The opening of a new community radio station in Bansang will, no doubt, bring the people in the area closer to each other. It will boost effective communication among the people in the area.
The increase of community radios in our regions is indeed a positive move by both government and development partners, as this would enable communities to discuss pertinent issues affecting their daily lives and issues that would bring development to their door steps.
Since knowledge and information are a source of power, we see the development as long overdue.
We believe that if people are properly enlightened then they can become change agents.
Itis good to have community radios across the country, but one thing that is fundamental in the day to day running of these stations is that the community has to take ownership of the radio.
The only thing partners can do is to support the establishment of the radio stations, but the ownership and the sustainability bit of the radio has to come from the community.
The life blood of every institution is finance, without which the purpose for setting up of such radios will become difficult to achieve.
It is also incumbent upon the management of the radio and it staff to come up with very good programs that would be saleable to its audience, since this is the only way they can serve the community, and make money.
We would like to welcome Bansang community radio to the media industry, and also commend the National Commission for UNESCO (NATCOM) for facilitating funding for two community radios in The Gambia namely, Soma and Bansang.
We call on other partners to emulate UNESCO’s gesture and establish community radios in other parts of the country that need it.
We hope that issues that affect the lives of the people over there will always be featured by the FM stations.
