Radio Svobodni / Free Radio AGORA as Bridge Between Cultures

Angelika Hödl , Manager of Radio Agora, Carinthia, Austria

Carinthia, in the south of Austria at the meeting point of three cultures, has a population of around 560,000. In Carinthia itself there has for centuries been a Slovene-German speaking population, the number of Slovene speakers having fallen dramatically in the last few decades, amounting to no more than around 40,000 according to unofficial estimates. Official data based on the last census results suggests as few as 12,000 – 13,000 members of the Slovene ethnic group.

AGORA – Media access for (language) minorities: in 1989, when Austria was still dominated by the radio and television state monopoly, the AGORA association applied for the Grant of a licence to set up and operate a private radio station for intercultural radio in southern Carinthia. At the same time, an action was filed with the European Court for Human Rights in Strasbourg as a means of enforcing the equal right of minorities to have access to the medium of radio.

When the Austrian federal government found itself obliged to abolish the radio monopoly in 1993 and to adopt legislation on the admissibility of private radio, the AGORA association applied for a radio licence. This licence was awarded in 1997. Broadcasting began in October 1998.

AGORA – The Free Radio and its objectives: Radio AGORA is a private advertising-free radio station. The body responsible for the radio is the " AGORA- Arbeitsgemeinschaft offenes radio/Avtonomno gibanje odprtega radia " non-profit association founded in 1989.

According to the aims of Free Radio, the focus is on the active participation of the citizens in the selection of the radio programme. Public access is intended to promote a pluralistic communication process.

AGORA – Polyphony on the airwaves: Radio AGORA is the only bilingual and multilingual medium in Carinthia, and broadcasts 14 hours of programmes every day. Of these, two hours are directed specifically at the Slovene ethnic group. In addition, Radio AGORA makes broadcasting time available to new minorities. Broadcasts in Spanish, Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian, English and German made by voluntary staff have therefore become a fixed part of the programme. We are currently working on the development of a regular broadcast for the African community in Carinthia.

Pluralism and media variety for the Slovene ethnic group: the current situation based on 8 hours of public radio (ORF – Austrian Broadcasting Company), 14 hours of free radio programme (AGORA) and 2 hours of private commercial radio (Radio Dva) represents a major step towards the free expression of opinion and media variety, particularly for the Slovene population.

Otherwise, there are no efforts by the Austrian federal government, despite having signed the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages, to expand and provide financial security for radio programmes for migrants and the new minorities. A function that will no doubt remain the sole responsibility of the Free Radios for many years still.