This is me—circa age 3—having a full-blown meltdown about being put into a cardboard box. I don’t remember exactly why I was in the box (family joke? toddler mischief?), but I very clearly remember the feeling: I did not want to be boxed in.
Looking back, I realize toddler me was onto something. That photo captures a whole mood many of us in community radio know too well. Because how often are we still boxed in—by other people’s assumptions, narrow definitions, or outdated expectations of what community radio is or should be?
Well, just like my younger self, we are not having it.
Community radio is not small. It’s not irrelevant. It’s not “just” music or “only” volunteers. We are essential connectors, emergency lifelines, cultural storytellers, trusted voices. And in this moment—when funding, trust, and access are under threat—we’re breaking out of the box and stepping fully into our power.
Here’s to the stations that refuse to be confined. Who speak up, stand out, and show up—on air, online, and in their communities.
We’ve always known we don’t fit the mold. And that’s exactly the point.
Let’s keep busting out, together.
By Rima Dael, CEO of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters
