The Hindu Business Line : Community radio signals finally getting stronger

Signs of growth
While there were only 15 community radios in operation as on March 2005, the Government has received nearly 93 applications from organisations across the country since then.
The decision to expand the scope of community radio beyond campuses to allow NGOs and institutions has resulted in the numbers picking up.

RESIDENTS OF a fishing village listening to Radio Alakal. — S. Gopakumar

New Delhi , July 9

Radio Alakal is the first community radio started last week for fishermen across 15 coastal villages in Thiruvananthapuram through a network of radio kiosks.

The project promoted by a group of organisations including the Kerala Swathantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation bears witness to the fact that community radio, after four years of existence in India, is finally showing signs of growth. While there were only 15 community radios in operation as on March 2005, the Government has received nearly 93 applications from organisations across the country since then. Of this, 26 have been given licences to operate and another 45 have been given the letter of intent, according to a data compiled by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.

Community radio serves the interest of a particular community by dissemination and exchange of relevant information — educational and developmental. The members of the community also get an opportunity to express themselves through the channel. Lack of access to information in remote and inaccessible regions can be tackled with the community radio. For instance `Chala Ho Gaon Mein' was started by an NGO as a community participatory programme. It reaches a population of over seven million covering Palamau, Garwah and Latehar districts in Jharkhand. It was broadcast through FM band of AIR, Daltonganj on commercial terms. Another example is Anna FM, the first campus-based community radio in the country from Anna University, Chennai, which cateres to the interests of the student community.

On Radio Alakal, apart from weather forecast, tidal height, conditions at sea and disaster warning, the programme content includes discussions and expert opinions on livelihood options, market information and interviews.

Analysts pointed out that the decision to expand the scope of the community radio beyond campuses to allow NGOs and institutions to start the service has resulted in the numbers picking up.