua Lingala significa "tra di noi", è il nome di una stazione FM finanziata dalla Banca Mondiale e dalla Fondazione Jacques Chirac, che la ong Tropical Forest Trust ha allestito a Pokola, nel nord del Congo, in una regione forestale abitata dai pigmei. Il progetto riceve il sostegno dell'industria congolese del legno perché lo scopo è raggiungere popolazioni isolate in un'area a forte sfruttamento boschivo. Il ruolo della stazione dev'essere quello di dare alle tribù locali un po' di voce in capitolo sulla decisione di quali alberi potranno essere abbattuti e quali no. La storia di Radio Biso na biso l'ho trovata sul quotidiano online gabonese GabonEco mentre il sito di Tropical Forest Fund contiene un bel filmato YouTube che riprende un programma della stazione. Biso na biso, curiosamente, verrà gestita da un antropologo inglese della London School of Economics, Jerome Lewis (intervistato qui a proposito del progetto), coadiuvato da due giovani giornalisti congolesi.

Congo : Une Radio Communautaire pour les pygmées à Pokola

La Banque Mondiale et la Fondation Jacques Chirac se sont portés mécènes du projet «Biso na biso» monté par l’ONG environnementale Tropical Forest Trust et qui va permettre l’implantation d’une radio communautaire à Pokola, au nord du Congo. Cette radio va permettre d’équiper 500 campements en émetteur autonome et devrait émettre à compter de janvier 2009 en langues locales et en lingala sur un rayon de près de 200 kilomètres.
La Radio communautaire «Biso na biso» s’apprête à désenclaver la région nord du Congo en émettant depuis Pokola sur un rayon de près de 200 kilomètres avec une présence possible du signal au sud du Cameroun, de la République centrafricaine et au Nord du Gabon.
Financée par la Banque mondiale et la fondation Jacques Chirac, cette radio sera gérée par l’anthropologue anglais Jérôme Lewis, auteur d’une thèse sur les pygmées du Congo, et coordonnée par Privat Tiburce Massanga et Francis Wabout, de jeunes journalistes congolais.
A compter de janvier 2009, cette radio émettra avec des animateurs pygmées et bantous en langues locales et en lingala. Elle vise particulièrement toutes les forêts des concessions CIB dans la Sangha et la Likouala.
La ligne éditoriale du média communautaire prend notamment en compte la protection et promotion des diversités culturelles, de la biodiversité et des cultures et forêts du Bassin du Congo. Elle devrait également œuvrer pour l’éducation et l’information des populations sur l’importance de la flore et de la faune.
Près de 500 récepteurs FM avec système d’autonomie énergétique à dynamo seront distribués à 500 campements et chaque village sera doté d’un kit de production. Les équipements numériques sont installés par la société sud-africaine Globecom.
Le coordinateur principal de la radio, Privat Tiburce Massanga, est un jeune journaliste radiophonique qui a fait ses armes à Pointe-Noire sur Radio Océan.
Jérôme Lewis est un anthropologue anglais qui enseigne à l’Université de Londres. Il a rédigé une thèse de doctorat sur les semi-nomades pygmées ou Mbendzlés en pleine forêt du nord Congo en vivant avec eux.
Le Tropical Forest Trust (TFT) a été fondé en 1999 pour lutter contre la disparition des forêts en favorisant leur exploitation durable. Les compagnies membres du TFT s'engagent à se fournir en bois à partir de forêts gérées de façon durable, de projets forestiers du TFT ou de forêts FSC (Forest Stewardship Council).

USA, Arbitron non misura le radio etniche?

L'introduzione di un nuovo sistema di rating della popolarità delle stazioni radio da parte di Arbitron, la Audiradio americana, sta scatenando un vero putiferio tra i proprietari delle radio che diffondono programmi per le minoranze linguistiche. Che a seconda del contesto geografico metropolitano spesso non sono poi così minoritarie... Il fatto è che Arbitron misura l'ascolto con l'aiuto di una tecnologia "indossabile" che identifica i programmi veramente ascoltati. E le nuove classifiche di popolarità sono in molti casi totalmente diverse dalle precedenti: le radio etniche sono precipitate verso le soglie della più totale indifferenza da parte del pubblico e rischiano veramente grosso perché è sulla popolarità che il mercato pubblicitario americano misura il prezzo degli spot.
Nello stato di New York - rivela il New York Times - la avvocatura generale, rappresentata da Andrew Cuomo, figlio maggiore dell'ex governatore Mario, ha addirittura minacciato di denuciare Arbitron per aver volutamente agito per "sottorappresentare" il campione di cittadini appartenenti a una popolazione etnica in possesso dei famosi misuratori. Il difetto, insomma, starebbe nel campione selezionato in rappresentanza dell'intero universo di ascolto. E' chiaro che se chiedo a nove bianchi e a un nero di dirmi quali sono i loro programmi radiofonici preferiti, le stazioni "Afro-American" non potrebbero risultare molto popolari.

