Thesis (M.A.(Media Studies)) --University of the North, 2002 / This research report looks at Radio Turf as a radio station serving the university community as well af the neighbouring communities. It seeks to establish whether Radio Turf is indeed an empowering tool to the community it serves, looking at language usage, skills development, promotion of local music, gender issues and education. It further seeks to establish whether it is indeed a community radio station in the true sense of the word. The research report lso looks at ways and means of improving community radio stations in general as a way of empowering the communities they serve through participation and involvement. The report could be of assistance to the radio station in as far as knowing its weaknesses and strong points as a way of improving its service to the community it serves

As Rádios Comunitárias exercem um papel importante nas comunidades em que estão inseridas. Além de ser um canal de expressão aberto à população local, permitem ao cidadão e à cidadã da periferia, excluídos digitalmente, culturalmente e socialmente utilizar as ondas hertzianas para se expressarem. O surgimento de milhares de rádios comunitárias em todo o país proporciona o início de um processo histórico de ruptura do monopólio dos meios de comunicação de massa. No âmbito da educação informal, as rádios comunitárias contribuem no processo da conquista da cidadania a partir da reflexão e da conscientização dos problemas e dos interesses coletivos. / Community radio stations have an important role in the communities in which they belong to. And aside from being an open channel expression for the local population, community radio stations allow periphery citizens, which are technological, cultural and socially excluded, to make use of Hertz vibration to express themselves. The thousands of community radio stations uprising all over the country provides the beginning of a historical process of breaking the media monopoly. In relation to informal education, community radio stations help in the process of citizenship conquest through reflection and the awareness of the problems and of the public concern.

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Since the first diagnosis of HIV/AIDS more than three decades ago, the epidemic remains a humanitarian challenge. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the infection rate has escalated at an alarming rate over the years. Lesotho is no exception. Multiple stakeholders have resorted to different media platforms, including community radio to communicate HIV/AIDS awareness messages with the aim of reducing the HIV infection spread. This study focuses on a community radio station as a way of making sense of HIV/AIDS communication. Using the case of MCRS, the study assesses the contribution of this community broadcaster on HIV/AIDS awareness in Mafeteng district, in Lesotho. Two theories: the Public Sphere Theory and the Agenda Setting Theory guided the study and were used to conceptualise the contribution of this community radio station towards contributing to HIV/AIDS awareness in the community of broadcast. In a bid to assess how MCRS programmes contribute to HIV/AIDS awareness and education; the researcher employed a qualitative research methodology. The data were collected using two data collection instruments, namely face-toface interviews and focus group discussions. Thematic analysis was used to deduce the meaning and present the findings. The findings reveal that MCRS programmes largely contribute to HIV/AIDS awareness in the community. The station’s programmes on HIV/AIDS awareness are easily understood and influence communities’ socio-behavioural change as they enlighten them about the dangers of HIV/AIDS and how to reduce its spread. The results also reveal that live broadcasts proved to be more effective as they encourage two-way communication whereby listeners are involved and participate in these HIV/AIDS programmes. It is therefore concluded that MCRS programmes have been useful in the dissemination of valuable HIV/AIDS awareness messages / Communication Science / M.A. (Communication Science)