Community radio in El Salvador

Critical Radio - bad business

Like many other community radios, Radio Cabal has difficulties with its financial sustainablility.

Text by Finn Rasmussen

“Financial sustainability is difficult to obtain”. This is one of the conclusions of a recently concluded collection of experiences about Danish development support to the media area.

The authors of the report are, among other things, thinking of the difficulties community radios have with building up a sound economy after the discontinuation of support from donors.

Radio Cabal is situated in the centre of El Salvador's capital, San Salvador. Radio “bang on” is the best translation of the name. Since the beginning in 1994 the radio has received Danish support and technical assistance administered by Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke (the Danish Association for International Co-operation).

The team behind the report did not visit Radio Cabal, but there is no doubt that the above-mentioned would also be concluded here.

Radio Cabal broadcasts programmes of debate, information and socially oriented radio dramas primarily aimed at the poor people of the population.

This separates this station from other radio stations in the city who have music and sports as important elements. However, the particular profile of Radio Cabal also means that it has difficulties in attracting advertisers. These should get more prominently into the picture if Radio Cabal is to survive without international support.

Left-wing image

In order to gain a foothold in the commercial market Radio Cabal needs to change its image, among other things. El Salvador is a strongly politicized society. In 1992 years of civil war were succeeded by a peace agreement between the left-wing guerrilla FMLN and the then military-supported rule.

In 1994 the peace agreement lead to the first democratic general election in the country in which a broad spectrum of political parties participated.

Peace has been re-established and democracy is on its way. However, this does not mean that the old days are forgotten. The business community is rather reserved, to put it mildly, towards any institutions that can be linked to FMLN or other parts of the left wing.

Radio Cabal is not linked to any particular political party but tries to speak to everyone. Nevertheless, potential advertisers categorise the radio station as left-wing with attachments to the FMLN.

This is due to the fact that the radio targets the poor parts of the population, and has different programme contents, says Lorena Henriquez de Arana, media director at the advertising agency Signo Publicidad, which is one of Radio Cabal's clients.

-It is a fact that when we present an advertising strategy to customers for radio stations such as Radio Cabal, they say no to the idea. They view such stations as Communist media and not as private, commercial radio stations.

Radio Cabal's own salesperson Lillian de Argueta, who is responsible for customer contact, confirms this.

One concrete example is when one of the radio's regular clients, a pharmaceutical firm, employed a new sales manager, the contract with Radio Cabal was immediately broken. His reason being that it was a Communist radio station which he would not support.

Focus on the market

Mario Maida, one of Radio Cabal's two managers, is aware of the fact that they will have to work on the radio station's image if they are to generate more income from advertising, and this is a necessity. So far Radio Cabal has depended on support from international donors. The accounts of 1998 show that nearly 70 per cent of the expenses were covered by donor support. Now this dependency will be changed and Radio Cabal is to adapt to market conditions.

-We were born as a Non Governmental Organisation and not as a business. We have realised the necessity of establishing ourselves as a financially sound business. This has made us change the way we work. At the same time it has been necessary for us to take a look at the demands of the commercial market, Mario Maida says.

So far the radio has been through a financial downsizing which means that the permanent staff has been reduced from 28 to 18 people.

Next phase is the commercialisation of the products offered by the radio. The sale of advertising is one source of income but the people behind the radio also expect to be able to sell sponsor agreements. Producing radio programmes and selling them externally to NGOs and international development organisations is another idea.

Mario Maida mentions that in connection with this they are working on the production of a radio series about Bishop Romero who was murdered by extremists during the civil war.

The many experiences Radio Cabal has made with educational radio production could also lead to a source of income if it is exploited commercially.

However, advertising is and will be the source of income from which they expect the most.

Today, almost 20 per cent of the income stems from advertising. This number is expected to increase in future. Several things indicate that this expectation will be fulfilled.

Until recently, Radio Cabal transmitted its programmes on an AM transmission frequency. However a, audience survey showed that 85 per cent of the radio audience of San Salvador listens to radio stations broadcasting on a FM transmission frequency, so it was decided to change to the FM sound carrier. In fact, this means that Radio Cabal will reach more listeners and, in addition to this, the quality of the sound will improve.

