Assessing Sustainability of Rural Community Radio in Kenya: A Case of Radio Mangelete

Abstract

Rural communities rely on radio for communication and community radio remains the most accessible medium of communication. Rural community radio is the voice of the unprivileged members of the society. In Kenya, community radio stations are growing rapidly and extensively. Radio Mang’elete has been in existence for more than ten years but still struggling with sustainability challenges. The study was conducted in a natural setting which involved in-depth interviews and Focused Group Discussions (FGD’s). The study revealed lack of quality management, lack of community involvement, lack of quality programs, unprofessionalism among others as contributing factors towards Rural Community Radio (RCR) sustainability.Qualitative research focusing on insight and understanding from the perspective of those being studied offers the greatest promise of making a difference in people’s lives (Merriam2009). Based on findings, the study recommends that RCR should improve on financial resources, policies and regulation, professionalism, management skills, and training of staff /volunteers should be frequent.

Keywords: Community radio, financial sustainability, social sustainability, institutional sustainability