COMMERCIAL RADIO VS COMMUNITY RADIO

There are two basic types of music radio stations: commercial, and community radio. In terms of playlists, budgets, vision, and overall culture, commercial and community radio are as different as night and day. So what sets them apart? Is one “better” than the other? And where does internet radio fit into the spectrum?

Commercial Radio

Commercial Radio is a radio station that produces programs for the masses. An example of a commercial radio station would be All India Radio, India.

A Commercial station doesn’t advertise solely local news, rather news which appeals to the masses. The music played on commercial stations don’t have the same kind of freedom in what they play as community radio. They play music by musicians who are playing shows in that station’s market and have national name recognition.

In fact, they need to play the music that fits these criteria to get the ratings they need, this is something a smaller Community-based station is unlikely to do. The station will still have programmes such as ‘Top 50’ and will also talk about events happening in the world however the news it tells will be much more national than local.

Community radio

Community radio is when the local people produce and broadcast their own programs and participate in operating the station. It is a community space for people to meet and collaborate. People find it very satisfying as it helps in transforming community life. Community Radio’s largest difference with Commercial is that all the work done on the station is volunteer work. An example of this being college radios and the National Public Radio (NPR). In Community Radios presenters make money selling advertisements, for a Community station to run it needs the advertisements to run as well as the donations from the public and events held by the station to make money.

Community radio the news told will be about local news, this could include roadworks in the area of small events going on. The music played on such stations would include a small amount of popular chart music, however, it wouldn’t appear on the station nearly as much as it would on a Commercial one.

Other types of music may also include much older songs which would range from the ’50s to the present, providing a vast more diverse selection. Community stations like to promote a lot of local bands as well providing them with an opportunity to have their music aired on the radio free of charge.