Radia


Started in April 2005, the Radia network is an international informal network of community radio stations that have a common interest in producing and sharing art works for the radio. In 2020, the network gathers 24 radio stations from 23 cities across 17 countries, speaking 10 different languages. It also organizes linked-up events and special broadcasts. Radia intends to be a space of reflection about today's radio and radio art. Its activities try to contribute to intercultural exchange and artworks' and artists' circulation.
The network's name freely refers to La Radia, Futurist manifesto written by Federico Tomaso Marinetti and Pino Masnata in 1933. The network's founders dropped the La to distance themselves from the Futurists' political views. As it stands alone, "radia" is simply "radio" or "radios" in some languages.

Shows

The Radia Network's basis is a weekly 28 minutes show broadcast by all the stations. Each station produces the show in turns. Every round of shows is called a season.

Content

As stated in their jingle, Radia is "bringing new and forgotten ways of making radio to listeners. Each week give artists the challenge to make radio that works all across Europe and beyond." The Radia show intends to cross boundaries and address people of different languages and cultures. It usually explores the different genres of radio art, separately or by mixing them: sound art, electroacoustic music, sound poetry, radio drama, soundscape.

Production

Usually each member radio station commissions an artist from their local artistic community and gives him/her carte blanche for producing a show. In that sense, Radia uses radio as a gallery for sound art pieces.

Exchange and archive

To share the shows the Radia Network formerly used Radioswap.net, a semi-public closed platform for program exchange between community radios. Now it utilizes the server space of one of its member stations. All Radia shows are archived at the Internet Archive.

Members

Members of the Radia Network are radio stations, webradios and art-radio projects that broadcast the Radia weekly show and produce shows in turns.

Founding members

On 3–7 February 2005, there was a first meeting of radio stations in Berlin under the banner of NERA. The decision was taken to start a broadcast season the following April, and an email discussion list was set up on which the name Radia was finally settled on.
Founding members are:
Syndicating partners who play but do not produce Radia shows are Resonance Extra and CFRU.
Affiliated to the network are , Mobile Radio and Radioart106

Special events and broadcasts