Students set up radio stations
Prachi Rege / DNAMonday, March 22, 2010 22:30 IST
Mumbai: Due to its wider reach radio is the most sought after medium of
communication. A growing number of mobile phones and MP3 players has made it an
integral part of our lives.
Everyone from film actors to comedians have secured their spot on radio, making
the best use of it to reach out to their listeners. This trend is fast catching
up across college campuses, in the form of radio clubs that are organised and
run by students themselves.
On air
Keeping in mind the wider reach of radio as a medium of communication a number
of colleges have set up their own stations to reach out to the student
community. To begin with, the Mumbai University had launched its Community
Radio station two years ago. Set at 107.8 FM-named Mumbai University Students
Transmission (Must). "Being a community radio we run infotainment programmes.
Most ofour shows are put together by students from across colleges in the city
who have a flair for this medium," says Pankaj Athawale, who handles
programming of Radio Must.
Ruia College has started the-Ruiacollegeradio.com an e-radio service and claims
to have secured listeners in the US and UK within two-months of its launch. A
brain-child ofTYBMM student Shantanu Joshi, the club was launched on January
19, 2010.
"My passion for radio led me to pursue it further. We chose to be an e-radio as
I believe that the new media is the next big thing and needs to be explored,"
explains Joshi.
The ISB radio club was launched three years ago and is going strong with its on
campus presence. "It's a legacy passed down to us by our seniors and we make it
a point to make it better with each passing year," says Aanchal Maheshwari,
president of the ISB radio, which is also a web-based feature.
The shows
As these radio clubs are launched by educational institutions they are bound to
be filled with knowledge-based shows preferably helping students understand
their subjects.
But the team of programmers and producers make it a point to not to make it an
uninteresting entity. "Our programmes, which are of 10 minutes duration, are
complete infotainment. We teach Urdu literature, French, Carnatic Music and
even recite poetries," says Joshi.
"This month we even introduced shows hosted by our professors and department
heads on the subjects that they specialise in," he adds.
For Divya Naik being a part of the Ruia college radio club was an unqiue
platform for pursuing her passion for cinema. "Through this radio serivce I'm
able to share my vast knowledge on cinema with fellow students who are always
eager to know what's happening on the celluloid," says Naik, who hosts her 5
mintue spot on movies.
The show she hosts, however, not only deals with movie reviews and reactions of
people to latest releases but also with giving out trivia on Classic
masterpieces.
Must radio shows are aired everyday from 8 am to 9 pm in English, Hindi and
Marathi. This year, posttheir second anniversary, they have a series of new
shows lined-up for a 13 hour broadcast.
"Legal Eagles a show addressing the society laws, domestic violence laws etc.,
Red Ribbon a programme to answer doubts on HIV- Aids and Classifieds giving a
run-through on vacancies in government jobs are the shows lined-up," informs
Athawale.
Maheshwari says that the shows on ISB Radio have something for all residents on
campus.
"We air programmes that focus on current events happening on the campus as they
are of interest to everybody right from the admin staff, professors, students
and even spouses.This way we are able to connect to everyone and nobody is left
out". "Interviews with deans, department heads and certain important visitors
on campus are some of the features of our programmes," she adds.
Apart from focusing on packaging the content of the show the ISB radio team
also focuses on the marketing strategy. "We create a buzz of our shows amongst
our listeners by designing posters and composing catchy jingles, so that they
are eager to listen to our programmes," explains Maheshwari.
Support strength
These students, who have teamed up in order to pursue their passion for radio,
by putting it to good use in connecting the students on campus, thank their
management for the success of the radio clubs.
"Our college provided us with laptops and also allocated a place on campus
which was converted in to a studio. Principal Suhas Pednekar has supported us
all through the launch of our little venture," says Joshi.
The ISB management fixes a yearly-budget for its radio club. "It becomes easy
to work with a fixed budget. Moreover the investment required at ISB radio is
more in terms of time rather than money. The management has supported us very
well with both," says Maheshwari.
http://www.dnaindia.com/academy/report_students-set-up-radio-stations_1362203
Nookaraju B
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