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There seems to be little knowledge and awareness of the relevance of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) among communities in Ghana. The study's main objective was to find out how the 22-member Community Radio (CR) stations of the Ghana Community Radio Network (GCRN) - the umbrella organisation of community radio in Ghana, mobilise their communities to tackle development needs and aspirations within the framework of the SDG 1 to 6. The study employed a qualitative research design. Specifically, a case study approach was adopted. CR stations' mission is to promote community development in a participatory manner. The expectation is that CR stations would facilitate efforts to tackle development needs and aspirations of communities within the framework of the SDGs. The study found out that even though the application of the participatory communication methodology is central to the work of CR stations, particularly increasing community members' awareness and understanding of the broad meanings of particularly SDG goals 1 to 6, they were unable to sustainably employ the methodology because of resource constraints. The implication is that CR stations need to devise innovative ways of raising resources to enable community members actively participate in radio programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examines community radio as a channel for development through people's participation in development activities in the Fanteakwa District of Ghana. The study argues that participation of people is necessary for development. The study employed the concept of participatory development communication and the empowerment theory to help understand the role of community radio in development. Mixed method research design was used for the study. Data was collected through survey questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Purposive sampling and multi-stage sampling techniques were used to select respondents. It was found that participation is highest amongst people whose preferred channel of contribution to development initiatives is Radio Listenership Clubs. Though community radio station is serving the community, more needs to be done to properly integrate it into the lives of the people. Another finding was that community radio is not necessarily owned by the community, but can be the result of an individual's entrepreneurial effort. It is concluded that the integration of participatory approaches in radio programming and ownership is relevant because they are more people-centred and can be sustainable. A legislation on community broadcasting is recommended in order to define the role of individual entrepreneurs and NGO's in establishing community radio stations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article seeks to serve as a 'how-to' text. Based on the relatively more matured experiences of some community radio (CR) stations in Ghana, the authors hope it could be a guide to CR stations in Africa and beyond on how to attain what we term the 'core dimensions' of CR that underpin its operations. The study reviews the literature on community radio and highlights some selected data on a survey by Diedong & Naaikuur (2012) to show how effective the implementation of relevant dimensions of CR in Ghana enables people in communities communicate within themselves and with the people making the decisions that affect them. The cases presented point to significant changes that the stations are inducing in various sectors of the lives of their communities across the country through innovative programming strategies. However, despite the significant impact that the CR sector in Ghana is making, there are challenges that need to be addressed to unleash its full potential. Notably, the study is based mainly on earlier studies and the personal experiences of the authors who have had some years of experience working with CR in Ghana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article documents more than ten years' experience of community radio (CR) broadcasting in Ghana and the problems and the challenges community radio has encountered in attempts to apply the key principles and concepts underlying participatory radio broadcasting. Through a description of some main socio-cultural and political change episodes, the article clearly demonstrates how community radio can positively impact the quality of life of people. The study notes that attempts at creating truly democratic community radio stations can be fully realized by ensuring that the fundamental principles, which underpin the operation and democratic management of community radio stations, are actually implemented to benefit community members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]