Do you have teenagers? Have friends, neighbors who are teenagers? Do you have a community supported radio station in your area? Do they offer fun opportunities like this: a summer morning ‘day camp’ for teens who want to learn about how to operate a live radio station?
Maybe it would be good to find these things out. Maybe, if there is a station but they don’t offer such training, well, maybe you could get it going. Maybe, if there is no community station, you could join others and get one going.
This is a really cool idea: Teens can spend mornings learning about all the aspects of operating a local radio station. They can learn about music they would not otherwise be exposed to. They can meet artists and community organizers. They can learn about how non profits operate by becoming involved with the people who govern and operate one.
Think of the possibilities that could result from getting local young people interested and involved in radio broadcasting. In this era of massive media ownership by very few corporations, community radio could be the ‘pirate radio’ that helps save some community identity. If more people got involved in radio, there might be more radio to choose from, and that might lead to less audience for the propaganda spewing damage hate radio does.
Think of young people learning the nuts and bolts of broadcasting. WOLVERINES!!!? Yeah, LOL, it might be a tool in case our high-schoolers have to fight some invading force, but face it, the invasion has been domestic. Maybe, maybe knowledge of basic broadcasting could help a new generation battle the current political/economic paradigm, or maybe it would just help them build sustaining groups and coalitions in their communities, groups and coalitions that can give local alternatives to people who just do not want corporations to be the only influence.
Think about the fact that too many public schools have dropped programs in art and music. It has been proven that exposure to the arts enables better problem solving through broader thinking and actual physical enhancements of the human brain. Think about ways to make up for that horrible loss of the arts programs ‘budget cuts’ have wrought. Think about how hands-on learning in a place where musical variety is the norm and exposure to a lot of artists happens on a weekly basis.
Think of some of your local teen-aged neighbors having fun, building some skills, learning that they don’t have to be entertained, they can be the entertainment. What impact could that have on some young people, taking charge and not relying on whatever crap media wants to shove down their throats for corporate motives? Betting more than a few of them would take that lesson and apply it to other areas of their lives, discovering that they don’t have to settle for the lives some corporate entity wants to funnel them into. Think of the benefits of teaching they can do more to define the parameters of their lives.
Please note that community radio is not Public Broadcasting like PBS and National Public Radio. It’s local community supporting, and community supporting radio. It’s treasure for your local area.
OK, I freely admit it, I love this particular community radio station, though I do listen to others online too. No commercials, very wide variety on the play lists, music from local and global artists you won’t hear anywhere else, discussion and human interest programming. Yes, it is my favorite and I am glad I can listen online.
One big reason I love this station is that they really are part of the community. They are involved in a lot of festivals and community events. They offer people the chance to volunteer and learn about radio broadcasting. They are an antidote to hate radio and community ennui.
My guess is there may be a community radio station you could pick up, listen to, enjoy, and learn from. Find out. And find out what sort of opportunities they have for you and yours to get involved. I know this particular station offers adults the chance to volunteer and learn. It’s great that they are working to get the young people involved too.
Check it out, and hunt up other community radio stations to love and support. If we want to fix what’s so horribly broken in the world today, community resources and community celebration is important. All those pols who are owned and operated by giant corporations started locally in their communities. We can build the antidote locally too, and get good people involved in all aspects of influence and educating the voters. Some of the people we meet in such efforts will have the potential to go into politics and challenge the status quo.
Who knows what exposure to a different paradigm might accomplish. If your local kids can have fun while laying some foundations for so many possibilities, well, that’s important too.
Attila the Blond 