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This research investigated communication participation, and gratification with community radio of the people in the provinces of Ubonratchatani and Rayong. The methodology undertaken included both the qualitative and quantitative procedures: documentary research, in-depth interviews of radio station managers/directors, lay producer-and-announcer teams, and community leaders, and survey research using questionnaires to inquire into the satisfaction of the peple as community radio program listeners. The results are as follows: 1. The people in the two provinces who joined in the producing and running the programs were still those from the "intellectual social middle-class". In Rayong the major program producers were the Thailand Radio Station staff members. In both provinces, grassroots people still had not had a chance to produce any radio programs, not to mention a chance to participate in the management team. These grassroots people, nonetheless, apparently were not familiar with the concept of community radio; they, nonetheless, understood the concept of democratically-run radio. 2. People as listeners were satisfied with community radio programs at a certain level and suggested some improvements in content and form of the programs. 3. It being allocated 20% of radio frequency as prescribed in the Law of Frequency Distribution and Radio Regulation Organization etc., the people might have a choice in the initial stage to produce community radio programs by sharing broadcasting time with the already existing state radop statopms amd then gradually work together as legal body to request for their own frequency and station. Management and cooperation under the network structure of regional community radio (north, south, central, east, and northeast) help facilitate the activities of community radio. Also cooperation with major ministries would likewise render efficiency to community radio progress. 4. Financial support should be allocated to each community radio station from the National Broadcasting Committee.Parts of the funding might come from non-profit organizations, advertising from small businesses in each particular community, and profit sharing from private sector radio stations. Funding from membership fees, however, should be the last recourse since people still did not consider community radio a "must". 5. The problem of grassroots people lacking knowledge and skill in broadcasting and program producing could be solved by the training assistance of the state radio stations staff and the academic institutions. In terms of incousistencies of program runnings of these rural people, community leaders would assign turn taking to villagers through the acknowledgment of tambon management committees. Young people should be encouraged to run radio programs because this was consideral long-term media education and rights of the people. 6. Ragarding the rules and regulation problems, broadcasting in dialects should be acceptable. Being granted announcer certificate by the Department of Public Relations should bea requisite but should be an evaluation of knowledge in program producing and running rather than testing of pronunciation. 7. Technology and equipment problems could be solved by being primarily dependent on the state radio stations equipment or on trial basis first with the broadcasting through loudspeaking towers system in the villages. Later there might be some leasing of old buildings and second-hand equipment for the operation of the villagers' own radio stations. 8. Community radio programs as proposed by grassroots people if they turned to be producers included news and features concerning their livelihood and careers, culture and art, poetry, religion, quiz and riddles plus teenagers' programs. Definitely, music was very important. Free gifts to attract people to the programs were reinforcement but not necessities if the programs proved to be very useful. |
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