Contribution of community radios in rural areas development case study of Habwa Ijambo? program aired at RC Huye

CHAPTER ONE: LITERATURE REVIEW

I.1. Introduction

This chapter explores the theorical framework of the study. Apart from clearing up key concepts found in this study, the section explores and talks about the contribution of community radios in uplifting communities in poverty. And the chapter tackle the issue of the relationship between community radios and rural development.

In general this chapter reviews what scientist, scholars of journalism said about the impact of community radios in rural development.

The literature here is basically from books, newspapers, journals, magazines, international agencies' reports, government official documents and lecture notes and also online documents. In this chapter we can find there also the historcal background of RC Huye station.

I.2. Definition of key concepts

The theme of this study requires a working definition of key concepts in order to get to the heart of the research problem. Community radios, rural areas and development.

I.2.0. Community radios

I.2.1. Defining community media

Reframing community media as a public-interest issue can legitimise new demands and give legal status to the community-media movement's requests for access to scarce resources, such as the radio-frequency spectrum or public funding. As activist Francesco Diasio puts it: `When we acknowledge there is a public interest in community media, we open doors to a certain number of related requests.

The first one is the financing of community radios: how to secure the right of those community radios which are non-commercial and open to public access to work properly without broadcasting advertisings' (Milan 2006).^3(*)

1.2.2. What is Community Radio?

A community radio station is one that is operated in the community, for the community, about the community and by the community. The community can be territorial or geographical - a township, village, district or island. It can also be a group of people with common interests, who are not necessarily living in one defined territory. Consequently, community radio can be managed or controlled by one group, by combined groups, or of people such as women, children, farmers, fisher folk. What distinguishes community radio from other media is the high level of people's participation, both in management and program production aspects. Furthermore, individual community members and local institutions are the principal sources of support for its operation(Dunaway, 2002).

2.2.1. Rural areas

H. William defined rural areas as large and isolated areas of an open country with low  population density. The terms "countryside" and "rural areas" are not synonyms:»countryside" refers to rural areas that are open. Forest, wetlands, and other areas with a low population density are not countryside.

This rapid growth of instantaneous decentralized communication is often judged likely to change mass media and its relationship to society. The internet is quickly becoming the centre of mass media. Everything is becoming accessible via the internet. For example, instead of reading a newspaper, or watching the news, people will log into the internet and select the news they want and when they want it. Many workers listen to the radio through the internet while sitting at their desk. Games also are played through the internet. (David Fisher, 2009).

* ³ Milan, Stefania(2009) 'Four steps to community media as a development tool', Development in Practice, 19: 4, 598 -- 609