Historical Underpinnings

     Development Radio began in most Third World countries while they were still colonies of one of the European powers. Colonial systems were operated largely for colonists, and closely followed the pattern and programs of radio "at home." Such facilities became the initial basis of national radio systems as colonies became independent nations.

     In the decades following World War II, the major industrial powers divested themselves of most of their colonies. Radio has been used in these new nations in both crude and sophisticated ways to educate people, to propagandize them, and/or to involve them in grassroots development projects. In the 1960s the traditional practices of peasants in the developing world were targeted for change by Western development experts interested in the diffusion of innovations in agriculture, in education, and in industrialization. Their assumption was that use of radio and other media would assist and speed up the broader development process.

     Persuasive communications were seen as key to the adoption of technological innovations, which were to lead directly to individual and national development. The introduction in the late 1950s of transistorized radio-cheap, portable, and not requiring electricity-made it possible to broadcast programs about what were seen as modern practices that would help the masses break free of stagnant traditionalism.

     Since then, however, much research has refined and changed this simplistic and value-biased dominant paradigm of what development is and how it is to be achieved; research has also indicated the limitations to what were previously seen as direct, powerful, and uniform media effects on individuals. In the 1970s, for example, Third World scholars, ​​with what was to be termed a "dependency" view, took issue with the style and manner of Western-dominated development programming. External variables such as neocolonialism, top-down decision making, and lack of basic needs were taken into account, as were internal structural and political constraints such as land tenure systems and inefficient or corrupt government bureaucracies. Consequently, by the 1980s much radio programming addressed basic development projects designed to extend scarce resources and educational opportunities to remote and rural areas. Other factors in this change included the active participation of people at the grass roots; attempts at equity in the distribution of information; and the meeting of basic needs such as food, clean water, and education.

At the root of these newer perspectives was the recognition that the mass media in general, though still an important component in development, was not a magic means for implementing change. In addition, with illiteracy still rampant, print media were limited in their usefulness. Television was expensive to produce and disseminate. Computers with internet connection are for the privileged few. So radio, with its portability, low cost, and its accessibility for the illiterate and uneducated, remains the medium of choice for developing countries. Although much work has gone into using television, traditional media, and newspapers, development programming has focused on radio. This inexpensive and flexible medium continues to be the most frequently used of all the mass media in development projects. Radio is by far the most diversified and dispersed of the media, and its programming is the least expensive to produce.

Government Initiatives

     The first act of government in new nations liberated from colonialism often was to set up national radio stations, which were seen as an integral part of propaganda and education efforts. These stations, typically in the national capital, are still seen as so important that they are often the first facilities to be occupied by rebels in any attempts to overthrow governments.

     In addition to exploiting radio's potential as a conduit for propaganda, Third World governments have used radio to stimulate national integration in former colonies that have artificial borders encompassing many ethnic and language groups. National networks can simultaneously relay national news and programming in different languages across vast distances. Programming of national sporting events, or of traditional and indigenous music, is seen as a powerful integrator and reinforcer of national identity.

     Radio broadcasting also has been used at both national and regional levels to disseminate information about government development projects. Official messages are transmitted countrywide in many local languages. Programming can run the gamut from official news and policies, to information about agricultural innovations, to music programs.

     Often, educational programming on radio is supplemented by other media; for example, a program about family planning can be followed up with printed matter and audiocassettes and with visits by government workers to reinforce the initial message and to organize community discussions to build consensus. In addition, social marketing organizations can broadcast entertaining forms of programming. Mini soap operas, for example, have been used to promote nutritional beverages that counter dehydration in infants with diarrhea.

     Considerable programming has been produced for rural farmers in an effort to motivate them to adopt specific agricultural innovations, such as the use of improved corn seed and fertilizers.

     In recent years, however, as world lending institutions have insisted on open markets and democratization, many of these Third World government radio systems have been opened to commercial interests, which has resulted in less programming for development purposes.

Private Initiatives

     Although governments have generally used radio to inform their populations about development projects, by contrast, development media planners in recent years have turned to community media rather than national systems. Programs are designed and carried out by members of the community. In the late 1970s, for example, project planners turned to farmers to produce programs for other farmers. In one such project, tape recorders and blank tapes were provided to volunteer workers, who in turn helped local people produce items for weekly broadcasts. Some of these initiatives, however, had political ramifications in authoritarian countries and were therefore short-lived or heavily censored.

     At the turn of the millennium, radio initiatives funded by international aid organizations such as UNESCO predominated. The creation of local rural radio stations coincided with the deregulation of national telecommunication monopolies, especially in Africa. Some current examples include the following. In Kenya, an "English in Action" program provides quality programming for secondary schools with few resources. In Papua New Guinea, a radio science project helps teachers improve basic education. In Mongolia, an informal distance education  system  provides  learning opportunities to the ​​nomadic women of the Gobi desert. In Suriname, community stations encourage dialogue among women and link communities in the interior through a network of interactive telecenters. In the Philippines, local radio allows people to express themselves on political, economic, and cultural subjects. In El Salvador, women tune in for a broadcast that informs them about their rights and encourages their involvement in the community. And in Somalia, where most media operations were destroyed during the civil war and those that remained were clan owned, a nonpartisan media organization produces programming on peace issues.

Radio as Popular or Dissident Medium

     Audiences living under authoritarian rule continue to tune in to clandestine radio broadcasts by dissident or revolutionary groups seeking to overthrow a government. The aim is to persuade citizens and elicit their participation in the cause, as well as to damage the legitimacy of a regime. However, pirate stations usually have very little reach and must constantly move operations to avoid imprisonment or even execution.

     Listeners who live in countries without a free press depend on external broadcasting to get their news. In authoritarian regimes in Africa, for example, listeners with shortwave radios still turn to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for reliable and accurate news about internal unrest. Before the end of apartheid in South Africa, broadcasts from the bordering nations of Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Botswana kept the oppressed South African majority informed of world condemnation of apartheid and of dissident activities.

     Those Third World countries with a free press often also have lively programming on both national and private radio stations. Call-in shows are a particular favorite, although participants are limited to those living in or near cities. Jamaica's talk shows are one lively example.

     Finally, as new computer technologies allow radio broadcasting over the internet, new concepts of radio programming are being formulated. For example, the Feminist International Radio Endeavour, based in Costa Rica, has for the past decade produced daily live shortwave broadcasts for and about women in the developing world. In 1999 Realaudio programs in English, French, and Spanish were made available on the internet. In addition to these non-profit programs, private commercial initiatives such as WorldSpace are sending digital audio programs via satellite.