Pearl River In helping various communities apply for low power FM radio stations eighteen months ago, many colleagues we contacted asked us a surprising question, which was essentially, “why bother with radio?” In the contemporary obsession with social media, the internet, and technology in general, I would have thought the answer to that question was still automatic and universal, but often it wasn’t. Many of my comrades did get it and jumped at the chance, but as many turned up their noses and walked away, seemingly unaware of the continuing and enduring power of radio. Working with stations in Little Rock, Eudora, Dallas, and elsewhere in Arkansas, as well as New Orleans, Kenya, and Uganda in addition to all of these partners waiting for FCC approval, for ACORN and our constituency here and abroad, it’s still a vital communication and organizing tool, so it’s often a mystery to me why so many underestimate its enduring power. Some still get it though, as a recent article about the “subversive power” of Radio Campesina featured in High Country News detailed.
About the same time in the early 80s, as we created the Affiliated Media Foundation Movement (AM/FM) to build and support noncommercial community radio stations where we were organizing, Cesear Chavez, the great farmworker and community organizer, was also getting this religion. A visit to a farmworker station in rural Washington inspired him to set in motion applications and construction of the radio stations that in 1983 became Radio Campesina, largely in California, Arizona, Nevada, and Georgia. The network’s reach might be to a population of more than 7 million.
Looking at the power of this network, one of the best examples is their morning show, every weekday, Punto de Vista or point of view, now hosted by Osvaldo Franko, where they claim 750,000 listeners. The “Know Your Rights” show, which they began after Trump’s election, has become a vital link in the immigrant community in these dark times where they are being viciously targeted. These shows matter, as the article reports,
Beyond entertainment and a sense of community, the stations provided a safe and anonymous forum for listeners to ask questions about navigating the immigration system. They also shared urgent news in real time. When immigration raids hit Washington’s Yakima Valley in the 1980s, KDNA designated lookouts to keep watch — and created a covert alert system. “They used a song called ‘La Cosecha de Mujeres.’ When that song went on the air, the farmworker community knew there was migra action,” [says] Francisco Rios, the station’s news director.
What was true then is true now.
Today, it’s not so easy to fly under the radar. Radio broadcasts are less ephemeral; many stations, including Radio Campesina, post shows on social media. And the Trump administration is aggressively working to suppress live immigration reporting: In February, the newly appointed chair of the FCC, Brendan Carr, announced the agency was opening an investigation into California station KCBS for its coverage of raids in San José.
First Amendment experts broadly agree that law enforcement operations are a matter of public interest. Still, KDNA and Radio Campesina are taking a cautious approach: These days, rather than broadcasting alerts themselves, staff at both stations said they’re sharing information about local grassroots groups that offer real-time warnings and legal support.
“Why radio today?” is still an easy question to answer, particularly when community radio like Radio Campesina and stations that are part of the emerging AM/FM “Voice of the People” network are partnered with community organizations and unions. These are powerful, and importantly – permanent tools for protecting and advancing the interests of diverse constituencies.
We need many more of them!