However the conditions are not yet optimal. The transmitter and its placement has created some problems, but a new antenna is on its way from Miami. When it has been installed on one of the highest places in the city, Radio Cabal will be loud and clear for those listeners, among San Salvador's one and a half million of citizens, who tune in to 92.1 FM.

Fierce competition

Only after this the big challenge awaits. The radio station is to launch itself on a market characterised by fierce competition. In the capital more than 70 radio stations compete for the same advertising profit.

-We are to gain a foothold in a market where radio is for entertainment and music. We will move into this market little by little without compromising our principles of public participation, education and service to the local communities, says Mario Maida. He continues:

-At the moment, we are looking into how our programme and our vision can be transformed into arguments that make the radio attractive for the individual advertiser. We need to explain why Radio Cabal should be chosen above other radio stations.

Mario Maida adds that the advertisers should be made to understand that the radio will help build the new El Salvador, where poverty will be reduced and the citizens will find more ecologically sound ways of living.

It will not be easy: -People of the market forces want something completely different. They want effectiveness, benefits, profitability and security, Mr Maida says.

To a certain extent Radio Cabal will have to adjust to the conditions of the market and play more music for example.

The radio station had a listener survey conducted in 1998. It clearly showed that many listeners switch on the radio to listen to music. However, Mario Maida emphasises that music will not be used as entertainment.

-According to our programme policy music is an element that supports the purpose of the radio. Music can create solidarity, identity, express feelings and introduce the listeners to other cultures. It is important to be aware of the listeners' wishes, but it is also important to adjust these wishes to the programme we already have.

Bad ratings

Radio Cabal needs to make itself more known to advertisers. To the largest customers ratings are a significant tool when deciding where they want to buy advertising space. Radio Cabal is barely even on the ratings list.

-The bad ratings are of an enormous disadvantage to us. How can we sell a radio station with no listeners, Lilian de Arqueta says.

Still, there is no doubt that the radio has listeners. During the day's programme listeners can continuously call the radio. Many people use this opportunity. The 1998 audience survey also showed that 8.000 to 10.000 people listen to Radio Cabal three to four times a week.

Mario Maida stresses that this is not even close to being enough, when Radio Cabal can reach all of the 800.000 people constituting the poor of San Salvador's one and a half million citizens.

Danish support from the start

Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke, the MS (the Danish Association for International Co-operation), among others, has supported the radio since its establishment in 1993. Danish volunteers have strengthened the journalistic work of the radio, and the MS has granted financial support to the annual operating expenses and have been involved when new equipment had to be bought.

In the establishing phase financial sustainabillity was not one of the key issues. At that time the most important aspect to the MS was that in the wake of the peace process in El Salvador a public forum would be open to debate across political barriers.

-We regarded radio as a communications enterprise but also as an organisation taking part in the democratization of the media. Radio Cabal has never been linked to any particular party. It has been open to everybody who wished to participate. I find that very valuable, the MS programme co-ordinator for El Salvador Cynthia Curtis says.

Since the end of 1998 both the MS and Radio Cabal have estimated that more focus should be put on financial sustainability. As a result of the negotiations the MS is to continue support of the radio for a while longer but by supporting the radio's sales work.

-We must work on how to strengthen the sales area and then see the future result of this. The following year will be very interesting, and it will function as a test period. We will learn a lot from this, Cynthia Curtis concludes.

More information

AMARC's international secretariat

AMARC website

e-mail: amarcho@amarc.org

Phone: 1 514 9820351

Fax: 1 514 8497129

A programme from Radio Cabal

Roars of laughter roll out of the studio. A team of radio staff is practising today's recording of “Las pasaditas de Chencho Chilillo”. In English it would be something like “Chencho Chilillo's funny life”. Chencho is the main character of a humorous radio drama which is broadcasted several times daily. Chencho Chilillos works as a night watch and lives in a poor neighbourhood together with a group of families.