Cuomo to Sue Radio Ratings Company, Claiming Minorities Are Underrepresented

By BRIAN STELTER
October 6, 2008

As area radio stations received their first audience ratings generated through new measuring devices on Monday, the New York attorney general’s office warned broadcasters and advertisers not to rely on the numbers.
The office of the attorney general, Andrew M. Cuomo, said it planned to file a lawsuit this week against Arbitron, the company that compiles the data, because of concerns that minority listeners were not being adequately represented.
Mr. Cuomo’s office said it believed that the new ratings system, which relies on hand-held devices called portable people meters, did not adequately account for young African-Americans and Hispanics, people who do not speak English, and cellphone-only households.
Recruiting and retaining enough respondents from these demographic groups has proved difficult for Arbitron, leading some stations that cater to urban and ethnic audiences to claim that they are not being sufficiently counted.
Arbitron says that they are, and that the company will continue to improve in this area.
During testing periods for the people meters over the last year, the ratings for some minority broadcasters dropped noticeably, prompting concerns about the validity of the devices. Mr. Cuomo’s office began an investigation last month and intended to file a lawsuit against Arbitron by midweek.
For decades, Arbitron measured radio audiences by distributing diaries to listeners and relying on a representative sample of what stations they tuned in to each month. Arbitron has argued that the diary method was subject to errors of memory.
The people meters, in contrast, are carried by members of the ratings panel and automatically record radio signals. With people meters, the total audience for radio grows, because participants tend to listen to more radio than they remember in a given month, but the average audience for each station shrinks, because people switch stations more than they realize.
A coalition of minority radio broadcasters has claimed that the lower ratings recorded by the portable people meters would “disenfranchise minority communities and have a devastating impact on small businesses.”
The urban contemporary station WBLS, for example, was ranked No. 4 in diary-based ratings in the spring, but dropped to No. 11 in September’s people meter ratings. The Spanish-language station WCAA was ranked No. 5 in the spring, and No. 20 in September.
Arbitron denies the disenfranchisement charge, saying that some minority stations have received strong ratings through people meters. They say “The Steve Harvey Show” on WBLS tied for first place in September with the news station WINS among listeners ages 25 to 54.
Mr. Cuomo informed Arbitron last week of his intent to sue. On Monday, Arbitron released the people meter ratings for September, two days ahead of schedule, and requested a restraining order to prevent Mr. Cuomo from halting the publication of the ratings. The motion was denied.
Arbitron would not comment about the timing of the release of the ratings, which affected stations in New York City, Long Island and three New Jersey counties, as well as stations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and smaller markets.
In a statement on Monday, Alex Detrick, a spokesman for Mr. Cuomo, cautioned stations and their advertisers against “using these prematurely released ratings as we believe they are flawed and will be the subject of ongoing litigation.”

I nativi americani scommettono sulla radio

Quando si tratta di diversità, anzi no, brutto concetto, induce subito a stabilire classifiche... Quando si tratta di varietà etnica, culturale, linguistica, la radio riesce a essere un medium straordinariamente rispettoso e proficuo. A fronte di investimenti limitati la radio permette di coprire in modo relativamente uniforme un territorio (a parte le solite eccezioni orografiche). E' un mezzo accessibile in tutti i sensi, per chi produce contenuti e chi deve consumarli. E permette di stabilire un ragionevole grado di interattività con l'ascoltatore, attraverso una semplice linea telefonica.
E' per questo, racconta il giornalista Mike Janssen in una cronaca dedicata ai progetti di stazioni radio comunitarie portate avanti in diversi territori dei "nativi americani", coloro che con più di una punta di paternalismo siamo soliti chiamare "indiani", che la radio appare vecchia al grande pubblico ma continua a essere fondamentale su scala locale e minoritaria. Nell'autunno scorso la FCC ha cominciato ad accogliere le richieste di concessione di frequenze FM riservate a stazioni locali comunitarie non commerciali e i nativi americani si sono mobilitati, con l'aiuto di una organizzazione chiamata Native Public Media, una costola della National Federation of Community Broadcasters. Sono 37 i gruppi etnici e le tribù che hanno presentato al regolatore americano ben 51 richieste di licenza. Anche se è irragionevole aspettarsi che vengano accolte tutte, visto il gran numero di domande pervenute (secondo Radioforpeople.org nei 12 giorni di durata del bando sono state presentate 350 candidature), ci sarà comunque, scrive Janssen, un cero aumento rispetto al numero di stazioni oggi esistenti (sono 33). Finora le autorizzazioni concesse sarebbero 12.
Vi suggerisco di andare a visitare i siti delle due organizzazioni citate da Mike e già che ci siete date un'occhiata al suo archivio personale su mikejanssen.net, vi troverete bellissime storie come questa.

Native Radio Building Community

By MIKE JANSSEN

As new technologies take hold in the marketplace — and in the minds of consumers — old media are starting to look, well, older. FM radio is no exception. The debut of new cell phones that deliver audio applications spurred predictions of radio’s demise.
But for many communities, radio still promises a way to spread news, share stories and support a cultural or regional identity. This is especially true for the country’s Native American tribes, which have seized a rare chance to start new radio stations as a way of strengthening their communities.
Last fall, many Native people joined hundreds of schools, activists, churches and nonprofit groups that applied for new noncommercial FM stations with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Most of these applications were for frequencies in smaller towns and rural areas. (Radio spectrum in larger cities is too crowded to accommodate new signals).
Because the FCC had not accepted applications for noncommercial stations in more than seven years, demand was high. Working to help tribal applicants was Native Public Media (NPM), a spin-off of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters, which advocates on behalf of community stations across the country. NPM focuses on all media, not just radio. One of its goals is to increase Native access to broadband Internet.
But even in the Internet era, radio still suits the needs of Native communities, says Loris Ann Taylor, NPM’s executive director. Cheap and ubiquitous, radio is easily accessible to the poor, the illiterate and the low-tech. Radio also covers great distances instantaneously, making it particularly valuable for tribal communities in far-flung villages.
In Alaska, Native communities use radio to exchange personal messages and keep abreast of potentially dangerous weather. “Radio really reaches across those barriers,” Taylor says. “In Indian country, radio still works.”
For Taylor, empowering Native communities with their own stations also carries a deeper significance. Through locally controlled media, tribal communities gain the power to reflect their Native cultures back to each other — a right denied them throughout decades of persecution and genocide. Taylor still remembers the grade-school teacher who pinched her hand if she spoke her Hopi language in class. “What I find really important about my work is that radio allows us to be who we want to be,” she says. “It’s like freedom.”
Many noncommercial stations around the country focus on community issues. This is especially true of Native stations, which cover topics such as health, education and the environment; feature locally programmed music; and broadcast in Native languages that in some places are spoken by very few people.
With help from Native Public Media, 37 Native nations applied for 51 radio stations last fall. None of the applicants currently operates a station, according to Taylor. Even if some of those applicants fail in their bid for licenses, Native radio could double its U.S. presence. (There are 33 Native stations on the air now.)
It could also branch out geographically. No tribal stations broadcast east of the Mississippi, but last fall’s applicants included the Seneca tribe of New York and the Houma of Louisiana. So far, 12 tribes have received FCC clearance to build stations. Many are now looking for startup funds, pricing equipment costs and planning programming.
One is South Dakota’s Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate tribe, which once operated a radio station but lost the license when it failed to meet annual FCC requirements. Its drive to regain a station began at the urging of a few tribal members who run an Internet station, says Garryl Rousseau, chair of the new FM station’s board.
Many of the tribe’s 6,000 members want the station to promote their Dakota language, Rousseau says, which is in need of a boost. In a 2003 survey, less than 10 percent of members rated their command of Dakota as either “fluent” or “good,” and half said they couldn’t speak a word. “It hasn’t gotten any better,” says Rousseau. He envisions a radio station that could partner with tribal schools to develop language education programs.
Other tribes face a longer wait to see whether they will receive broadcast licenses, as the FCC sorts out conflicts involving multiple applicants vying for competing frequencies. Among these applicants are the Coeur d’Alene tribe of northern Idaho, where Valerie Fast Horse, the director of information technology, learned of the opportunity to start a station through Taylor. (Both serve on the telecommunications committee of the National Congress of American Indians, an organization of tribal governments made up of 250 member tribes). The Coeur d’Alene reservation covers 345,000 acres and is home to 2,000 tribal members who have no radio station that provides programming about their region or culture, Fast Horse says. They get their news from a station in Spokane, Wash.
Fast Horse says she envisions a radio station that covers local sports, tribal government and the Coeur d’Alene’s culture, music, language and history. The station could also deliver news about forest fires and heavy snowstorms. And perhaps, most importantly, it could help improve the tribe’s relationship with non-Native neighbors. The Coeur d’Alene recently encountered friction with a group of nearby residents over control of resources, says Fast Horse.
“We need to tell our own stories about ourselves in a way that’s suitable to us,” she says. “Others can say what they want — it could be favorable or unfavorable. If we can tell our story, people have another voice to listen to.” 
Mike Janssen a freelance writer and editor based in the Washington, D.C., area. His articles frequently appear in Current newspaper, the trade newspaper covering public broadcasting. His website is mikejanssen.net.
http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/3920/native_radio_building_community

