Surveying the community of Crow Agency, MT for interest in a community radio station

Abstract

90% of the Crow Tribe's 10,000 members live on or near its 2.5 million acre reservation. There are currently no television or radio stations intended to serve this area and its population with the vital connections and resources available through the information highway maintained by mass media. This study explores the level of interest and support the Crow community has for a Native American radio station. It also identifies areas of need within the community that can be met by the establishment of a Crow radio station and by the implementation of Native American programming. Research found that there was a high level of support for and interest in this venture and that a radio station could met a number of community needs including economic improvement, language revitalization, facilitation of community and cultural cohesion, and disaster preparedness.