[cr-india]Re: Time now for a few hundred radio stations across the country !

Mon Apr 14 14:36:47 CEST 2003

Vickram,

My offer is simple. If, as has been stated - and reinforced by you -  a
'Radio Station' can be set up for Rs 500 or less, our organisation is
willing to finance setting up of five radio stations in Delhi.

When we talk of 'Radio Station', one cannot be faulted for presuming that it
should include basic recording/broadcasting facilities. I would also like to
believe that since we are talking of a 'Radio Station', the broadcast would
be heard on normal receivers in a few kilometer range. The I & B guidelines
on transmitter that can be used should, under ideal conditions, help you
broadcast to unto 24 kms.

With radio stations now available from Vickram for less than Rs 500, setting
up is no longer an issue. I am inclined to think that just about every
member of  the CR list can  contribute/arrange for Rs 500 each. So, we
should have at least as many community radio stations being launched across
the country as are the members from within the country in a short time !

I can't understand why so many people here have been fussing over funding.
And, to use Vickram's expression, why do we " talk endlessly and yet refuse
to
countenance positive change even when it stares us in the face". Precisely,
Why ?

Regards

Raman Nanda

PS: Would like to respond to another interesting issue raised: "not for
profit" work vis a vis "commercial" activity and viability, which concerns
community radio as much as any other form of activity. But then that is a
different discussion.
---
Internet Radio? Experience it: http://www.media-arc.net/samples_radio.htm
Contact Details:
Email: raman at media-arc.net
Tel: 91-11-2649 5658, 91-11-2649 5748, 98681 27916
Add: 1st Floor, 118, Shahpur Jat, Near Asian Games Village, New Delhi-49.

----- Original Message -----
From: Vickram Crishna <vvcrishna at softhome.net>
To: <cr-india at mail.sarai.net>
Sent: Monday, April 14, 2003 3:05 PM
Subject: Re: [cr-india]Re:Oravakal CR/ AP...Media Arc to Fund FiveCommunity
Radio Stations in Delhi.

> At 12:31 +0530 14/04/2003, Raman Nanda wrote:
> >Congratulations to Vincent and others who can set up Community Radio
> >Stations for Rs 500.
> >
> >May we right away request you to set up five radio stations for us in
> >Delhi,with say at least a couple of hours of programming. Please let us
know
> >when  can you begin work and by what time can you have these radio
stations
> >up and running.
>
> Glad to know that in these dire times, with crashing stockmarkets
> here and liberation forces there that spread death and destruction in
> the name of peace, someone finds the thought of promoting hope very
> amusing.
>
> Please do take the time to visit the Radiophony website
> (http://www.radiophony.com) if you haven't already done so. You will
> find a description of a simple communication center that can be built
> with commonly available commercial materials at a cost well below Rs
> 100. Of course, you have to do the construction yourself. Please add
> some reasonable cost for this, unless you agree that training someone
> with no income at all (several hundreds of million people like that
> around in this country, you may have noticed) to do it may be cheaper
> in the long run.
>
> Recording programmes? I didn't see any mention of that in Vincent's
> mail, but doubtless the 'traditional' model of radio station does
> have recorders as a part of the infrastructure. Without recorders,
> you only need a microphone, and this will cost about Rs 150. If you
> look around the local market (what an irony! it's called the radio
> market, located opposite the Red Fort) in old Delhi, you will be able
> to pick up one (twin tape recorder model) for maybe 300 bucks or
> less, depending on how picky you are (meaning, if you care how the
> name brand is spelled. Or misspelled). Cassettes cost around 15-30
> bucks, and since even the best imported ones at double that cost will
> not last for very long, the decision on how much to spend on each one
> should consider that fact. With some practice, it is quite possible
> to edit recorded sound on a twin recorder, though it will take time.
> Each cassette has 90 minutes capacity, so the recordings Raman wants
> will cost about Rs 60.
>
> On the other hand, if you agree that recording wasn't part of
> Vincent's commitment, then just go with the microphone and add one of
> the many people on this list who will be able to talk for a couple of
> hours and more without much difficulty. For free. This capability is
> long since demonstrated. How about (stand aside, Elvis!) a little
> less conversation?
>
> But let's put the humor aside (and personal attacks too!). I want to
> address the issues raised by Vincent with a little less levity and
> maybe a little more pragmatism.
>
> When a radio station is conceived on the lines of solidity and
> earning capability, then definitely it must include all and maybe
> more of the following expenses: transmitter, antenna, recorders,
> microphones, editing equipment, studio, offices, libraries, managers,
> producers, editors, anchors, salespeople and accountants,
> electricity, food and refreshments, security, local travel,
> conferences and so on. Add an overhead for coordination with the
> government... there are many departments in different ministries who
> need hand-holding.
>
> I can't speak for him, but I don't think this is what Vincent meant
> by community radio.
>
> Even the former MIB minister who stewarded the relaxation in policy
> to include 'campus radio' did not ask for (in fact, excluded)
> commercial viability. Is it too difficult, then, to cull out some of
> the necessities that commercialisation dictates?
>
> Only a small, almost invisible, mindset change.
>
> Here's one prescription: Microphone, transmitter, antenna. Cost of
> setup: Rs 500 or less.
>
> Here's another: Microphones, analog recorders, transmitter, antenna.
> Cost: Rs 2,500 or less.
>
> A third: Microphones, analog recorders, analog editing, archiving,
> transmitter, antenna. Cost: Rs 10,000 or less (for about a year of
> regular casting).
>
> Return on investment for all three models: zero.
>
> In fact, if you include any form of compensation for people's time,
> RoI will be negative.
>
> Why promote community radio then?
>
> Because of the intangible benefit of giving a small dose of
> empowerment, the ability to use their own voices, to people who are
> today completely under the thumbs of other people.
>
> People like us.
>
> We can afford to sit on lists, talk endlessly and yet refuse to
> countenance positive change even when it stares us in the face (I
> don't include Media Arc in this category, because it is a commercial
> organisation delivering services that cannot be compensated by Rs 500
> budget stations).
>
> We are no better than the government telecom ministry official who
> followed orders, and went to Oravakal to shut down their little
> experiment.
> --
> Vickram
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