Auf Wiederhören, Multikulti. Si chiude.

A partire dal prossimo anno, l'emittente regionale berlinese RBB dovrà risparmiare 54 milioni di euro, la somma che viene sottratta al suo bilancio dal 2009. Per la stazione il taglio implica la rinuncia a uno dei suoi programmi televisivi trasmessi dal primo canale nazionale ARD, ma soprattutto la chiusura del canale radiofonico Multikulti, eccellente esempio di integrazione linguistica e culturale della folta popolazione immigrata berlinese. Le frequenze, afferma questo comunicato ufficiale appena apparso sul sito di Multikulti, verranno occupate dal 2009 dai programmi di Funkhaus Europa, prodotto dalla WDR di Colonia. 54 milioni sono una bella cifra, nulla da eccepire su certe decisioni. Oltretutto la direzione assicura che i 28 redattori a tempo indeterminato resteranno tutti al loro posto e che si cercherà di trovare una soluzione per i collaboratori occasionali. Ma sono triste lo stesso, perché sono convinto che ogni investimento in integrazione e cultura garantisca sempre grandi ritorni sul piano sociale. Peccato siano quasi sempre non misurabili e che della multiculturalità non gliene freghi niente a nessuno, specie alla cultura dominante che paga le tasse.

Aus für Radiomultikulti
rbb-Pressemitteilung

Der Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg steht unter massiven Sparzwängen. Zum Jahresende muss er deshalb sein Integrationsprogramm Radiomultikulti aufgeben. Die Hörerinnen und Hörer von radiomultikulti verlieren allerdings nicht ihr vielsprachiges Angebot: Vom 1. Januar 2009 an wird auf derselben Frequenz das multikulturelle Programm „Funkhaus Europa“ des WDR ausgestrahlt.
rbb-Intendantin Dagmar Reim: „Das Ende von radiomultikulti ist ein schmerzlicher Einschnitt in unsere Programmvielfalt. Die finanzielle Situation des rbb lässt es leider nicht zu, alle sieben Radioprogramme zu erhalten. Ich bin Intendantin Monika Piel außerordentlich dankbar, dass der WDR uns ermöglicht, radiomultikulti durch Funkhaus Europa zu ersetzen.“
WDR-Intendantin Monika Piel: „Integration ist und bleibt eine wichtige Querschnittsaufgabe der ARD. Dafür steht der WDR nicht zuletzt mit seinem Integrationsprogramm Funkhaus Europa. Auch wenn radiomultikulti in der Berliner Metropole eine ganz eigene Handschrift entwickelt hat, bin ich sicher, dass wir den Berliner Hörerinnen und Hörern mit Funkhaus Europa ein attraktives Angebot machen können.“
„WDR-Funkhaus Europa“ wurde 1998 gegründet und sendet, ähnlich wie radiomultikulti, ein 24-stündiges Programm in Deutsch und 17 weiteren Sprachen. Zwischen Radiomultikulti und „Funkhaus Europa“ gibt es seit Jahren eine enge Kooperation.
Für die Hörerinnen und Hörer von radiomultikulti bleibt es also bei einem qualitativ hochwertigen Programm auf der Berliner Frequenz 96,3 Mhz.
radiomultikulti besteht seit 1994. In der jüngsten Media-Analyse vom März 2008 kam es aufeinen Marktanteil von 0,8 Prozent. Das entspricht täglich 37 000 Hörern.
Hörfunkdirektor Christoph Singelnstein: „Ilona Marenbach, die Chefredakteurin von radiomultikulti, und ihr Team machen ein inspiriertes, interessantes und engagiertes Programm. Wir hätten es gern erhalten. Die 28 fest angestellten Kolleginnen und Kollegen bleiben beim rbb. Wir werden versuchen, freie Mitarbeiterinnen und Mitarbeiter auch in anderen Programmen zu beschäftigen.“
Der rbb stellt zudem am Jahresende das Fernsehmagazin „POLYLUX“ ein. „POLYLUX“ wird 30mal jährlich donnerstags im ERSTEN nach „Schmidt und Pocher“ oder nach dem „Scheibenwischer“ ausgestrahlt. Fernsehdirektorin Dr. Claudia Nothelle: „Tita von Hardenberg und ihr Team haben elf Jahre lang die Hauptstadt gegen den Strich gebürstet. Wir danken ihr für viele schräge Einfälle und den Blick auf die komischen und verrückten Seiten Berlins. Gern hätten wir ‚POLYLUX’ weiterhin für das ERSTE produziert. Leider haben wir die finanziellen Möglichkeiten dafür nicht mehr.“
In der kommenden Gebührenperiode, die im Januar 2009 beginnen soll, fehlen dem rbb voraussichtlich 54 Millionen Euro. Das liegt daran, dass im Sendegebiet des rbb 14,5 Prozent der Haushalte von der Zahlung der Rundfunkgebühr befreit sind – verglichen mit nur 9 Prozent im ARD-Durchschnitt. Hinzu kommen Abwanderung aus der Region und hohe Forderungsausfälle, also Gebühren, die zu bezahlen wären, aber nicht eingehen.
Der rbb hat vom Tage seiner Gründung an (1. Mai 2003) seine Ausgaben intensiv und hart reduziert. Bis zum 1. Januar 2009 werden 320 Planstellen abgebaut und ein hoher zweistelliger Millionenbetrag eingespart sein. Alle diese Kürzungen hat der Sender in einer großen und solidarischen Anstrengung seiner Mitarbeiterinnen und Mitarbeiter verkraftet, ohne seine Programme in ihrer Substanz zu beschädigen.
Durch die massiv ansteigenden Gebührenausfälle ist nun eine neue Situation entstanden. Würden die notwendigen Kürzungen auf alle Programme gleichmäßig verteilt, gerieten alle in die Gefahr, nicht mehr den Qualitätsmaßstäben öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunks genügen zu können.
Dr. Ulrike Liedtke, Vorsitzende des rbb-Rundfunkrates: „Der rbb ist unverschuldet in Not geraten. Er leidet unter Gebührenausfällen und darunter, dass die Rundfunkgebühren ungerecht verteilt werden. Intendantin Reim hat die wohlhabenden ARD-Sender um Hilfe gebeten. Dass sie im Ergebnis nur wenig Unterstützung erhielt, führt nun zu diesen unvermeidlichen, bitteren programmlichen Konsequenzen. Der Rundfunkrat wird sich in seiner morgigen Sitzung damit beschäftigen.“

