ARE COMMUNITY MEDIA BROADCASTERS OR ACTIVISTS? A CASE OF RE-ESTABLISHING COMMUNITY RADIO

The dilemma posed by the question in the title arose during events in Maribor, Slovenia in 2012. This case describes how the University of Maribor was negotiating to take over a local radio station (Radio Student Maribor) that is a student radio station by name, but which has always been run as a community radio station (Lah 2002, 53-57). In the end, the University pulled back from its offer because of the high debts that the radio had accumulated in previous years. However, before that decision, vivid discussions took place for two months between the staff of the University and the radio station. This paper describes the case, and some theory and reflections bound to it.