AMARC launches an International legal protection program for community broadcasters

| May 11, 2015

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On May 3, World Press Freedom Day 2015, the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) launched its International legal protection and global advocacy program for the community media sector.

Francesco Diasio is the Secretary-General of AMARC. He said: “With this program, we want to address the legal issues related to community broadcasters … [and to] foster and enhance the policy work to be done with other Civil Society Organizations and policy-makers … The creation of a legal office will support the community media sector.”

AMARC includes more than 4,000 community radios, federations and community media stakeholders in more than 150 countries. AMARC says that there have been great advances in regulating community media at the international level. But at the national level, there is too often a lack of clear legal frameworks. This blocks the development of community media as a public space for dialogue and debate.

AMARC believes that community radios are the front line in defense of the right to communicate. AMARC further believes that community radios remain the guarantors of pluralism and the defenders of freedom of information and exchange of ideas, and that the contribution of community radios is crucial for the exercise of freedom of expression and freedom of the press.

You can read the press release of the launch of the International legal protection and global advocacy program for the community media sector at: http://www.amarc.org/?q=node/2232.

More details will be available as the program is developed. For more information, you can contact AMARC International Secretariat at: secretariat@si.amarc.org

You can follow AMARC on Twitter : @AMARCnews  or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AMARCInternationalSecretariat