Good Practice Project
As part of a broader cooperation project to promote the image of fishing and the coastal culture of the Mediterranean, a new online radio station gives a voice to ideas, news, culture and activities related to fisheries and the sea.
The fishery sector in Apulia used to be a key part of the region’s identity and economy but has struggled in recent years to retain its place - and attract young people to the profession - in an increasingly competitive world. With the launch of six FLAGs in the region came the resources and potential to give the sector the boost it needed and better connect it with developments in the surrounding community.
In order to maximise the uptake of this support, MediterRadio was set up to provide information on the FLAGs’ activities, as well as to offer a participative space to raise the profile of Mediterranean fisheries. The radio station provides news, weather and information on relevant events, art and gastronomy, and gives space to themes such as social inclusion, ancient fisheries traditions and recent innovations. This is complemented with an eclectic mix of music.
The FLAGs worked closely with a professional radio team, including technical experts, journalists, local and national DJs and a presenter to develop and manage the online radio. Members of the local community, such as fishermen and young people have all been involved in providing content.
Transmitted via the internet, it reaches out, not only to the local population and fisheries community, but also to potential tourists and visitors by promoting the area’s fisheries heritage and coastal culture. An App, developed and made available free in the Apple and Google stores, also allows easy access on smart phones and tablets, while the website and Facebook page offer complementary visual and audio-visual material.
This project resulted in an online radio station, complete with webpage, App and dedicated social media spaces (Facebook, Twitter and Youtube channel). This has allowed a broad public to come into contact with the fisheries world and has provided a communication platform to promote the services offered by the Apulian FLAGs to the coastal community. It has also been active in promoting the area and its fisheries related culture, heritage and services (e.g. pesca-tourism activities) beyond the region.
After 18 months, MediterRadio had an average of 350 daily listeners, while the website content was being viewed by 250 people a day, 50% of which shared the page on social media.
Similar online radio stations could support other FLAGs around Europe to reach out to their local communities to increase participation in the FLAG's work, as well as promoting their territories further afield. A key consideration, however, is how to ensure the sustainabilty of such communication tools beyond the initial funding received from the FLAG (FLAG 2007-2013 - IT14 - Adriatico Salentino). The FLAG also insists on the need for there to be a significant group of young people interested in participating in order for this sort of project to be successful.
Total project cost | €26 728,2 |
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FLAG grant |
€26 728,2
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Timeframe of implementation | From Oct 2014 to Dec 2015 |
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