hat is This About?

Community Radio Station at WKU

WKU Will support improving capability of community radio station staff by (1) providing training in radio management, programming, outreach, production, and marketing and (2) providing training in on-line media to support the radio broadcast programming.

WKU will conduct a 10-day training session in Bowling Green, Kentucky, for staff members from FARAH FM. The goal is to provide peer-to-peer training in how to prepare to launch the radio station.

Farah FM Participants

Laith Shankiti, Jawad Omari, Huda Melky (WKU), Mais Obeidat and Rawan Khrais (on the phone).

SEE SLIDESHOW OF SESSION (a small selection on image)

SEE FIRST HALF OF SESSION

SEE SECOND HALF

Radio Station Management

Community radio will be new for everyone, not the least of which is the audience. People will listen only if the radio station maintains a professional sound and presence on the airwaves. WKU will conduct training in radio management to include marketing, community outreach, and staff supervision.

Marketing

Soliciting sponsorship support is a key part of the business plan. Preparing an effective campaign and sponsorship package are the first steps. WKU will conduct training in preparing to launch the marketing campaign.

Outreach

Community radio requires time to build listenership that will lead to financial support from the potential sources. WKU will provide training in building public awareness. The team will learn how to build community connections through the various programs and outreach efforts.

Programming  

Developing an effective program schedule serves to attract listeners that will support the radio station. Program decisions interconnect the content with marketing opportunities to maintain a sustainable service. WKU will provide training in program schedule development that includes local programs and promotions.

Local Program Production

Local programs are the heart of community radio. The programs must be consistent, reliable and trusted by the audience. They must meet high technical and content standards. WKU will provide training in program development, focusing on the challenges of producing relevant programs of various forms.

On-Air Promotions

A professional radio station needs well-produced promotions and announcements to maintain credibility with listeners. WKU will provide training in producing effective on-air announcements to create a station identity.

Technical Operations Management

Maintaining easy-to-use systems is essential and requires the technical staff be exposed to various radio station operations in order to develop the efficient procedures. WKU will provide experiences to generate new ideas on how to manage the technical operations to improve content creation and management.

On-line Media

On-line media is a burgeoning area throughout the globe where radio professionals can use the power of the Internet to reach more people and encourage exchange of ideas. The challenge is to integrate photographs, words, audio, and graphic design as a package delivered on-line, where audiences differ from traditional broadcast radio. WKU will incorporate into the training sessions a segment on developing and using on-line media as an extension of the broadcast service, where the audience may access local produced radio content in different forms.