The heart of community radio
- September 10, 2012 11:26 AM |
- By THE NATIONAL
Peter with mayor, Allen Aglukkaq at the Gjoa Haven community radio station.
By Peter Mansbridge
I was reminded of the importance of real community radio this weekend during my visit to Gjoa Haven in Nunavut. The mayor, Allen Aglukkaq, had invited me to join him on his weekly radio program. The mayor chats with guests and the program is interspersed with listeners calling in with local comments and concerns.
It was a call from one resident that impressed me the most.
A woman came on the line and said with a firm voice, speaking in Inuktitut and then in English, "Johnny if you're listening, it's time to come home. Supper is ready, come now.".
I smiled but the mayor was quick to tell me, that just like in my old days at the tiny radio station in Fort Churchill, Manitoba where I got my start, messages like that in a remote community are what local radio is all about.
The little station in Gjoa Haven is even smaller than what we had in Churchill. It's just one very small room with two microphone stands, ("One isn't working right now" said the mayor, "We'll have to share this one!"), and not much else.
But you know, not much else is needed. As long as Johnny gets the message and comes home, and Sarah sells her ATV, and Joanny knows the caribou are running, and Robin has her throat singing class cancelled, well everything is just fine. And the station has provided the service it was designed to provide.
It was a nice moment.
Recent Comments