Grassroots Radio Coalition
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Grassroots Radio Coalition is a loose coalition of community media activists. The GRC has a listserv and holds a conference every year, but has so far not incorporated. There are no dues, no hierarchy and no bylaws. At the GRC11 in 2006, conference attendees decided to establish a steering committee to help coordinate coalition issues.
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[edit] Mission statement
"More than audio outlets, volunteer-based community radio stations are cultural institutions in their communities, reflecting the unique concerns and passions of the people who live there. With a system of governance based on openness and collaboration, and diverse programming produced by volunteers and funded by listeners, these stations are cornerstones of participatory democracy, offering ordinary citizens the chance to exercise First Amendment rights in a mass medium and audiences the opportunity to directly support the programming that is of importance to them."
[edit] History
The Grassroots Radio Coalition was born in 1996, as a reaction against increasing commercialization of public radio and lack of support for volunteer-based stations. Though not "founders" per se, Marty Durlin (KGNU) and Cathy Melio (WERU) are generally recognized as "midwives" of the GRC. They have said that the idea of the GRC was ready to be born; they just helped make it happen. An article they wrote in 2000 is posted here.
Conferences have been held each summer since 1996, organized and hosted by one or two grassroots radio stations or organizations each year.
- GRC12 will be hosted by WUML in Lowell, MA June 21-24 2007. Planning is underway.
- GRC11 was hosted by WORT in Madison, WI on July 28-30, 2006.
- GRC10 was hosted by Prometheus Radio Project in tandem with a barnraising of WXOJ Low-Power FM in Northampton, MA on August 5-7, 2005.
- GRC9 was hosted by KCSB in Santa Barbara, CA on June 24-27, 2004.
- GRC8 was hosted by KZMU in Moab, UT on June 12-15 2003.
- GRC7 was hosted by WJFF in Jeffersonville, NY in August 2002.
- GRC6 was hosted by KGNU in Boulder, CO on July 13-15, 2001.
- GRC5 was hosted by WORT in Madison, WI in July 2000.
- GRC4 was presented by KGNU and WERU, hosted by WERU in Bar Harbor, ME on August 20-23, 1999.
- GRC3 was presented by KGNU and WERU, hosted by KGNU in Boulder, CO on July 23-25, 1998.
- GRC2 happened in 1997.
- GRC1 was presented by KGNU and WERU, hosted by KGNU in Boulder, CO in the summer of 1996.
[edit] Steering Committee
At the GRC11 in Madison, WI, conference attendees decided to create a steering committee to help coordinate discussions, assist in conference planning, and maintain institutional memory. The concept of the steering committee is in line with the GRC's decentralized, grassroots nature. Though there is no minimum or maximum number of members of the steering committee, it was agreed that it should include representatives from stations who have hosted past GRC conferences, representatives from future GRC conference hosts, and representatives from the People of Color caucus.
The first GRC Steering Committee has ten members: Ted Coe (KCSB), Janis Lane-Ewart (KFAI), Yukari Miyamae (KGNU), Nathan Moore (WORT), Nate Osit (WUML), Bryan Parras (KPFT), Juan Ruiz (WORT), Sierra Siemer (KCSB), Dan Toomey (WUML), Dante Toza (Independent Producer)
[edit] People of Color Caucus
The People of Color Caucus is a loose group of producers and activists in the coalition. The People of Color Caucus holds meet-ups at the summer GRC conferences and undertakes initiatives to help increase the racial & ethnic diversity of the coalition and conference attendees. The People of Color Caucus raises funds for and administers the "Solidarity Fund" - a scholarship fund to assist low income people of color to attend GRC conferences.
