Proposing Campus Radios as a Sustainable Medium of Community Development in Pakistan

Journal of Media Studies, Vol 38, No 1 (2023)

Proposing Campus Radios as a Sustainable Medium of Community Development in Pakistan

Abdulhamid Mpoza

Abstract

In Pakistan, campus radios have the power to spark community growth by offering practical training to media students, promoting interactive dialogue and civic engagement, highlighting institutional accomplishments, carrying content that is frequently ignored by mainstream media, and providing news and entertainment content to university audiences and their surroundings. However, obstacles such as inadequate funding, limited reach, legal challenges related to content and advertising, low listenership, student inactivity, turnover after degree completion, etc. make them less effective. To close this gap, this study surveys the current status of campus radios across Pakistan and suggests a sustainable model for their survival within the frameworks of Gumucio-Dagron and Dlamini's (2005) and Buckley's (2011) multifaceted media sustainability framework and Denis McQuail’s (1987, as cited in McQuail, 2000) Democratic Participant Theory doctrines. This research identifies key strategies for sustainability through a triangulation of qualitative methods, including semi-structured interviews with purposively sampled campus radio representatives and a review of relevant literature. The results highlight regulatory flaws that limit radio operations, perceived narrow scope of the radios, limited participation of university academic departments, and dominance of entertainment content. To remain as viable tools for community development, campus radios consider mandatory student fees, sponsorships, donations, and fundraising drives as income sources, strengthen alliances with civil society, private sector, and government agencies, widen the participation of academic departments and communities around universities, offer appealing content, and embrace new media technologies to enhance access, reach and participation. The study concludes that campus radio has the potential to transform societies if it is redefined by the regulator to widen its scope and financing avenues.

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