The answer is to deploy Distance Education techniques and delivery systems such as radio and television based at the community level to address directly local issues and needs. Community Radio - A Proven Track Record Radio also has a developed infrastructure that must be the envy of any developing country telecom operator. In Sri Lanka, one person in 500 has access to the Internet, but virtually everyone has access to a radio. Radio programs are cheap to make compared to television and video. Radio receivers are widely available, comparatively cheap and portable, making them convenient for listeners.
Radio can reach people who are isolated by language, geography, conflict, illiteracy and poverty.
Radio can help create a demand for services and convey vital information. Radio can facilitate assistance in the early stage of complex emergencies when forms of aid are not possible. Radio can be a group activity, encouraging discussion of educational issues after the broadcast. In many rural areas radio is the only source of information about market prices for crops. It is used both for formal and informal education such as agricultural extension information for farmers and agro-food processors.