[cma-l] A role for community media?

[Lol Gellor]

Well there's a thought...

What can it be - what will it be - what should it be - my dear 
commurades (just made that word up) Roger & Mary (big kisses all round).

I know you've got a pretty good idea after all this time but for anyone 
else who still needs encouragement - well here's a view of the Sound 
Radio past to inspire or horrify depending on your point of view - we 
did a live interview on one of the Latino programmes with Yasser Arafat 
when he was under house arrest via brave reporter with mobile phone. 
Then later a live Sheik Omar Bakri studio interview on our Jewish World 
Today programme (before his exclusion from the UK).

So the challenge amongst other things is - can you be philosophically 
robust in your pursuit of hearing not only what you want to hear but 
also what you don't want to hear?

For me community radio in the context of radio as we know it - remains 
the last chance saloon for any possibility of getting to hear, consider, 
absorb and intelligently challenge (where appropriate) alternative views 
- views from the mouths of those whose lives tell a story that is almost 
entirely an alternative reality to their mainstream depiction.

I don't have a license any more - some might say no bad thing - credit 
crunch notwithstanding the money may even get a little better to make 
survival more of a sporting chance for some of you - but the real 
challenges remain.

On that note happy new year to all
LolX