Radio Caribbean Pearl - The role of community radios in the Nicaraguan Autonomous Region of the Southern Atlantic

Resumo

Established in 1998 the community radio stations Radio Caribbean Pearl is carrying on Nicaragua´s strong tradition of community radio broadcasting, dating back to the Sandinista revolution in 1970´s and 198 ´s. The station is characterized best by its remote location on Nicaragua´s Atlantic coast and the variety of indigenous ethnicities in its reach. This paper investigates the role of the community radio station for the empowerment of the inhabitants of Pearl Lagoon. It gives insights to the content broadcasted, the station management, the achievement and struggles, and puts a strong focus on the social impacts on the community it serves. All of the findings are discussed in the specific context of the current social and political situation of the Región Autónoma del Atlántico Sur (RAAS), since this context is crucial to
the station’s role and purpose. In the course of this qualitative case study, six problem-centered interviews with radio producers and representatives from development NGOs were carried out during two field research trips to the Pearl Lagoon in May 2014 and February 2015.