Ministry waives off spectrum fee for community radio service
But, he and colleagues are fighting to take credit for making air waves
affordable
www.millenniumpost.in
*Tania Ameer Khan*
*NEW****DELHI:* In a landmark decision taken by the Ministry of
Communications and Information Technology, spectrum fee has been
completely been waived off for community radio services in the country.
On 9 July, this newspaper had reported that the communications minister
Kapil Sibal would waive community radio license fee completely.
Sibal told /Millennium////Post,/ 'I have passed the orders on making the
community radio services free, while some guidelines have to be framed.
I had taken the decision to make them free much earlier. [The
information and broadcasting minister] Ambika Soni also had a word with
me, but I had already decided on it. I had already given instructions to
remove the waiver, because some analysis was going on how much revenue
is likely to be lost. That took some time.'
Soni said, 'I took up this issue and spoke to Kapil Sibal, the finance
minster and other ministers regarding it. I asked my ministry to prepare
a note on this. The reach of community radio is immense, and it is a
perfect institution for national integration and to take pride in. ...
It is an amazing tool which helps in connecting people across the
nation. Today Sibal told me that he has ordered to cancel all license
fee on community radio, even though many people in his department were
not in favour of it.'
'It is a very positive approach which the government has taken. Even the
Supreme Court, in its judgement on Thursday, had said that money should
not be made the principle condition in allocating natural resources,'
Soni added.
Applauding the decision, Sajan Venniyoor, a founder member of the
Community Radio Forum, said, 'We are thrilled with this decision. The
/Millennium////Post/ prediction came absolutely true: it is a complete
waiver, and not a roll-back [of the increased fee].'
While Osama Manzar from the Digital Empowerment Forum said, 'There was a
lot of anxiety amongst everyone. But after this decision what is
pleasantly surprising is that it is a full waiver [of the spectrum fee]
and not just the roll-back.'
The communications ministry said that this decision was taken after
constant requests were made by the National Advisory Council, the
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Community Radio
Association.
Join the Community Radio Forum. For membership details, please go to
www.crforum.in