In 1998, a community radio station was established in the city of Granada, with a population of around 6,400, as well as in the surrounding rural areas. Professor Andrew Gavil of Howard University School of Law suggested that platforms can provide “targeted ads of greater value and quality in a local community”. In today's social media speech environments, disinformation is spreading rapidly. The Communication Media Division at Weimer Hall of the University houses seven broadcast stations, allowing students to gain experience in a competitive multimedia and broadcasting environment. WRUF-AM, launched in 1928, is the first local commercial radio station in Gainesville and one of the oldest in Florida.
With the rise of operating expenses, university stations have been selling or leasing their frequencies for the past decade. Additionally, foreign governments have been launching specific disinformation campaigns on social media in the United States. Ngoma is currently collecting data that could be presented to potential donors or sponsors to demonstrate the impact that the WPRK has on the university community and beyond. Not all antitrust experts agree that it is necessary to modify current antitrust legislation to adapt it to platforms, or even that the current media ecosystem needs to change. The public television station WUFT-TV is the PBS affiliate for north-central Florida and presents award-winning educational and entertainment programs from PBS, as well as locally produced content, including a Monday through Friday newscast produced by university students with mentoring from professional staff.
For those involved in media development, the combination of social networks and local radio is also an opportunity to strengthen community participation, especially of marginalized groups. The idea of using social media to engage the community on local radio is especially interesting in Colombia, where the armed conflict has led to the internal displacement of approximately six million people. Brian Southwell (director of the Science in the Public Sphere program at the Research Triangle Institute) stated at a workshop that with the disappearance of local news sources, people have largely lost their ability to understand what is happening in their own local communities and how they relate to people in other communities. This is a crucial moment in radio history and a series of financial problems are affecting university radio. Local media play an important role in informing community members about elections and other civic events, as well as shaping community opinions around common values and beliefs. More than a quarter of Colombia's newspapers have disappeared, leaving residents of thousands of communities living in vast news deserts. The use of social media has become increasingly important for local radio stations across West Central Florida.
It provides an opportunity for them to engage with their audiences more effectively and reach out to new listeners. Social media can also be used to promote events and activities related to local radio stations, such as fundraisers or special programming. Additionally, it can be used to spread awareness about important issues affecting local communities. In conclusion, social media has had a significant impact on local community radio stations in West Central Florida. It has allowed them to reach out to new audiences and engage with their existing listeners more effectively.
It has also provided an opportunity for them to promote their activities and spread awareness about important issues affecting their communities. As such, it is essential for local radio stations to take advantage of social media platforms if they want to remain competitive.
