Radio brings small communities together

What is the current status of community radio stations in India ?



The number of Letter of intent being issued are 231; ninety-eight license

agreements/GOPA were signed; and fifty-seven CRS were reported to be

operational.

How would CRS benefit the rural and the lower stratas in India?



Community radio stations have a unique ability to bring smaller communities

together, focus on their day-to-day concerns and help in realizing local

aspirations. The CRS aims to contribute to the lives of the local community by

creation of content by the people and for the people of that community. Besides,

it plays an active role in the information dissemination amongst the community,

thereby, creating awareness and social responsibility.

The CRS has the potential to create a silent revolution by reaching out to

the people with targeted and focused information. While a FM station provides

mostly film based entertainment, community radio stations can talk to people in

their own language and dialect promoting entertainment in the local language and

dialect.

Education and information is the basic requirement of the rural and lower

strata masses in India. A CRS is the best option for information dissemination,

education and socio-economic development at the grassroot level by the way of

participation by the target groups.

Recently a review of six community radio stations was undertaken by Broadcast

Engineering Consultants India (BECIL)a PSU under the Ministry of Information

and Broadcasting. It came out very clearly that those CRS which try to adhere to

the local flavor and issues are successful and useful. In Bundelkhand region,

one CRS was found using local dialect while giving information to the community.

This is quite encouraging as it has a great potential to reach the masses.

Are there plans on the anvil to increase the number of CRS in India by the

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting?



With a view to sensitize the public about the community radio policy and

create awareness amongst aspiring applicants about the issues relating to

community radio so that it can become an effective tool for the empowerment of

the civil society, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has proposed a

scheme under the Eleventh Plan entitled IEC activities for community radio. A

total of twenty workshops and consultations had been organized at the regional

and state level for community radio awareness during 2007-2010 in various parts

of the country under the scheme. This was done to inform and educate the

non-profit civil society, and voluntary organizations/NGOs as well as other

organizations eligible as per the 2006 guidelines about the procedures,

demonstration of equipments, suggest revenue models, develop communication

skills for establishing and running the community radio stations. This has

resulted in a sudden spurt in the receipt of applications in the last few

months.

Eleven consultations are proposed at the state level during 2010-11. The

ministry is also considering a suitable alternative system at the state level by

involving the state machinery for achieving this aim more expeditiously. This is

being done so that the remaining states do not lag behind in getting the desired

information about the CR scheme.

Efforts are also on to coordinate with other departments such as agriculture,

rural development, Panchayati Raj, health, etc, to give a further impetus to the

scheme.

PC Suraj



surajp@cybermedia.co.in