Radiosa: Equality goes on air
A case history: a social campaign and an international project.
"Radiosa - The radio which dares" a radio programme to broadcast Equal Opportunities issues in Europe.
- The idea and the partners. How an Italian independent production, WOW-Women On Work, coordinated a 3 years European project to raise awareness of equality issues in the six countries involved.
- The project objectives and how it was run. Six different countries and radio realities working together. Italy, an independent radio production; Spain, a municipality; Sweden, a public service radio; Finland, a community radio; Germany, a community network of migrant women; U.K., a worldwide radio.
- Dealing with differences. How the partners worked together and how they influenced each other positively; dealing with different scenarios.
- Italy: the very first Italian radio production on Equal opportunities. Three different format for a 3 step acknowledge process (over a 3 years production period):
1. does anyone know what we are talking about?
2. what does it mean equal opportunities for women in everyday life?
3. knowing who you really are helps women and equality to go far.
- Radio and the internet: a great success. Testing equality; the international window; new opportunities.
- The Radiosa Guide: disseminating this radio experience throughout Europe to share and pread widely good practice and radio ideas.
Valentina GRASSO (IT) -- WOW - Women on Work
How local stations can professionally cover major events at no extra cost
VSP/ASRP (Swiss Association of Private Radios) and the bilingual Radio Canal 3 present this surprising case study on a project that allows private local broadcasters to comprehensively cover the Swiss National Exhibition Expo.02 and thus guarantee their cumulated audience a professional service comparable to the one of the publicly funded broadcasters.
Expo.02 is a challenge for all Swiss media: During 159 days (May 15 - October 20, 2002), the de-centralized exhibition expects 10 million visitors on the shores of the lakes of Biel, Murten and Neuchâtel. Not only the content of the one-billion-euros event merits journalistic coverage, but also a multitude of neighbouring aspects, such as finances, traffic, security, personalities, special events and last but not least: the unexpected.
Not even for the biggest Swiss private radios - which all have to operate with local or regional licences - would it have been possible to recruit and finance the staff necessary to meet halfway the information needs of their audience in this context. Yet, Frederik Stucki, Programme Director of Biel-based Canal 3 did not want to give in: He saw Expo.02 as THE opportunity to prove that in the course of their 19 years of existence, Swiss private radios have reached a level of professionalism that can easily compete with the publicly funded giant SRG/SSR with its 16 national radio programmes.
In this conference, Frederik Stucki will explain in detail how this pioneer co-operation among competitors could be realised at no extra cost for any of the participating stations, why it strengthens the independent radios as a whole, and in which way it can serve as an example for future models of ad hoc-syndication between independent and competing private radios.
Frederik STUCKI (CH) -- Canal 3 (Bienne)
Polyphonia - Independent Radio as a Medium against Discrimination
The project Polyphonia began in mid-December 2000 in the following radio stations: Radio Dreyeckland (D-Freiburg), Radio Ondarossa (I-Rome), Radio Contrabanda (E-Barcelona), Radio Orange 94,0 (A-Vienna) and Amarc Europe.
Polyphonia received its support in the context of the Anti-Discrimination Programme of the EU. It was running through the year 2001 and its goal was to strengthen the position of those who are faced with discrimination as well as those who actively work against discrimination in non-commercial, independent radios, simultaneously using the medium "radio" itself to this end.
The project was aimed at various groups, who in their turn are confronted with different kinds of discrimination as well as at those who are fighting against such discrimination. Discrimination which stems from racism, because of ethnicity or national origin, discrimination because of sexual orientation, whether lesbian, gay, bisexual or transsexual, and discrimination because of physical handicaps clearly differ from one another as to their causes, their form, and the consequences for those affected by discrimination. Yet at the same time there are similarities, not the least of which are to be found in the experiences of those who actively work against marginalization and violence.
Especially for this reason Polyphonia was intended as a forum for different groups to come to together in order to: 1) discuss differences and similarities, 2) exchange ideas about possibilities and difficulties in the struggle against discrimination, 3) build networks extending beyond one single group, in individual countries as well as internationally, and 4) consider how independent radio as a medium for non-discriminating groups and projects can be better utilized.
The programme for 2001 included various events: Three days of special activities: International Day Against Racism (21 May), Christopher Street Day (Gay Pride, 29 June) and World Day of the Handicapped (3 December) * National Conventions in April * a Transnational Congress in November * the organisation of round-tables, discussion panels and radio programmes * the production of a CD.
On the occasion of MITIL 2002, the project co-ordinator Ariane Zeuner of Radio Dreyeckland will recapitulate Polyphonia and draw a retrospective balance: Did the project reach its goals? Has it left traces that will allow to pursue its purposes? Where lies the interest for other independent radios to take up and develop the idea?
Ariane ZEUNER (DE)