Kenya, dissenso sul veto alle radio vernacolari

Dopo le violenze che fecero seguito alle elezioni presidenziali in Kenya e gli incitamenti alla guerra interetnica che furono lanciate da diverse stazioni radio private dell'interno del Paese, sembra che il parlamento kenyota stia discutendo della possibilità di chiudere le cosiddette "vernacular stations", quelle che non operano in lingua inglese o in kiswahili. Spulciando la lista (non aggiornatissima ma abbastanza attendibile) che ho trovato sul sito della Communications commission of Kenya, il fenomeno di queste stazioni vernacolari è molto consistente. Il sito dell'ufficio stampa del governo, che si occupa degli accrediti dei giornalisti nazionali e stranieri, elenca 13 stazioni regionali o vernacolari. Si trovano persino alcuni stream su Internet. Diversi commentatori stanno facendo sentire le proprie contrarietà all'ipotesi di una legge genericamente repressiva. Non colpite le stazioni vernacolari, ma le singole trasmissioni violente, dicono. Ecco per esempio il commento di Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem sul sito della ONG Justice Africa.

African Languages Should Not be Criminalised
May 15th, 2008

In this column last week I wrote about the demonisation of the media in Kenya, as Kenyans tried to exorcise themselves of their recent ghostly past. The media is not without its faults; but to blame it for hatred, violence, wanton destruction of property, neighbours killing one another and communities turning against themselves, is simply finding a scapegoat. Such a convenient foil will make it possible to let off all the other culprits. In this case the grand architects of the mayhem are the politicians, the political class and the Kenyan ruling class in general, who whip up these sentiments and manipulate the genuine grievances of the masses, in pursuit of their own personal and class interests.
The grand coalition government (increasingly exposing itself as lacking in grand people) politicians, who only a few weeks ago, were spouting all kinds of extremist statements, are now uniting against everybody else; becoming holier than thou in preaching national reconciliation and peace, and trying to outshine one another as ‘the patriotic Kenyan’! Everyone is guilty except the political leaders.
The Nairobi Star reported on ‘radical proposals’ emerging from the recent bonding retreat of the new government: “vernacular radio stations should be closed down, cabinet ministers agreed”. The decision, according to the report, was followed by “discussions on what role the media played in the post election period” (‘Vernacular FM Stations to be Closed’, May 10 2008).
Really? I do not speak or understand any of the languages of the 42 officially recognised ethnic groups in Kenya. My understanding of the more widely spoken National language, Kiswahili, is still very much kidogo kidogo (i.e. little), yet I am acutely aware of the crass hostilities between different communities, charges of ethnic discrimination and allegations of ethnic monopoly of this or that, by one group or the other. So which media is poisoning my mind?
The Kenyan ruling elite have been quite successful, until recently, in living in grand denial of the social, economic and political injustices that have made them one of the most prosperous middle classes in Africa, as well as making Kenya one of the most unequal societies in the world. The tragic violence on the back of the disputed elections finally punctured deep holes in this class/crass delusion. Even a superficial examination of Kenya’s colonial and post-colonial history will reveal the extreme violence perpetrated by the British followed by the independence elite who perfected their rule through the same divide and conquer of the British, and turned Uhuru (independence) into a permanent burden to the masses. Somehow the elite swallowed their own propaganda of Kenya as an oasis of peace and stability. They took comfort in the disintegration of their neighbours and believed that civil wars, genocide, military coups, economic meltdown etc., were things that happen to their neighbours; not Kenya, the country internationally known as the destination for exotic Safaris, complacent to the tune of ‘Kenya Yetu, Hakuna Matata’ (no problems in our Kenya).
The decades of violence after independence, including ethnic clashes, ethnic cleansing and high level unsolved political murders, were minor details conveniently airbrushed from the official self image of the country, until December 2007.
Now that the ideologically manufactured innocence has finally been exposed, Kenyan rulers are looking for scapegoats for the troubled paradise, a paradise that has always excluded the majority of its peoples whatever their ethnicity, religion or race.
By making media broadcasting in indigenous languages the enemy, the political elite is only showing itself up as the local settler / colonial master it has always been. In that colonial mindset, the majority of the people, their culture, traditions and languages, become objects of attack and persecution. The colonialists justified their predatory adventures, oppression and exploitation of the colonised people as the ‘white man’s burden’ to bring civilisation and God to the natives. The post colonial elite continues the same attack on their own people in the name of modernisation, culturally translating to westernisation and uncritically aping the language and cultures of Wazungu (Europeans) . That’s why our indigenous languages are referred to as ‘vernacular’ and our children are made to feel ashamed of and even punished for speaking their mother tongues at school.
The current attack on indigenous language media is not unique to Kenya - although it takes different forms in other countries - and is not limited to just the media. It is a wholesale attack on Africanness. It is not just about freedom of expression, but part of a larger and long attack on the minds of the masses that must be resisted. The English language media are no less guilty of xenophobia, ethnic hatred or distortions, misrepresentation or disinformation. So why pick on indigenous language stations? Is it because English phobias and ideological biases are preferable to indigenous ones?
In the UK, the Welsh are proud to use their local language; they insist that signposts in Wales are Welsh and have mandatory broadcasts in their language. In Britain in general, ethnic minorities are not ashamed to retain and reclaim their culture and language, whilst being part of a vibrant multi-cultural society. And yet in Kenya, politicians want to legislate against ethnic media! Just imagine the ridiculousness of it all. A Kikuyu, Luo, Luhya, or any of the numerous diaspora of Kenyan communities in the UK can establish a radio station or any other media in their mother tongue, sometimes even with government support but back home in Kenya, if politicians have their way, such an endeavour would be criminalised!
I am very much aware of the role which the media especially the radio (which is still the most influential media in Africa as it is virtually accessible to everyone) can play both negatively and positively in our societies. Radio Mille Collines in Rwanda was both orchestrator and perpetrator for genocidaire elements and genocide. Still, the solution in post-genocide Rwanda was not to ban radio in Kiyarwanda, but to change the laws, criminalise hatred broadcast and publications and reorient the content of programmes in a wider public education programme of a continuous fight against the ideology from which genocide springs. The state should make laws that protect the whole of society and be willing to sanction those who violate them - whether they are media, politicians or academics, instead of blaming indigenous language. In blaming the language rather than those who instigate these sentiments, Kenyan politicians are behaving like the proverbial ostrich man in the Yoruba saying: O fi ete sile on pa lapa lapa - someone who is suffering from leprosy is busy seeking medicines for eczema!

