Community Radio in Ecuador: Cayambe Radio Message Case

Community radio is the media with the greatest penetration and significance in the world, providing cognitive and methodological contribution to the production of knowledge and the processes of democratization of culture. In Ecuador, community radio is part of the history of indigenous villages and nationalities linked to social claims especially vulnerable sectors, such as spaces for the recomposition of the social groups, intercultural education, and the construction of ancestral identities. Community Radio “Message” of Cayambe, from its beginnings, was the alternative that exploited and unprotected communities have used in the defense of nature, land and human rights; but also for the production and survival of the peoples. The research is qualitative with an exploratory, descriptive and interpretive approach and scope with an ethnographic design. For this purpose, several people linked directly and indirectly to the station were interviewed to obtain data regarding the sociocultural contribution that Radio Message has had since its creation. The results of the investigation show a high index of reliability regarding the social work of Radio Message. Currently the community radio station continues to be the voice of the indigenous and peasant communities of Cayambe and Pedro Moncayo, which for a long time were subordinate to the information broadcast by traditional media.