Liberia: Community Radio Stations Seek Sustainability

Community radio remains a critical sector in supporting peace consolidation and democratic governance as Liberia emerges from the impasse of 14 years of civil conflict that ravaged the nation and derailed its development quest. The community radio sector has also largely been used as a tool for local development through educating, sensitizing, and informing local audiences about issues that affect their lives: health, agriculture education, water, human rights, etc.

Despite their critical importance nationally, rural broadcasters have no stable source of funding to keep them afloat. Their workers, most of them volunteers, are hardly paid, as managers scrap around daily to keep the stations running. The hardships these institutions face most of the time lead to political manipulations, as politicians try to stamp their control over them. 

However, the issues of financial constraints and political interference have been of huge concern to the Association of Liberia Community Radio (ALICOR), the umbrella organization of community radio stations across the country,  and some international partners, especially Internews, who believe that those institutions should have financial freedom and political independence in order to make strides and keep their audiences informed. 

It is in this light that ALICOR on Thursday, July 6,  submitted the Community Radio Act of 2023–gear towards promoting and protecting the independence of stations around the country and strengthening support  for their continued existence.

The draft law is also known as the "Act for the Ownership, Management, Licensing, and Operations of Community Radio Stations in Liberia."

The leadership of ALICOR submitted the Community Radio Act of 2023  through the  Committee of Information, Broadcasting, Culture, and Tourism,  chaired by Margibi County District #2 Representative Ivar K. Jones, for onward submission to the House of Representatives.

ALICOR was represented by Hector Mulbah, President; Quaqua Miller, Vice President for Administration, Lawrence Tokpa, Vice President for Operations; and Media Coordinator Varney Diggs; while Jefferson Massa and Torwon Slunteh Brown were represented by Internews.

Grand Bassa County District #5 Representative Thomas Goshua and Margibi County District #3 Representative Ellen Attoh-Wreh joined Chairman Rep. Jones to form part of the brief program during the submission of the draft community radio stations law in the House's first floor conference room.

According to Section 8 of the draft community radio stations law, titled, Support and Sustainability, upon passage of the law, the Legislature shall allocate 1% of the annual national budget to be administered in a program for the sustenance of community stations.

Without national coverage by neither the state radio, Liberia Broadcast Service (LBS), nor the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Radio, community radios are counted on not only to provide the local communities with local news, but also to fulfill their very central role as the only information source in rural communities across Liberia.

"Management and provision of this fund shall be done by a committee comprising the Press Union of Liberia, the Association of Liberia Community Radio, the Internal Audit Agency, the Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism, the Liberia Telecommunication Authority, and the National Civil Society Council of Liberia," the draft law said.

ALICOR and her partners are of the view that the allotment from the national coffers, when provided, will boost rural broadcasters’ capacity in quality journalism; enhance their effectiveness in serving as a conduit for citizen voices and government response, strengthen management, provide financial viability and revenue generation to improve their sustainability; and maintain current media freedoms to reliably carry out responsible journalism, and drive reforms.

The funding will also help increase the quantity and quality of programs and news content on matters of importance to the community, which will enable the community to be well-informed and knowingly engage in public discussions on important issues of the day.

Besides the government's 1% support, the law provides that community radio stations  will be allowed to generate revenue through advertisements and donations as well as seek technical and financial support from external sources, including multilateral aid agencies, INGOs, and other donors.

Further, when the law is also passed, there shall be nothing done by any national or local authorities to unduly regulate the news and programming content of community radio stations  unless in a situation where the radio station is in violation  of the provisions of this Act in part or in whole 

A community radio station is required to ensure 60% of its news content is drawn from the community and county in which it serves and that no less than 20% of its airtime is devoted to the production and airing of indigenous programs developed in cooperation with the citizens and residents of the communities it covers.

Meanwhile, Rep. Jones thanked ALICOR and Internews for the draft law and said his Committee will submit it and ensure its passage. Representatives Goshua and Wreh also added their support.

According to an unconfirmed report from the office of Rep. Jones, the chairman of Information, Broadcasting, Culture and Tourism; the Draft Communication Radio Act of 2023 will be placed on Tuesday's agenda for deliberations.