La stazione aborigena che piace a tutta Brisbane

IPS racconta il caso di una emittente australiana gestita, a Brisbane, esclusivamente da aborigeni. La classica stazione comunitaria etnica? Sì e no. In origine la licenza alla Brisbane Indigenous Media Association era stata concessa per quello, tra l'altro privilegiando gli aborigeni su un gruppo cristiano che voleva mettere su una radio religiosa. Ma il responsabile di 98.9FM, Tiga Bayles, è uno che di radio ci capisce e in 15 anni ha trasformato "4AAA-FM" in una stazione mainstream, ascoltata da molti bianchi e altre etnie nonostante la quota di programmazione rivolta, appunto, agli australiani nativi. E soprattutto finanziata per due terzi su basi puramente commerciali, con la pubblicità e i corsi di formazione che aiutano le altre stazioni comunitarie aborgiene a fare radio in modo più professionale. Il segreto? Una sapiente miscela di gruppi musicali australiani e internazionali all'insegna di un unico genere musicale, il country. Più un notiziario di cinque minuti a tutte le ore durante il giorno, con un taglio comunitario e locale.
L'articolo di IPS - l'agenzia di notizie internazionali creata a Roma dall'italo-argentino Roberto Savio, che meriterebbe un discorso a sé - prosegue illustrando le varie iniziative radiofoniche per gli aborigeni australiani, che oggi per esempio siarticolano in tutto il territorio con le 105 stazioni dei Remote Indigenous Broadcasting Services e altre, tra stazioni comunitarie e piccoli network. Uno di questi, l'Aboriginal Resouce Development Services, si può ascoltare in banda tropicale su 5050 kHz, ma con estrema difficoltà alle nostre latitudini. I siti della Australian Indigenous Communications Association o della Community Broadcasting Foundation, contengono molte informazioni al riguardo. Meglio ancora una risorsa come il portale Community Broadcasting Online, con le schede su oltre 300 stazioni comunitarie australiane.
Dedico questo post a Liddy Nevile e Gigi Tagliapietra, entrambi sanno perché. Liddy Nevile è una ricercatrice australiana specializzata in scienze formative, Web semantico e tecniche di conservazione e promozione delle culture aborigene che ha accumulato una notevole esperienza con gli abitanti nativi del "continente" australiano. Questo sito apre una piccola finestra su uno dei suoi progetti in madre patria, quello dedicato al sito di pitture rupestri del Queensland ma Liddy si sposta continuamente negli USA, in Europa, Giappone e Sud-Est asiatico

