About this project

Our goal is to produce a book, titled WAVE MANUAL, that bridges the gap between the theoretical and practical advantages of Free Radio. The book will unfold along three sections: 

* First, a theoretical engagement with Micro FM broadcasting by working through the texts of thinkers like Felix Guatarri and veteran Free Radio activists such as Stephen Dunifer of Free Radio Berkeley, and Tetsuo Kogawa. In particular, we will focus on Micro FM as a social activity that raises questions about the relationship between media, democracy, pedagogy, and local politics.

* Secondly, we will elaborate upon the history of Free Radio and its involvement in various social movements around the globe. In particular, we will focus on the 2006 Oaxaca, Mexico uprising in which local media outlets were seized by protestors for the purpose of (1) quickly disseminating information to protestors, such as police and military repression, and (2) challenging Mexico's mainstream media which demonized and manipulated the intents and purposes of the uprising. The fact that these citizen-run media outlets became such an important target for police and military raises questions about the importance of media for maintaining control over civilian populations.

* Thirdly, and most importantly, we will present a pedagogical framework that serves as an adaptable manual for teaching the creation of Micro FM stations in a community classroom setting. The goal of this section is to provide educators and community members with the tools to construct and maintain a Micro FM station as well as a radically democratic space that calls for and develops community participation.

WAVE MANUAL will not be your standard, run-of-the-mill textbook. We intend to approach the book as a work of art that includes graffiti, paintings, flyers, broadcasts, and collaborative community projects that have taken place both within the Free Radio movement and in the construction of our text. 

WAVE MANUAL will not simply be a theoretical exercise but a documentation of our complete immersion into the Micro-FM movement that includes travel to Mexico and around the U.S. to work with and interview participants of various Free Radio collectives. 

Your donations go to travel expenses, the procurement of materials, and the publishing costs of WAVE MANUAL. We are extremely excited about the potentials of this project and we thank you for your donations.

Your Friends,

Steven Rodriguez and James Goebel