I was delighted to read that, finally, the I&B Ministry has decided to help non-government organizations "and other bodies" to set up over 1000 community radio stations across the country. This is a welcome change from standing by and wringing their hands while other arms of the government do all they can to scuttle CR in India.
Incidentally, the number of potential CR stations has steadily come down from 4000 to 1000, possibly because of changes in the laws of physics that have caused the FM spectrum to shrink alarmingly. According to the UNI report (below), the Joint Secretary (Broadcasting) stated that "out of 300 licences issued so far, more than 130 community radio centres had come up in interior villages where hardly any development had taken place." Now, I know the JS(B) to be an exceptionally honest and helpful person who has done much to support CR groups, so I'll put that down to bad reporting. The fact is that, of the 130 CR stations that have come up, maybe ten are in villages, interior or otherwise. The vast majority are in urban India. At least 80 of those 130 stations are licensed to universities and colleges which, as we know, are seldom in interior villages. Another ten are licensed to agricultural universities and KVKs (including one in Raipur, the only CR station in that state). Of the remaining 40 licenses that are with NGOs, most are in cities<http://maraa.in/media/india-community-radio-stations-map/> . Delhi NCR alone has more 'community radio' stations than Chhattisgarh, Orissa, J&K, the North East and half a dozen other states put together. Does this scenario bear any resemblance to the community radio movement that many of us fought for? It's likely that Mr. N Baijendra Kumar, Principal Secretary (PR), Chhattisgarh attended the Raipur CR workshop last week. Mr. Kumar was the JS (Broadcasting) who battled many dragons to get the current CR policy notified six years ago, but even then he was somewhat skeptical of the future of CR, knowing well that government agencies and private media interests were arrayed against not-for-profit community broadcasting. As a progressive and sympathetic officer, Mr. Baijendra Kumar may mourn the farce that CR is rapidly becoming, but as a prophet, he ought to feel vindicated. Sajan * * *I&B Min to help in setting up community radio stations* UNI | Raipur | 18 May 2012 The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I and B) has decided to help non-government organisations (NGOs) and other bodies in setting up over 1,000 community radio stations across the country for promoting this unique concept. "The Ministry, which proposes to provide financial assistance to the tune of Rs 170 crore during the 12th Plan period, earmarked Rs 5 crore assistance for 2012-13," Joint Secretary Supriya Sahu said today while participating in a two-day workshop on Communication Radio Awareness here. Minister Raman Singh inaugurated the workshop being organised by the state regime and the Ministry in collaboration with the Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia. Assuring his Government's full support for establishing maximum number of community radio stations in Chhattisgarh, the Chief Minister said the project would be very useful for people of the state, mostly farmers, living in remote and interior areas of Bastar and Surguja divisions. While urging the Ministry to further simplify the licensing process for setting up such radio stations, Dr Singh said, "My regime could provide radio sets free of cost to villagers living in scheduled areas to listen to programmes to be broadcast by the local community on different issues -- including agriculture, education, health, water, tribal art, culture and the public distribution system -- in their own interest." Underlining the need for setting up of community radio stations by NGOs in villages, Ms Sahu said out of 300 licences issued so far, more than 130 community radio centres had come up in interior villages where hardly any development had taken place. UNI
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