MEDIA-AUSTRALIA: Aboriginal Radio Holds Its Own
By Kalinga Seneviratne

BRISBANE, Apr 5 (IPS) - When the Brisbane Indigenous Media Association (BIMA) applied for a community radio license 15 years ago they had to compete with a Christian group which argued that there were more Christians than aborigines in Brisbane and thus merited a license first.
But BIMA was able to convince Australian broadcasting authorities that though there were more Christians than aborigines here, the latter had a greater right to get their voice heard because the Christians were well represented in the rest of the media. BIMA was thus given the license and started broadcast on Apr. 5, 1993.
Started as Radio 4AAA-FM, but popularly known as 98.9 FM, it is the first Australian aboriginal-run community radio station in a major city. Today, as it celebrates its 15th anniversary, 98.9 FM is more a mainstream radio here rather than a fringe community station.
"We happen to be black and we happen to be community radio, but we see ourselves as stakeholders in the mainstream radio industry in Brisbane. We have some 120,000 mainstream ‘white fellow’ listeners a week," Tiga Bayles, general manager and founder of the aboriginal radio station, said in an interview with IPS.
Bayles argues that an attraction is country music, a genre of local Australian music that is popular both among white and aboriginal Australians. For many of Australia’s indigenous people who grew up in the outback (countryside) or in desert reserves, this music is popular entertainment. Over the past 50 years famous country music stars have included legendary aboriginal names like Jimmy Little and Roger Knox.
At 98.9 FM they make sure that at least two songs from aboriginal musicians are played each hour. The station broadcasts 24 hours a day. "We don’t have any competition here, there is no other country music format broadcast on radio in Brisbane," noted Bayles.
"Country music is a bridge that brings together the two communities - indigenous and non-indigenous," argues Prof Michael Meadows of Brisbane’s Griffiths University. "The reason it works for 98.9 FM is because of indigenous people’s close affinity with country music," he added.
Pradip Thomas, an Indian-born Christian, who lectures in mass communication at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, is a regular listener of 98.9 FM. "Country music is a clever strategy they have used to reach out to a wider community," he observed. "I think they have succeeded in this. There is a large crowd of white folks who listen to them when they drive to and from work in the morning and in the evening."
In addition to day long country music, 98.9 FM broadcasts a five-minute news bulletins each hour from 6.00 am to 8.00 pm Monday to Friday. This is produced by the Brisbane-based National Indigenous News Service (NINS) of which Bayles is the chairman. "We have a particular policy that stories need to be about or related to indigenous communities, but also (appeals to the) majority communities," he explained.
Thus, NINS, which provides an indigenous perspective on news, is distributed to some 150 community radio stations across Australia by satellite. They also invite other aboriginal radio stations to provide news to the newsroom in Brisbane where 3 full time journalists are employed.
Bayles also broadcasts a live talk programme from 9.00 to 10.00 am daily 5 days a week, which is also distributed nationally by NINS. "I bring in a guest to talk live in the studio or talk live on the telephone on air. In this way we’re giving a white audience a black experience," he argues.
Meadows told IPS that the audience research he has conducted in Brisbane indicated that this programme has a good listenership among white professionals in the city, especially those who work in the health and government services sector. "They said that Tiger’s programme gives a much needed indigenous perspective on various issues."
Over the past 18 months Meadows has done an audience survey of aboriginal media, especially radio, in Queensland, whose state capital is Brisbane. "Radio plays a very important role in providing the link for remote indigenous communities with the outside community," he argues. "People everywhere we went said indigenous radio was the voice of the people. It’s their’s and they have control over it and they can say what they want."
Australia’s indigenous people have been locked out of the mainstream media for a long time. Worse, especially on commercial media, they have been stereotyped as drunkards, uneducated ‘no-hope’ people living on government welfare handouts.
In the past 20 years, a new breed of indigenous people, well-educated and articulate, like Bayles, have led a counter-attack against this negative portrayal of Australia’s original people. As a result there are now 105 unique small community radio and television broadcasting facilities known as Remote Indigenous Broadcasting Services in far-flung communities. In addition, there are 25 licensed aboriginal community radio stations across the continent.
While Bayles is happy with this rapid growth of aboriginal media in Australia, he is concerned that most of it is not professional enough. He says a lot of them turn up at the station, play whatever music they like, talk a bit on air and go away. To make aboriginal radio more professional, 98.9 FM has set up a training arm offering three certificate courses along with e-learning facilities.
They bring in six to eight station managers from across Queensland to Brisbane for training three or four times a year. "We introduce them to our style, the standards and the philosophy behind this station. The philosophy is that everybody that has ears is a potential listener to your radio station," explained Bayles.
Unlike most other aboriginal radio stations, 98.9 FM is not purely dependant on government funding. Only a third of its income comes from government grants to indigenous media, the other two-thirds comes from sale of airtime to advertisers and income generated from projects such as training radio broadcasters.
"There has been no increase in funding for indigenous radio for probably 15 years. It is not good," complains Bayles. "We should be able to get funds directly from the treasury and be that independent voice of the people."

Vancouver, la Babele delle "hotline radio"

Un bell'articolo del Vancouver Sun sulle cosiddette hotline radio su una delle città più etnicamente variegate del Canada. Per hotline radio si intende ovviamente una talk station che apre continuamente le proprie linee telefoniche agli ascoltatori. E quando ci sono di mezzo comunità e lingue così diverse, la partecipazione è assicurata. Tra gli intervistati c'è il conduttore di uno show in lingua cantonese della stazione Fairchild Radio 1470, una delle due della West Coast ascoltata (anche se tentativamente) in Italia.

Hotline radio provides avenue for involvement

As diverse as Vancouver itself, talk radio gives listeners a chance to speak their views on a wide variety of topics and issues. No other media forum offers the same opportunity

