Rather than look piecemeal at one feature or other of government policy (and
action/inaction, which speaks far louder than policy), it is more meaningful to
step back and look at a country whose independent mediascape was once dominated
by revolutionary thought. We had the mainstream print media, foreign owned and
controlled, right from the early days of media, and then we had a revolutionary
press, skulking and fighting to stay visible and relevant at the same time.
Once we won independence, instead of moving to a rich mediascape of information
dissemination covering multiple and diverse agendas, we remained dominated and
tied up with controls, simply replacing foreigners with our own people.
That this happened just around the time the electronic media was exploding with
possibility is just a poignant coincidence. We may have been justifiably proud
in creating a breakthrough decades later with satellite television, but not
with what use we put it to, parroting a government line that was unavoidably
out of touch with local scenarios, given the imperatives of centralised
programming. The move to FM in audio broadcasting came about even after we
adopted satellite television, but remained once again under tight control. It
is hard to see India's progress in a positive light, in hindsight.
The control of audio today is completely out of touch with the medium itself.
The government is unable to evolve a mechanism for localised
management/regulation of content, even though I daresay the majority of
programmes broadcast by community radio stations remain unheard in Delhi,
despite the constraint of the stations having to spare scarce resources on
archiving and copying that archive to Delhi. The lack of knowledge of regional
languages alone would dictate such a result, yet this does not seem to have
occurred to anyone who can bring about positive change.
With so much of the country a tinderbox today, I cannot imagine what blinkered
intellect prevails in Delhi, not to realise how opening up the media to local
content can not only spring wide the floodgates of creativity and innovation,
but also as a side result act as an emotional release, reducing the possibility
of divisive and secessionist thinking gaining a stronger foothold. We have seen
in this forum in the past that the forces of secessionism are also dominated by
a command and control mentality, so it is not as though any rational thinker
should welcome that kind of change.
Still, as to your question, it is obvious that programmes of music and drama
are easily modified to include news of local interest. How would the ministry
even know, when much of the programming is in languages foreign to Delhi?
Perhaps an RTI is in order, to ask the ministry what percentage/volume of
material sent by the stations so far has been reviewed, what amount of content
has been found ultra vires the license conditions, and what action has been
taken on what counts. I am of the opinion that the answers to points 2 and 3
will be none and none, for the simple fact is that the answer to point 1 is
none.
And for community radio, with the incredible proliferation of smartphones
today, a step forward to proliferating wireless data networks is not hard to
visualise, and wherever that happens, running local stations broadcasting over
data networks is a trivial and inexpensive move, much cheaper, and less
regulated in quixotic ways. The only fear is that commercially minded
broadcasters will move faster than community proponents, because local
community is so opposite to present government policy, which favours
centralisation by all means.
Vickram
http://communicall.wordpress.com
http://vvcrishna.wordpress.com
>________________________________
> From: Vidya Venkat <[email protected]>
>To: Vickram Crishna <[email protected]>
>Cc: Arti Jaiman <[email protected]>; N.A.Shah Ansari
><[email protected]>
>Sent: Sunday, 18 March 2012, 18:53
>Subject: Re: [cr-india] Tehelka article - on community radio in India
>
>
>Vickram,
>
>
>I can see where your skepticism to the Tehelka article is coming from. I am
>interested to hear from you and other participants in this crindia forum as to
>what extent is the government clause on no broadcasting of news constraining
>the work of CR stations...
>
>
>Vidya.
>
>
>On Sun, Mar 18, 2012 at 11:46 AM, Vickram Crishna <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>We share your excitement and joy, but I can't help noticing that the article
>is overly enthusiastic about the government's role. To wit:
>>
>>"Community radio is a grassroots movement that even the government is excited
>>about. With 130 active radio stations across the country and 233 more in the
>>pipeline, the concept is a runaway success. "
>>
>>
>>Runaway success? Arguable. Compared to what? Compared to the potential for
>>nearly a million stations? Hardly.
>>
>>
>>The article does point to some limitations in the government's approach, but
>>does not even hint that a genuinely supportive environment (one well within
>>the government's hands to enable) might have tinted that perception of
>>success. "The wireless operator licence that has to come from the telecom
>>ministry, after the permission from I&B ministry, is supposed to take 30
>>days, but takes 6-8 months".
>>
>>
>>Let's hope that this praise for the ministry gets it to pull its thumb out
>>and get itself out of the way to a greater degree.
>>
>>
>>Vickram
>>http://communicall.wordpress.com
>>http://vvcrishna.wordpress.com
>>
>>
>>
>>>________________________________
>>> From: Arti Jaiman <[email protected]>
>>>To: CR India <[email protected]>
>>>Sent: Saturday, 17 March 2012, 23:36
>>>Subject: [cr-india] Tehelka article - on community radio in India
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>A recent story in Tehelka magazine on what's happening in the CR space.
>>>
>>>http://www.tehelka.com/story_main52.asp?filename=Ne240312Masses.asp
>>>
>>>Arti Jaiman
>>>
>>>Station Director : Gurgaon Ki Awaaz Samudayik Radio Station 107.8 MHz FM
>>>email: [email protected]
>>>website: www.trfindia.org
>>>
>>>Gurgaon Ki Awaaz is the first and only civil-society-led community radio
>>>station in the National Capital Region of Delhi. We broadcast 24X7, in Hindi
>>>and Haryanvi, with a team of community reporters, generating community
>>>content, and community participation.
>>>
>>>Join the Community Radio Forum. For membership details, please go to
>>>www.crforum.in
>>>
>>>
>>Join the Community Radio Forum. For membership details, please go to
>>www.crforum.in
>>
>
>
>
>--
>"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change
>the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead.
>
>
>Editorial consultant,
>Gram Vaani Community Media
>www.gramvaani.org
>
>
>
>
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>
>
>
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