Smith 8
What needs to be done to prevent the demise of community radio? To answer this question, one must focus of the benefits and potential this form of radio offers. Community radio is important. It is an affordable way to get important information to a vast number of people. The people who are influenced by community radio are from different walks of life. Some are wellto-do, while others are from underdeveloped nations. Community radio has the ability to push the differences aside on the basis that, no matter the person, the communication of necessary information is important. Another benefit of community radio is the emphasis of the community. There is something inspiring about people showing concern for others in their area. It seems as though the radio personalities would be more passionate about the information they are sharing because the information affects them also. Volunteers are the driving force behind most community radio stations. For them, there are no paychecks. They do not receive benefits or paid vacations. They are producing shows and programming because they have a passion for their community. As a listener, it should create a sense of encouragement to know that the person relaying information to you could be a neighbor or a familiar face from the neighborhood. As a Communications Arts major, the topic of community radio is one of much interest and importance to me. As the end of my educational career approaches, it is important that all possible areas in the Communications field are investigated so an informed decision can be made for my future and career. An opportunity presented itself that allowed me to experiment with community radio. While involved with community radio, I found it to be a diverse network of people working together to share information with the community that they serve. There is a need for the volunteers (who insure the success of community radio) to meet each other, bond and collaborate so that the best product possible can be produced and a uniform message can be