Venezuelan radio, throughout it's history and currently during the present is especially important to the country and its people because it is one of the most effective and influential types of citizen media that have served to channel the frustrations of the Venezuelan people and have strengthened the legitimacy of their concerns.
Because of this, Venezuelan radio serves as an interesting "case study," because it is a country where radio is still a primary news and entertainment source, whereas in developed countries such as the U.S, radio, although still alive and well, is often overlooked due to the evolution of the Internet.
One of the reasons radio is still a prominent form of media in Venezuela is the fact that it is mostly private owned, and thus there are more protections for speech than there would be if it was government owned. In fact, according to the Venezuelan Communication Ministry, "70% of Venezuela's radio and TV stations are in private hands with just under 5% are state-owned. The rest are community media organizations, most pro-government."
This blog hopes to focus on how radio in Venezuela is often used to give citizen's a platform to be heard, but how it is also used to oppress and carry out government interests, depending on who owns the station.
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