Manish Kumar
Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Feb 13: Community Radio which started off in Orissa around 2010 after a decade-long campaign by radio enthusiasts is still in a nascent stage in the state, but risks facing a premature death due to lack of patronage.
The third tier of radio broadcasting in the state after the public broadcaster All India Radio and private FM channels, community radio plays a crucial role through its social service in rural areas of the state which lack modern methods of connectivity such as the internet, television and in some cases even the telephone.
It is an uphill task for community radio stations (CRs) in the state to function on a daily basis as they enjoy neither the reach nor the funding of private FM channels. However, a dedicated volunteer base in villages forms the backbone for these CRs to make their presence felt.
“Our radio station has a team of 14 who work full-time in production. But we have 30 dedicated volunteers in a few villages who work without the expectation of any reward. Through our programmes, we focus on health, social issues and agriculture. We’re getting a wonderful response from our target audience, and many people are benefiting from our shows,” says Rosalin Pradan, campaign coordinator of Radio Namaskar which functions from Konark.
When asked about the hurdles they face, Rosalin says funding is the biggest issue. “Community radios are struggling on many fronts. As compared to popular FM channels, we don’t get as many advertisements. As radio channels are subscription-free unlike TV channels, we rely totally on ads for our activities. I hope the Central government takes some steps to ensure we can work without worrying about our future,” Rosalin says.
Pradeep Kumar Dutta, Director of Radio Kissan which operates in Balipatna, says urgent steps are needed to ensure CRs do not die a premature death.
“There are many ways through which CRs can be helped, in order to ensure they do not die a premature death. There are many NGOs running community radios. Unlike CRs owned by universities and Krishi Vigyan Kendra, stations such as ours are often crippled for funds. Another way to popularise community radio is to get students of journalism to do internships with CRs so that they learn different aspects of radio production and can pursue careers in radio. Many CRs struggle due to shortage of manpower,” Dutta says.
“Many CRs are struggling due to a lack of concern on the part of the Central government. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting every year gives around `30,000 to CR representatives to attend an annual CR Sammelan that is held in Delhi. Instead of spending such a huge sum of money on these sammelans, it would be wise if the ministry gave the money directly to the CRs instead for their functioning. CR stations have the potential to contribute a lot towards society, and it would be really helpful if the Centre could financially assist CR stations in order for this to happen,” said a veteran in the radio community requesting anonymity.
