The Prometheus Radio Project (PRP) and the Center For International Media Action (CIMA) have just received approval for a grant to help ten community radio stations in Philadelphia make improvements in their operations. These improvements are targeted to improve the community service that the stations can do in their neighborhoods during the Covid-19 outbreak and the recovery in its aftermath. There will be a cohort of roughly ten stations which we will assist with technical support, equipment, training, mentorship, and some monetary assistance for certain needed expenses. There are roughly 40 stations in the region, so participation is not guaranteed to all groups interested. We will select the ten with whom we feel that the impact of the services and resources that we offer can be greatest. The grant comes from the Independence Public Media Foundation.
While commercial stations or large public stations have dozens of specialized staff to accomplish their work, most community stations in Philadelphia have no paid staff or perhaps just one station manager. Each LPFM station is too small to hire, for example, a professional radio production trainer. But one radio production trainer who works in the whole Philadelphia region and is available to all DJ/producers at all stations could really help improve their on-air sound. We aim to have our staff do work for all the stations to help with promotion, FCC compliance, Emergency Alert compliance, audio production and journalism training, sharing their content through social media, and eventually underwriting sales.
We hope that this leads to continued collaboration where we are able to provide some key services to all of these stations, even after the crisis has passed.This can allow the managers and volunteers of all the stations to focus on their most important (and funnest ) tasks of cultivating and managing volunteers, reaching out to their community, and creating great programming for their neighborhood.
To apply to become part of the cohort of stations, contact info<at>imarad.io