Community Media Network

What Community Media Network does

Community Media Network (CMN) is an independent Jordanian nonprofit NGO registered on March 19, 2007 under registration number 359, though its media operations trace back to 2000. It operates two flagship platforms: Radio Al-Balad 92.5 FM, the first community radio station in Jordan (licensed 2005, rebranded from Amman Net in 2008), and AmmanNet.net, Jordan's first online news website (launched 2000), which was ranked #1 in Jordan by the 2008 IREX Jordan Media Household Survey. The organization is headquartered in Amman and employs approximately 25 staff including journalists, administrators, and project managers, supplemented by dozens of volunteers.

CMN's product portfolio extends beyond the two core platforms into a layered set of programs and projects: citizen journalism initiatives (Listener Club Network involving public taxi drivers), specialized programming (Syrians Among Us on refugee issues, Madmoun Jadeed, Meydani for government accountability tracking), thematic projects (Water and Energy Issues, Amman Photography Marathon), sub-regional radio (Aghwar FM in the Jordan Valley), and organizational units (Investigative Journalism Unit established 2011, Human Rights Division established 2012). Distribution spans FM broadcasting, the AmmanNet website, Facebook, Twitter/X, YouTube, and in-person listener clubs and training programs across all 10 Jordanian governorates.

As a registered nonprofit, CMN is funded primarily through grants from institutional donors including SIDA (funding the Aswatona project spanning seven Arab countries), Open Society Foundations, MEPI, UNESCO, and Action Aid. The organization has no commercial pricing or product sales; its customer segments are Jordanian citizens, Syrian refugees, women, youth, and civil society advocates. Leadership includes founder and Director General Daoud Kuttab, Deputy Manager Etaf Roudan, Financial Director Mahmoud Borini, and Editor-in-Chief Mohammad Ersan, supported by an advisory board. The business model is community-led, with reach spanning the Greater Amman area domestically and seven Arab countries via the Aswatona partner radio network.

Name

Community Media Network

Legal name

Community Media Network

Website

https://communitymedianetwork.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Community Media Network is an independent Jordanian nonprofit NGO operating Radio Al-Balad 92.5 FM and the AmmanNet news website to deliver community radio, citizen journalism, and media training to Jordanian citizens, refugees, women, and youth, funded primarily through international development grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Media Services

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

National Public Radio Networks & Member Stations (NPR-style) (MPABADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Media Partnerships & Content Co-productions (NGO/Cultural) (MPABADAN), Public Service News Channels (MPABAIAE)

Keywords

• Community radio broadcasting
• Independent news media
• Citizen journalism
• Investigative journalism
• Media training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Amman

HQ country

Jordan

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. NGO Grants and Donor Funding: As a registered non-profit NGO established in 2007, CMN operates primarily through grants and funding from international development organizations, governments, and foundations supporting media development and civil society strengthening in Jordan and the Arab world.
2. Radio Al-Balad FM License: Radio Al-Balad operates under official government broadcast license granted by the Media Commission, extended for five years in 2015.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Community Media Network operates Radio Al-Balad 92.5 FM (Jordan's first community radio station) and the AmmanNet news website (Jordan's first online news site) to produce and broadcast community media content, citizen journalism, and investigative reports. It also runs media training programs for refugees, women, and youth, organizes public debates across Jordanian governorates, and manages thematic programming such as the Meydani government-accountability program and the Aswatona cross-border community radio network.

Product overview

Community Media Network (CMN) operates a unified platform-and-projects architecture centered on community media. Its core products are Radio Al-Balad (92.5 FM), the first Jordanian community radio station established in 2005, and AmmanNet (www.ammannet.net), Jordan's first online news website launched in 2000. These are supported by a portfolio of sub-brands and projects including: program series such as "Syrians Among Us" and "Homeland and Belief"; specialized thematic projects like "Madmoun Jadeed," the Photography Marathon, and Water & Energy Issues; community radio initiatives such as Aghwar FM in the Jordan Valley; and organizational units including an Investigative Journalism Unit and a Human Rights Division. The network also manages cross-border projects like Aswatona and a new initiative called Meydani for tracking government commitments. Together, the radio station and website form the primary platforms, with all other products and projects feeding into or extending their content reach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Radio Al-Balad 92.5 FM: Community radio station broadcasting in Greater Amman area, first Jordanian community radio station
• AmmanNet
• Midyani (ميداني)
• Our Voices (أصواتنا)
• Tawfiq (تكوين)

