Community radio - the cheapest and most accessible of the electronic mass media - is ruled out in many countries because of legal restrictions. This paper looks at community radio in Australia and South Africa. Australia has a mature 'third tier' of broadcasting, now over 20 years old, facing the problems of an established sector, with consistent if relatively diminishing state support. As a relatively new democracy, South Africa's adoption of community radio is significant on a global scale. As the debate around community radio in India gathers momentum, and various initiatives start to emerge, some of the challenges they currently face may have lessons for India.
