The National Campus and Community Radio Association and Kootenay Co-op Radio in Nelson are working together to get the word out about community radio, co-operatives and co-operative community radio.
The two organizations were awarded a grant of more than $65,000 from the Co-operative Development Initiative, funded by the Government of Canada and administered by the Canadian Co-operative Association.
The money will support an online handbook, a series of radio documentaries on co-operation in Canada and around the world, and regional workshops to help community radio groups that want to start up co-operatives.
The project will run from now until December 2012, spanning, appropriately, the entire year of 2012, proclaimed by the United Nations as the International Year of Co-operatives.
“There’s a natural fit between community radio and co-operatives,” said community radio association executive director Shelley Robinson. “Both involve people coming together to serve their communities and build something stronger than what they can do alone.”
She added it’s a good time for the project since it’s the association’s 25th anniversary and that as part of the celebration they’re kicking off a campaign to reserve frequencies for these, and other, prospective community radio stations across Canada.
Kootenay Co-op Radio broadcasts locally 18 hours a day.