Support your community funded radio and television stations…

One of the resolutions or goals I had for this year was to volunteer more often. Being a communications students studying the media, I decided to volunteer at my campus radio station. This way I get the opportunity to be around music, people who enjoy music and support a cause that is important within our society. Some of you may be thinking, “Okay, you volunteer at a publicly funded radio station, there is nothing interesting about a radio station that doesn’t play today’s hit music or receives enough funding for me to actually care”, but when we step back and look at the bigger picture of media ownership and the same ideas we are given, we can only realize how important these stations are and how they play a key role in the creation of culture and identity within our societies.

When we fund community television or radio stations we are funding opportunities for new ideas, music, culture and opinions. These opinions are the voice of the community and how people really feel about what is going on within their lives. The opportunity to hear different opinions on sex, politics, and culture gives us a broader sense in how we can change our world and make it a better place for us all.

This is similar in supporting new artists, with new ideas and allows us to get away from the music that is regularly marketed towards us. For those of you who don’t know, the music industry works in cycles. They promote a certain genre or artist till everyone is sick of it and then proceeds to the next opportunity to cash in on something different. Publicly funded radio stations on the other hand work on promoting any local artist that happens to be try to receive recognition within the community as well as contributing to the culture of the community. As well, radio stations are also a source for independent artists to be heard over the more “popular” or sound that is selling at the present time.

Not only does community funded stations deserve to be supported because of new ideas, but because of the hard work and dedication that goes on behind the scenes by those who run the stations. The station I volunteer at depends on the community to create shows and entertain, but there are others who are full-time workers who work hard to keep the station together through fundraising that makes it a cause worth supporting.

So if you receive a phone call from a community funded radio and television station please make a donation, even if it is a couple of dollars. In the long run you are not only helping the people within the station, but the community as well.