The Community Radio Project Based on Local Community

The Community Radio Project is a non-profit radio broadcasting targeting small areas such as cities, counties, and districts with a small power of less than 10W in the FM frequency band. As of 2021, 20 community radio broadcasting operators have been newly licensed and are operating in 27 regions nationwide. During the tenure of the 19th President (President Moon Jae-In), one of the 100 national projects presented was ‘healthy development of media’, and the expansion of community radio was included as a detailed task. Particularly with COVID-19, the importance of community radio broadcasting was reinforced. While it is difficult to deliver local community news in a timely manner on national public radio, community radio broadcasting is suitable for conveying local issues, events, and news as it is closely connected with the community. There are cases when community radio broadcasting transmitted emergency safety information effectively during COVID-19. Gwanak FM has sent out breaking news of the COVID-19 outbreak in Gwanak-gu. Daegu Seongseo FM effectively provided the current status of face mask inventory at local pharmacies in real time. Since community radio broadcasting is a non-profit that is operated based on the public interest of the local community, it is operated by local citizens to deal with diverse issues in the community. It also serves as a place for public discussion for residents' autonomy. For reference, ‘broadcasting programs in regards to reporting’ cannot be scheduled, and only broadcasting programs such as local information, culture, and music may be transmitted based on Article 50 -2 of the Enforcement Decree of the Broadcasting Act. It is also effective in enhancing digital accessibility for the underprivileged because community radio broadcasting can easily provide community information to underprivileged groups such as the elderly, the disabled, and immigrants who are not familiar with new media such as social media. In addition, the participation rate of residents with various backgrounds is high because local residents can share stories about themselves or their neighborhood. Representatively, there is the ‘Korean-Corporation (Koryoin Village)’ in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju City, which was newly approved in 2021. It organized a Russian language program because Koryoin compatriots and descendants who moved to Korea are participants of the program and are the main audience. ‘Ansan Community’, a division based in Ansan-City, Gyeonggi province, has a high proportion of residents with migrant backgrounds. They are also planning a program targeting migrants from various cultures.