Products and services

• Radio Al-Balad 92.5 FM Jordan's first community radio station, broadcasting on FM 92.5 in the Greater Amman area. It is the flagship radio platform of Community Media Network, focusing on local community discourse, debate programs, and citizen journalism, with content delivered in Arabic.
• AmmanNet News Website Jordan's first online news website, operating at www.ammannet.net. It is a leading source of information and journalistic interaction for Jordanians, delivering original news content and serving as the digital arm of Community Media Network. Ranked #1 news website in Jordan by the IREX Jordan Media Household Survey in 2008.
• Aghwar FM (Jordan Valley Radio) First community radio station in the Jordan Valley region, broadcasting programs via the internet with text, audio, and photographic content, aiming to serve the local community and address regional issues in the Jordan Valley.
• Syrians Among Us (Radio Program) Radio program addressing the affairs, social conditions, and living situations of Syrian refugees in Jordan, including conditions inside and outside the Zaatari camp, produced by Community Media Network.
• Meydani (Government Accountability Program) Program launched by Community Media Network to track and monitor government promises and commitments made during provincial visits, documenting what has been fulfilled, delayed, or obstructed, and facilitating dialogue between citizens and official representatives using solution journalism methodology.
• Investigative Journalism Unit Investigative journalism unit within CMN that produces in-depth reports on societal issues such as healthcare, doping, disability rights, and education fraud for distribution across Radio Al-Balad and AmmanNet platforms.
• Aswatona (Cross-Border Community Radio Project) Multi-year advocacy project establishing community radio stations across Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Syria, Jordan, and Palestine. Part of a broader effort to improve legislative systems and build community media capacity in the Arab world, funded by SIDA.
• Journalism Training Programs Structured media training programs delivered by Community Media Network for Syrian refugees, women in underserved governorates (such as Zarqa), and Jordanian youth, covering journalism basics, radio reporting techniques, and gender-sensitive reporting. Includes training of 17 Syrian refugees in Mafraq and 60 journalists via partnership with Tadammon.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ranked #1 news website in Jordan by IREX survey in 2008
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Action Aid (Aksoon Denmark)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2019Strategic partnership signed for producing programs supporting local governance, transparency, and accountability in Jordan. Includes long-term relationship for local and international networking. The partnership aims to develop local governance and citizen participation.
• UNESCOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNESCO supported building capacities of female journalists through training programs. The project 'Building Capacities of Female Journalists in Rural Areas in Jordan' was supported by UNESCO's IPDC program in 2012.
• Swedish Ambassador in JordanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSigned ASWATONA Agreement in 2012 with Swedish Ambassador marking partnership for community media development.
• King Hussein FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelegation visit in 2015 to explore potential cooperation between the foundation and Community Media Network.
• British Embassy/AmbassadorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with British Embassy on community media initiatives and photo documentation of joint activities.
• Tadammon Jordan - Women Solidarity InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint training program on journalism writing in women's issues with 60 journalists and activists trained on gender-sensitive reporting and electronic publishing ethics.
• Jerusalem Center for Political StudiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for organizing 13 public debates across Jordanian governorates (2011-2012) on election law, political parties, and public policy.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Daraj Media: Lebanese investigative digital media outlet producing cross-border journalism in Arabic. Comparable to CMN's investigative journalism unit and pan-Arab content ambitions.
• Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ): Regional network training and supporting investigative journalism across the Arab world. Comparable to CMN's Investigative Journalism Unit and Aswatona project in mission, training focus, and pan-Arab media development.
• 7iber: Jordanian independent digital media outlet producing original journalism, commentary, and civic content. Directly comparable to CMN as both serve Jordanian audiences with independent journalism and share overlap in civic engagement and training mission.
• SMEX: Lebanese nonprofit advancing digital rights and independent media in the Arab region. Comparable to CMN's community media, citizen journalism, and rights-oriented programming focus.
• Maharat Foundation: Lebanese NGO focused on media development, freedom of expression, and independent journalism training. Highly comparable to CMN as a nonprofit community media organization with a regional mandate and donor-funded training programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cmnjo
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/RadioAlbalad92.5
• Facebookfacebook.com/CommunityMediaNetwork
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-media-network

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Community Media Network