“Portugal is not a small country!” This assertion greeted me at the beginning of a course of Portuguese language lessons I took long ago. After all, the editors explained, Portuguese is spoken by millions all over the world. This claim has come back to me recently as I’ve learned more about community radio and realized that KZSM 104.1/KZSM.org, our very independent community radio station, is nevertheless not an isolated entity. There are some 2,000 community radio stations in the U.S. and many more worldwide. That number is either growing or shrinking, depending on which source you consult. The number fluctuates because, like KZSM, stations depend on grants, donations and volunteer help, and existence can be precarious. Emphasis on local content makes programming different for every station, but they share a mission — to serve their local communities.
Community radio stations can supplement their locally generated programming from services such as the venerable Pacifica Network, which began broadcasting in 1949 with KPFK in Berkeley, California. Pacifica also maintains a network of affiliates and provides programming for community radio stations. KZSM currently broadcasts the award-winning “Democracy Now” news show from Pacifica, along with “Sprouts,” selected shows from their affiliates.
Quality Radio Productions also offers shared programming to community radio stations. KZSM currently broadcasts “Classics and Beyond,” “Sounds From the Global Village,” and “The Jazz Scene” from their service. And our talk show “Bookmarked” is shared worldwide through their “Global Community Radio” service.
