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News from the Field: The Right to Communicate Through Community Radio in Ghana

In Ghana, the 1992 Constitution which ended military rule upholds the freedom and independence of the media. The deregulation of broadcasting in 1995 greatly enhanced freedom of expression, but has not spawned adequate pluralism and diversity of voice. Marginalized groups have not been awarded the community radio frequencies they need to fully exercise the Right to Communicate.

This is why the Ghana Community Radio Network, GCRN, was formed in 1999 by the three Community Radio stations then on air and a number of community radio initiatives. With UNDEF funding, GCRN aims to double the number of community radio frequency authorizations, thus doubling the number of communities in Ghana that can exercise their Right to Communicate through community radio. The project also aims to make Community Radio station operations more participatory, ensuring that Community Radio stations not only increase in numbers but also actively foster communities’ Right to Communicate, especially those most lacking in voice.

In 2009, GCRN organized a 10-day workshop providing training in facilitation, action research and participatory design methodology to nearly 40 volunteers from GCRN on-air member stations and GCRN-UNDEF partner organizations. Among the outputs was a set of comprehensive frequency applications which were submitted to the national regulatory authority. The progress of the applications is being tracked by the project in coordination with the relevant communities.

The initiative will have an impact both on the level of public access to information, and on the quality of information produced and circulated throughout Ghana.

 

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