John Mackie
Vancouver Sun

Saturday, April 05, 2008


Hotline radio in Vancouver is as diverse as the city. Traditional hotliners dominate the airwaves at CKNW, but there are also hotliners serving the Chinese and Indo-Canadian communities, in their own languages. The foundation of most every hotline radio show is picking up on the news of the day and running with it. But the diverse voices in local hotline also pick topics that specifically cater to their own communities.
Harjinder Thind is a popular hotliner and news director at Red-FM, an Indo-Canadian station at 93.1 FM. "Most of my topics are based on current affairs, what's happening locally, provincially and federally and how it's going to impact our community, South Asian people," he says. "[But] sometimes I choose topics which are very entertaining [or] belong to the cultural part of our Indian history, or history from Punjab. I choose those topics once in a while -- people get bored, they start complaining the [news] stuff you're feeding us is too heavy."
That said, Thind isn't afraid to be provocative. "I have pissed off many politicians in our community, I guess," he notes. "One of our elected politicians never knew how to sing O Canada. I asked him on the air, 'Sing O Canada for me.' He said 'I don't know it.' I said, 'How come you're an elected official and you don't know O Canada?' He was pissed off."
Who was it?
"I don't want to tell you, he'd be after my ass," he laughs.
Wallace Chan is a hotliner at AM 1470, Fairchild Radio. "We talk about the B.C. tax cuts, that one was quite popular," says Chan, who broadcasts in Cantonese. "We talk about Fei-Fei Day, a Hong Kong celebrity who passed away recently, and whether we should have a Fei-Fei Day to recognize her. We talk about the income disparity between men and women. We talk about TransLink getting the revenue from property tax. As you can see, there are a large variety of [topics]." The hot-button issue in the Chinese community at the moment is whether Canada should boycott the Beijing Olympics. "Some people are quite emotional," Chan says. "I would say the majority of listeners do not support the idea of boycotting the Bejing Olympics. There are a number of reasons. Some think the government in China has done nothing wrong to restore the order in Tibet. But I would say one or two people have supported the idea of partially boycotting, for example not attending the opening ceremony." Like Thind, Chan looks for "controversial topics, discussable topics" that will light up the phone lines. But he doesn't want his show to turn nasty, like those of some American radio hotliners. "One of the most important things we keep reminding our listeners is not to conduct any personal attacks," he says. "Also we don't want people to finger-point [at] other listeners' ideas, [we want them] to focus on what they think instead of criticizing other people."
CKNW's Christy Clark loves the way people can express themselves through hotline radio. "I think it helps people clarify what they're thinking about," she says. "I think that's one of the things that people find appealing about open-line radio. And also that you get to be a part of it, in a way you don't get to be a part of any other media. Whoever you are, wherever you are, you can make your views public, and feel like you're having an impact on other people's opinion, because other people are listening, and forming their own opinions based on what they hear. "You can be one of those 10 or 20 people who are influencing public debate. I don't think there's any other forum where citizens get a hearing the way they do in talk radio." When you get the right topic, it can take off into a life all its own. This recently happened when Clark decided to do a series on bullying. "The bullying stuff I knew was of interest to people, because I hear so many people talking about it," she says. "That was a good example of something that has affected almost everybody, everybody's got a story about it. [But the response] floored me, honestly. I knew bullying was something people are concerned about, but I didn't really know that it had personally affected so many people. And I underestimated how resonant the memories of being bullied were for people.
"What really surprised me were the calls [from people like] the little old lady who is 80 years old and said, 'The only thing I remember about my childhood was the time when I was eight years old and these kids shoved my head in a snow bank and held my head under so long I felt like I was going to suffocate.'
"The memories of being bullied are so resonant for people. So that surprised me, how affecting the experience is. And if it's your children, people feel it almost as keenly. Especially if it's a regular event, which is what it is, unfortunately, for many kids."
Thind's topics are often very Indo-Canadian specific, and pointed. "We have done a show on how some of our people are abusing the system and as a result, the whole community is tarnished," he says. "I have done [a show on] courtesy on the road. All these people have been driving in India and they don't really respect other drivers here, and how we can improve that. ... If a guy with a turban doesn't give way or butts in or something, they will tarnish the whole community, that guys with turbans are bad drivers, so you should be careful." His big issue at present is the lack of Indo-Canadian representation in the upper echelons of the Surrey RCMP. "The population of Surrey is almost 40 per cent Punjabi-speaking, and we don't even have a single police officer at the senior or inspector level that happens to speak Punjabi," he states. "I talked to [RCMP superintendent Gordon] McRae, then I talked to the solicitor-general, then I spoke to the attorney-general on air on this issue.
"I told them, 'If this was a 40-per-cent French-speaking area, guess who [would] be the police chief? The police chief [would] be a French-speaking person.' And here 40 per cent of the population, which owns 51 per cent of the properties in Surrey, we don't have a single inspector-level Punjabi-speaking officer.
"They agree, all of them agree. McRae, the solicitor-general, and the attorney-general agreed with me, 'You have a point.' But nobody has done anything."
Radio hosts taking up political campaigns like this have a long history in B.C. -- most notably Rafe Mair and his many causes (Meech Lake, farmed salmon, etc.). But all three hosts say you've got to balance the serious stuff with something a little lighter. "We try and mix the newsy stuff with things that are interesting, so sometimes we end up with some quirky kind of segments," Clark says. "And lots of times we just do things we're interested in, or hear other people talking about. We'll spend time talking to our friends and relatives and co-workers or whatever. 'What got your book club going last week, what was your big topic?'
"Maybe that topic was 'What do you do when your spouse snores really heavily and keeps you awake at night?' Some people say they don't do anything, they just stay in bed and suffer through it, because they consider that the sign of a devoted spouse.
"We actually did this one. Somebody phoned up and said, 'I came to the conclusion I was going to smother my husband dead in the middle of the night. So instead [of killing him] we got twin beds, and I got a ski pole.' When he starts to snore in the middle of the night, she picks up the ski pole and gives him a good poke with it.
"And that's how she solved her problems."

Ancona e Vienna, due Radio Africa

Come sapete sono un grande fautore della radio come mezzo di comunicazione ideale per le comunità di immigrati, specie in una realtà come quella italiana, dove l'apparato normativo è a dir poco kafkiano, gli uffici pubblici e la burocrazia hanno una soglia di accessibilità ardua anche per chi ha in tasca una laurea in giurisprudenza e la conoscenza delle lingue straniere, tra i pubblici funzionari, è talmente poco diffusa da rendere assurdamente complessa la vita di chiunque arrivi qui con tante speranze (e troppe illusioni. Leggo ora sulla testata telematica Go Marche, di una lodevole iniziativa promossa dalla Provincia di Ancona, la Web station di Radio Africa.

Lunedì 10 Marzo 2008 15:05
Ancona, presentata la web radio degli immigrati

Si chiama www.radioafrica.eu la web radio dedicata alle questioni dell’immigrazione locale lanciata dal circolo culturale Africa e sostenuta dalla Provincia di Ancona.
ANCONA – Si chiama www.radioafrica.eu la web radio dedicata alle questioni dell’immigrazione locale lanciata dal circolo culturale Africa e sostenuta dalla Provincia di Ancona. Un progetto che, unendo le caratteristiche di un mezzo popolare come la radio alle potenzialità delle nuove tecnologie della rete, ha l’obiettivo di rafforzare la comunicazione e la promozione di attività rivolte ai cittadini immigrati presenti nel nostro territorio, con particolare attenzione alle seconde generazioni.
“Siamo felici – spiega Carla Virili, assessore alle Politiche sociali e all’Immigrazione della Provincia di Ancona – di contribuire alla realizzazione di questo progetto di integrazione che, attraverso l’avvio di una web radio sui temi più sentiti dalle comunità straniere del nostro territorio, consente di estendere il campo d’azione dei processi di comunicazione con un innovativo strumento rivolto soprattutto ai giovani delle seconde generazioni”.
Gli obiettivi chiave che il progetto intende perseguire sono una conoscenza più approfondita del fenomeno immigratorio locale, il costante aggiornamento sui corsi di formazione promossi dalle autorità locali, statali ed europee rivolti agli immigrati, la condivisione di una cultura aperta e consapevole sui fenomeni in atto nella società italiana ed europea, senza perdere di vista il complesso fenomeno della globalizzazione.
Nel palinsesto di www.radioafrica.eu, anche uno sportello virtuale, al quale si potranno rivolgere gli immigrati per avere informazioni su questioni di natura amministrativa o legate ai problemi pratici della quotidianità.
Il servizio si articolerà in quattro ore al giorno (due alla mattina e due al pomeriggio) per tutto l’arco della settimana e sarà curato dal circolo culturale Africa, in collaborazione con giovani del servizio volontario europeo, che parteciperanno attivamente alla programmazione della radio.
Durante la presentazione, l’assessore Virili è intervenuta anche sulla questione delle seconde generazioni di emigranti, cioè i figli di quei tanti italiani che negli scorsi anni partirono in cerca di miglior fortuna verso altri Paesi.
“Abbiamo recentemente firmato un protocollo d’intesa con la Regione Marche per prendere contatto con queste seconde generazioni di emigranti e costruire azioni di scambio culturale con la nostra provincia per favorire una loro migliore conoscenza della propria la propria terra d’origine”.

