NGOs Not Enough, Political Alliance Required

AMARCs Diasio says political alliances needed for independent media and defends that alternative is not the same as independent and free. Acik Radios Madra says radio experience one of increasing independence with no institutional ties.

Emine Özcan

World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) European delegate Francesco Diasio has said that alliances with civil society organizations (STK) are not enough to create an independent media and stressed the need to create political alliances.

Speaking at the "Independent Media Environment and Prospects for non-Mainstream" of the International Independent Media Forum, Diasio referred to the definition of non-mainstream media under discussion and said the definition "alternative" failed to fulfill its meaning.

"We should first define ourselves" Diasio said, adding that "alternative" did not replace "in addition to", citing this his reason of not using the term. "The news we are reporting is not alternative news. It is news that comes out of a balanced media concept".

Diasio identified this media as "independent/free media" instead of alternative and said that he also believes that independent media needs to be marketed. "But," he said, "this market should be a different market. Just like those little markets in the Middle East, a market which has small mazes inside of it".

In Diasio's view, alliances are required with other sides too. Defending the need to lobby throughout Europe, he says that the legs of such a lobby would be the European Union, the European Council and the United Nations.

Madra's Open Radio Experience

One of the panelists was Acık (Open) Radio Editor-in-Chief and programmer Omer Madra.

Madra explained that the radio was an initiative that did not seek a profit, was a multi-partner organization that was on the side of democracy and had voluntary staff. Noting that the radio had no ties to official or private establishments, Madra said "in these conditions, we are independent".

Madra explained that Acik Radio on the air since 1995 was a station that had 92 partners and that the share of any establishments in the total did not exceed 2 percent. He said there were people aged 10 to 70 among those working for Acik Radyo including the unemployed and newly graduated. Operating 7 days and 24 hours a day, the radio hosts some 250 guests every week, working through 132 producers.

Another policy of Acik Radio, Madra sad, was to reserve 60 percent of its broadcast time to music and 40 percent to verbal broadcasts. Referring to a totally new "independence" project, Madra said anyone who wanted to could become a program financer for 100 YTL. (EZO/TK/II/YE)

Emine Özcan