In the story of the day he and his friends get tangled up in some mysterious events at the local cemetery the night before the marking of “Day of the Dead”. Even though the action takes place at the cemetery, it is very funny and the performers have to finish laughing before the microphones are switched on and the recordings begin.

The radio drama is a typical product of Radio Cabal. It is entertaining and at the same time information and comments on current events or problems are included.

Topics such as unemployment, traffic problems and political plots are elegantly and humorously incorporated in the story.

The way the programme is produced is also typical of Radio Cabal. “Chencho Chilillo's funny life” is made by a team where everybody's special talents are used. Arturo Moratalla is the script writer, director and plays the main character. Station manager Mario Maida plays one of Chencho's friends, and other employees at the radio, including the responsible for Information Technology, have also been assigned roles in the play.

Radio Cabal starts broadcasting at five in the morning and finishes off at ten at night. The first Chencho Chilillo episode of the day is broadcasted at five thirty in the morning.

Dialogue with the authorities

“In direct contact with your local community” is another popular programme. Listeners can call in and complain of problems with public service, for example, lack of water or electricity. Subsequently, the radio contacts the relevant authorities and passes on the complaints. The outcomes of the complaints are revealed in a following programme. The debate programme “The judgement” is also popular. It evolves around a topic that is discussed with guests invited to the studio and with listeners who call in.

The listeners:

Carlos Bolla, carpenter, 38 years old, is one of Radio Cabal's regular listeners.

He often calls in and comments on the different topics that are brought up. The family's radio is placed on top of the TV on a one and a half metres tall piece of furniture. It is surrounded by different knick-knacks and souvenirs. The phone, placed nearby, is covered by an embroidered cloth keeping it from getting dust-covered when not in use. Carlos Bonilla listens to Radio Cabal because it is informative and has a good news coverage.

He likes the radio station because it broadcasts competitions where the prizes, among other things, are layer cakes. Chencho Chilillo is another one of his favourites. He says that he sometimes calls the radio station and congratulates the staff for the good work: “I have developed a good friendship with the radio station. It is like a family to me. Radio Cabal is like an open window, it communicates with all people no matter how small they are”.

Julio Cesar Menjivar, 27 years old, is a typographer at a small printing office a few kilometres away from the radio station and another of Radio Cabal's listeners. He listens to the radio all day with his colleagues. His boss, a severe woman in her late 30s, does not approve of him spending working hours on a short interview, and she interrupts several times over the 15 minutes the conversation lasts.

Julio Cesar Menjivar listens to the radio because it plays a lot of Brazilian music and broadcasts programmes such as Chencho Chilillo, which is good because it makes fun of the government.

He and his colleagues also like the various broadcasted debate programmes.

- Do you some times call in and give your opinions?

In a low voice and after a quick glance around him, he says: “Yes we do, but mostly when the boss is not here to keep an eye on us”.

Marta Enida Campos is also a regular listener to Radio Cabal. She is 30 years old, trained as a secretary, but unemployed at the moment. She has listened to the radio for more than a year as a “faithful listener”, she says. She finds that a good thing about the radio is to hear other people's opinions. She also thinks that it is important that the radio listens to the problems people have with the authorities, and later, on behalf of the listeners, tries to solve them.

-Right now I am unemployed. However, in a way it does not bother me so much because I learn a lot from the radio. I also have a notebook that I write things in, or I record radio programmes, Marta Enida Campos finishes.

Above document provided as background for The Drum Beat #57

DANIDA, the Danish International Development Agency, supports communication for development. There is currently a policy revision taking place. These articles and activities indicate pathways for future activities relatingto communication for development. Not all activities are supported by DANIDA.

Inge Estvad (journalist, est@image.dk), Finn Rasmussen (Communication Adviser, IBIS Ecuador, frasmussen@andinanet.net) and Thomas Tufte, Ph.D. (Professor, Roskilde University ttufte@ruc.dk) gathered the material that provides comprehensive insight into the policies and programmes selected.