Community Media Meeting: “Situation Analysis Of Community Media Sustainability In Myanmar”

Representatives from Myanmar Broadcasters Association and UNESCO Myanmar met on Wednesday in Yangon to discuss “Situation Analysis of Community Media sustainability in Myanmar”.

Topics based on development of community media especially community radios, understanding of the community, media literacy as well as development of policy and legislations were raised at the meeting. Regional Director of the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters stressed that they’re very excited by the prospect that soon there will be a very strong community radio or community media sector in Myanmar though it is still at the very initial stage.

Regional Director, World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters, Suman Basnet said … "We see that very strong state media sector in Myanmar. We also know that there is very small strong commercial sector in Myanmar.” …”we would like to contribute towards the development of community media in Myanmar. For that, we have come to understand how different actors, different stakeholders are looking at the sector and how we could work with them to help the sector grow. So we are basically here to conduct the study on behalf of UNESCO Myanmar to make recommendation as to how community radio or community media sector can grow in Myanmar...”

Industry players highlighted only a small number of people understand the community media and its benefits and welcome the support of the international organizations.  Chairman of the Myanmar Broadcasters Association believes that combined forces and systematic collaboration among international organizations, stakeholders, broadcasting associations, community and CSOs will develop community media in Myanmar.

Chairman, Myanmar Broadcasters Association, Ko Ko said “Today, we and representatives from UNESCO Myanmar discussed sustainable development of community media, community radios in Myanmar. We assured them of cooperation and support. Currently, there is only one community radio "Khayay" FM in Myanmar. After the by-law and emergence of broadcasting council, there will be lots of community radios. We need to make sure that the community media is not for profit. We need to have systematic management.”

Representatives from UNESCO also shared their recommendations for the development of community media.

Regional Director, World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters, Suman Basnet said …“We need to work at two levels to help community media growing in Myanmar. One is we need to go to the people at the community in the villages. And tell them about different kinds of media that people can actually be involved in, that people can have access to that they can run themselves... At the same time, we also need to work with the policy makers... to have enabling policy and legislations that will allow community people to own and run and operate their own media... If those things can be achieved, then community media development will happen in Myanmar at a very rapid speed...."

Representatives from the UNESCO Myanmar will meet with industry players, community, policy makers and CSOs to learn and give recommendations for the rapid development of community media in Myanmar. Currently in Myanmar, there are about six community media projects - Out of these six, there's just one radio station "Khayay" FM which is actually broadcasting two hours every day in FM band.