Broadcaster from the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul plans to operate across eight campuses
Bringing together national and international professionals, experts, and researchers in the field of communications, the 1st International Congress of Public Broadcasters was held on May 21st and 22nd at the USP’s University City in São Paulo. Conferences and panel discussions were part of the program, alongside an academic component consisting of five working groups, in which 33 papers by researchers from Brazil and abroad were presented.
Wendy dos Santos Tonhati, a master’s student in Public Administration at the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), participated in group 1, session 1 — Public Communication: strategies to combat disinformation, maintain editorial independence, and promote democratic culture: public and university radio stations. The researcher presented the trajectory of Rádio Educativa UFMS 99.9, founded in 2016 and currently undergoing expansion through the UFMS Public Communication Network project, which plans to operate channels on eight of the university’s campuses.
Read the full abstract of the work below:
The formation of an educational radio network: the experience of Rádio Educativa UFMS
Public broadcasting in Brazil has, among its purposes, the promotion of collective interest, the diversity of voices, and the democratization of information. In this context, university radio stations play a fundamental role, not only as teaching and outreach tools, but also as spaces for participation, cultural production, and citizenship. This summary discusses the field of university broadcasting based on the experience of Rádio Educativa UFMS 99.9, a station affiliated with the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), and presents the project to form a network of educational radio stations on the university’s campuses.
By offering a diverse programmatic lineup, university radio stations become strategic in shaping a broader public sphere where diverse voices can be expressed. In this context, it is crucial that programming encompasses diverse segments of the population. Herrera Huérfano (2001) points out that: “Public university radio stations cannot be focused on the dissemination of just one form of expression, culture, art or thought, but rather, especially, on all those that commercial broadcasting models ignore” (Deus, 2003, p. 311).
Rádio Educativa UFMS 99.9, founded in 2016, has been consolidating its position as a public broadcaster while remaining committed to the university’s institutional mission: “to promote civic development through excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and
innovation, committed to democracy, sustainability, equity, and human rights” (UFMS, 2024). The station is managed by the UFMS Social and Scientific Communication Agency (Agecom) and has an advisory board that acts as a body of social oversight and guidance for the programming schedule.
The expansion project to form a network of educational radio stations at UFMS stems from the recognition of communication as a right and the understanding of the role of public media as agents of social transformation. The initiative, although conceived for years within the institution, gained momentum through agreements signed between federal universities and the Brazilian Communications Company (EBC) in 2023 (Agência GOV, 2023).
UFMS obtained authorization to operate channels on eight campuses, which will now be integrated into the UFMS Public Communications Network project. The new stations will be subordinate to Agecom, but will have space for their own productions. Furthermore, they will be responsible for daily rebroadcasting part of the programming of Rádio Educativa UFMS 99.9, with a focus on Radiojornal UFMS. The democratization of access to information and the expansion of the circulation of content of public interest also materialize with the internalization of the signal of UFMS stations, reaching cities in different regions of the state. The first radio station resulting from these allocations should go on air in the first half of 2025.
Since 2018, Rádio Educativa UFMS has had an Advisory Board with responsibilities defined in its own bylaws. In March 2025, the board underwent a major restructuring with the inclusion of TV UFMS under its governance. The restructuring expanded the board’s membership from nine to 20, with representatives from all campuses included. The new configuration strengthens the democratic and pluralistic nature of the station’s management, bringing the academic and external community closer to decisions regarding the institution’s programming and communication strategies.
Final remarks
The UFMS Educational Radio Network represents a step forward in consolidating university public communication aligned with the university’s institutional mission. Through internalization, UFMS expands its presence in local communities, promotes access to information of public interest, and contributes to strengthening the bond between the university and society.
References
AGÊNCIA GOV. Universidades federais ampliam Rede Pública de Rádio e TV. 2023. Disponível em: https://agenciagov.ebc.com.br/noticias/202310/universidades- federaisampliam-rede-publica-de-radio-e-tv. Acesso em: 20/abr./2025.
KISCHINHEVSKY, Marcelo; MUSTAFÁ, Iara; PIERANTI, Octavio Penna; HANG, Luciana Ribeiro. Rádios universitárias no Brasil: um campo em constituição. Revista Latinoamericana de Ciencias de la Comunicación, São Paulo, v. 15, n. 29, 2019. DOI: 10.55738/alaic.v15i29.496. Disponível em: https://revista.pubalaic.org/index.php/alaic/article/view/496. Acesso em: 20/abr./2025.
DEUS, S. F. B. Rádios Universitárias públicas: compromisso com a sociedade e com a informação. Em Questão, Porto Alegre, v. 9, n. 2, jul./dez. 2003. Disponível em: https://seer.ufrgs.br/index.php/EmQuestao/article/view/77/37. Acesso em: 20/abr./2025.
UFMS. Missão, visão e valores. Disponível em: https://www.ufms.br/missao-visao-evalores/. Acesso em: 20/abr./2025.
UFMS. Com dois anos no ar, Rádio Educativa 99.9 empossa Conselho Consultivo. 2018. Disponível em: https://www.ufms.br/com-dois-anos-no-ar-radio-educativa-999- empossaconselho-consultivo/. Acesso em: 20/abr./2025.
UFMS. Conselho Universitário aprova inclusão da TV UFMS em novo regimento interno da Rádio Educativa. Disponível em: https://www.ufms.br/conselho-universitario-aprovainclusao- da-tv-ufms-em-novo-regimento-interno-da-radio-educativa/. Acesso em: 20/abr./2025.
UFMS. Universidade assina Acordo de Cooperação para expansão da Rádio Educativa. Disponível em: https://www.ufms.br/universidade-assina-acordo-de-cooperacao- paraexpansao-da-radio-educativa-ufms/. Acesso em: 20/abr./2025.
UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE MATO GROSSO DO SUL. Resolução COUN no 398, de 21
de março de 2025. Dispõe sobre o regimento interno da Rádio Educativa UFMS 99.9 e da TV UFMS. Campo Grande, MS, 2025. Disponível em: https://boletimoficial.ufms.br/bse/publicacao?id=554172. Acesso em: 20/abr./2025.
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