Community radio as a pulpit.

Abstract

All over the world - except underdeveloped countries - many religious congregations worship in 'electronic churches'. This represents one of the 20th century's great religious achievements. Societies have become the comfortable beneficiaries of their newly invented technologies. However, since 1995 the phenomenon of FM community radio has been growing rapidly. It has become a new way to meet the public service communication need for entertainment, education and information in a very professional way. Religious community radio stations are a new and growing mode of transmission, and the object of this research is to highlight the development and growth of the religious community radio as a better way of providing communication services to religious groups. All churches and religious groups take it for granted that mass media have a role in the erosion of religious values. Yet they also proclaim that mass media provide the only means to reach out behind atomic individuals' closed doors, communicating intimately with the millions souls in that universe. My research uses the example of a South African community radio station, Radio Khwezi at Kwasizabantu Mission, to show (i) how a religious group has managed to create a viable non-denominational community service; and (ii) that regulatory and operational problems can be overcome in a suitable environment of regulation. I conclude that there is no need for mainstream religious groups to feel threatened by electronic media, that the mass media are an extension of the good tidings of the kingdom of the Lord.