Community Radio Coordinator, Prometheus Radio Project

Posted by on May 17, 2010

Community Radio Coordinator with The Prometheus Radio Project

please visit http://prometheusradio.org/employment for any updates or contact  [email protected] with any questions

Job Description:

The Prometheus Radio Project is looking for a Community Radio Coordinator to join our staff!

The Prometheus Radio Project is an organization that builds participatory radio as a tool for social justice organizing and a voice for community expression. To that end, we demystify media policy and technology, advocate for a more just media system, and help grassroots organizations build communications infrastructure to strengthen their communities and movements.

We collaborate with community groups who want a locally accountable voice in the media, including civil rights activists in Louisiana, farmworkers in Oregon, and environmentalists on the Chesapeake Bay. Working in Congress and the FCC, we advocate for policies that support community-controlled radio. Meanwhile, we arm community groups with the skills they need to build their own media and maintain thriving participatory radio stations.

For more information about our work, please visit our website at http://www.prometheusradio.org

Prometheus Radio Project is now taking applications for Community Radio Coordinator

The Community Station Coordinator will be responsible for communicating with the thousands of people that contact Prometheus in their quest to build a community radio station, as well as the hundreds of existing stations that look to Prometheus for support and connection to the community radio movement.

The Community Radio Coordinator is responsible for maintaining and developing information and resources for Community Radio stations to address their basic legal, engineering, governance and related challenges. Additionally, this coordinator will assist organizations that want to grow participatory radio including starting both Low Power and Full Power FM stations.   Prometheus recognizes that participatory radio has been a powerful tool within immigrant communities, in the US and that there is a growing interest particularly within Spanish speaking Latino communities to start their own radio stations. Therefore fluency in Spanish is desired but not required.

Responsibilities include:

*      Assist stations that have recently received broadcast licenses in developing their own participatory radio stations;

*      Create a program to assist stations in getting on-air;

*      Manage incoming requests and integrate them into Prometheus’ operation. This involves providing information in response to basic requests, connecting people with appropriate legislative and regulatory campaign leaders, and directing people to appropriate support among the Prometheus staff;

*       Develop Prometheus affiliates station program to work more closely with our ally stations;

*      Spearhead the creation of collaborative tools which low power and other community stations can use to share their knowledge and experience;

*      Develop resources for groups to develop radio in their communities, including internet based strategies;

*      Implement methods to assess the needs of our constituents and make recommendations to Prometheus on we can better serve these communities;

*      Coordinate staff and volunteers in large station-building events (also called barnraisings);

*      Assist social justice organizations and community groups in applying for new LPFMs during the next licensing window;

*      Help build stations’ sustainability by supporting their efforts in grassroots fundraising and community outreach.

A candidate for this position needs:

*      Commitment to social justice work

*      Extremely strong organizational skills, and the ability to work independently and juggle many projects at once

*      In-depth knowledge of community radio station administrative operations – an excellent job for a former station manager or community radio participant

*      Familiarity with computers, various software applications and the internet

*      Excellent research skills

*      Supervision and/or volunteer management experience

The ideal candidate will have:

*      Fluency in Spanish and English

*      Ability/desire to work flexible hours, including some evenings and weekends, and willingness to travel on occasion

*      Experience working in partnership with ally and member organizations

*      Community organizing experience

*      Excellent interpersonal, written and communication skills; strong public speaking skills

Other skills that would be very helpful:

*     Grassroots fundraising experience

*     Facilitation skills

*     Radio engineering knowledge, or comfort with taking on and communicating technical matters

*     Experience in consensus decision-making and mediation

*     A drivers license

*    Audio Production/ Radio Journalism experience

*    Non-Profit management experience

Salary, Location and Application Info

This is a full-time, salaried staff position. Please contact us for salary information.  Our office is located in West Philadelphia, in the community center basement of the Calvary Methodist Church. Be ready to smell delicious cooking, hear the shouts of children learning martial arts, people singing gospel, or holding a self-help meeting. We are seeking someone willing to work in Philadelphia and able to make a two-year commitment to the organization; however we are open to alternative proposals.  These alternative proposals must be sent with other application materials by the deadline below.  Since we are expecting a future LPFM window, we expect this position will involve some travel throughout the US.

The Prometheus Radio Project respects and values people of all backgrounds and considers applicants for positions without regard to race, color, sex, religion, creed, gender identity and expression, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, or any legally protected status.  As we work in collaboration with many communities that have been marginalized from media access, we believe it is crucial to employ members of these communities at the Prometheus Radio Project.

To apply, please send a cover letter and resume, and up to three relevant samples of your work, something that will speak to why you’re a good fit for the position (that could mean writing sample, manual you’ve written, radio piece) to [email protected].  Applicants may also send questions to this address. Please be sure to include “Community Radio Coordinator” in the subject line. The application deadline is June 9th at 11:59 PM EST. First round interviews will be scheduled for the week of June 28th-July 2nd. We are hoping to have the new Community Radio Coordinator begin orientation the week of Monday July 17th.