Continuo a pensare che un segnale diffuso via Web forse non è del tutto sufficiente se si vuole raggiungere chi al massimo dispone di un telefono cellulare ricaricabile, ma è già qualcosa. Provate a confrontare la Radio Africa di Ancona con la Radio Afrika di Vienna, una esperienza on air (e naturalmente sul Web) che dura da undici anni. L'ho scoperta approfondendo il caso dei podacst delle ferrovie austriache, grazie al blog di Treffpunkt Radio, da dove ho preso l'articolo che segue. Radio Afrika è ripetuta da Radio Orange a Vienna (da sola una esperienza di eccezionale interesse) e dall'impianto in onde medie di 1476 kHz, dalle 21.30 alle 23. Proprio sulle onde medie avvennero le prime trasmissioni, ideate da un giornalista della ORF. Anche qui le emissioni sono in un misto della lingua nazionale (il tedesco), inglese, francese.

Radio Afrika sendet seit elf Jahren gegen Klischees

Seit nahezu elf Jahren sendet Radio Afrika von Wien aus gegen die mediale Unterrepräsentation Afrikas an. Mit professionellem Programm setzt sich das rund 50-köpfige Team gegen Vorurteile und Stereotypisierungen ein. Die journalistische Arbeit ist dabei aber nur eine Ebene unter vielen.
"Über die Jahre hinweg haben wir uns zu einer multiplen Informations- und Projektplattform für die Austro-Afrikanische Community entwickelt", erklärt Gründer Alexis Neuberg. Er stellte seinen Sender gestern, Mittwochabend, beim 46. "Treffpunkt Radio im Ottimo" in Wien vor.
Die Idee für ein afrikanisches Radioprogramm entstand, als der in Ruanda geborene Journalist Neuberg auf das ORF-Radio-Urgestein Rainer Rosenberg traf. Am 21. März 1997 war Radio Afrika erstmals auf dem ORF-Mittelwellensender 1476 KHz zu hören. Die einzige Auflage für Neuberg und sein Team: "Es darf dem ORF nichts kosten." Infolge wurde ein Musikprogramm und Studiogespräche über relevante Themen für in Österreich lebende Afrikaner auf die Beine gestellt. Der Geist sei "dynamisch" gewesen, so Neuberg, der sich heute noch an die von den ORF-Kollegen mit Staunen aufgenommenen "Moderationen ohne Sessel" erinnert.
Bald nach dem Start wurde das Programm um Nachrichten über Afrika und später um afrikaspezifische Berichterstattung, Reportagen und Analysen aus den Bereichen Politik, Wirtschaft, Kultur und Traditionen erweitert. Zu Französisch und Englisch, den Anfangssprachen des Senders, kamen bald deutsche Programmteile sowie die Sprachen Kinyarwanda und Swahili dazu. Mittlerweile ist man neben der Mittelwellenfrequenz 1476 KHz (europaweit) auch auf Radio Orange FM 94.0 (Wien) sowie über Internet empfangbar. Außerdem produziert das Team seit einiger Zeit eine wöchentliche Afrika TV-Sendung, die mit täglichen Wiederholungen auf dem Fersehkanal Okto (Kabel 8) ausgestrahlt wird.
Das Team arbeitet ausschließlich ehrenamtlich, wie Neuberg betont. Die Themenbereiche sind dabei keineswegs auf Afrika beschränkt. Wer Programm machen oder eine bestimmte Sprachgruppe vertreten kann, darf sich engagieren. Deswegen sind auf Radio Afrika auch serbokroatische Sendungsbestandteile zu hören. "Bei uns gibt es Menschen aus allen Ländern. Eine kleine UNO sozusagen. Die Leute kommen aus Neugier und bleiben aus Überzeugung", meinte Neuberg.
In den elf Radio Afrika-Jahren haben sich neben der eigentlichen Sendetätigkeit noch einige zusätzliche Aktionsfelder angesammelt. Die mehrsprachige Gratis-Print-Publikation "Tribüne Afrikas wird als Promotions-Blatt gezielt in afrikanischen Lokalen und Vereinen verteilt. Daneben wird an Integrationsprojekten mitgearbeitet und eine Plattform für Schülerradio angeboten. Aktuell organisiert man wieder ein "Radio exchange", ein Austauschprogramm zwischen afrikanischen und österreichischen Journalisten, dieses Jahr mit Schwerpunkt auf die Länder Sudan und Tansania.
Abgesehen davon will Neuberg künftig auf der geschäftlichen Ebene den Sender mehr in Richtung Know-how-Anbieter und Expertise positionieren. "Unser Angebot ist ein stabiler Kontakt und eine Basis zur afrikanischen Community", erklärte der Senderchef. Auch beim sendereigenen Geschäftsfeld Eventmanagement ist man derzeit aktiv: Heuer findet zum zweiten Mal der Afrika-Frühlingsball statt. Als Stargäste sind unter anderen Willi Resetarits und Arabella Kiesbauer angesagt. Die Benefizveranstaltung für Radio Afrika TV und das Integrationshaus geht am 14. März im Wiener Jugendstiltheater über die Bühne.
"Treffpunkt Radio im Ottimo", ist der Treffpunkt für Redakteure, Moderatoren und Producer aus der österreichischen Radiolandschaft, für PR-Verantwortliche aus Agenturen und Unternehmen sowie für all jene, denen etwas an Österreichs Radiolandschaft liegt. "Treffpunkt Radio" ist eine Initiative der Mödlinger Radio-Service-Agentur Putz & Stingl, dem Österreichischen Journalisten Club und APA-OTS Originaltext-Service und findet jeden ersten Mittwoch im Monat statt.
Im Weblog http://treffpunktradio.ots.at finden sich Berichte und Audiobeträge über die vergangenen Veranstaltungen des Treffpunkt Radio. Außerdem können User über eine Posting-Funktion nicht nur direkt mit den Machern des "Treffpunkt Radio" in Kontakt treten, sondern auch untereinander Meinungen austauschen. (KRO)