[cr-india] NEWS: Asian radio stations making waves in Scotland

[Frederick Noronha (FN)]

A voice in the UK; but not in India! FN

Asian radio stations making waves in Scotland

Glasgow, Nov 23 (IANS) Small radio stations catering to the Asian diaspora
are literally making waves through the air across Britain, particularly in
Scotland.

Radio Ramadhan Glasgow 105.4 is a radio station that most Scots have never
heard of, yet it pulls in more than 1,000 pounds a day in advertising
revenues.

The early days of the radio station, however, were not quite so financially
glorious. Station manager Sajid Quayum recalls a homeless, haphazard
operation that broadcast from a new location each year.

"We didn't have any money or any idea of how to do anything," says
31-year-old Quayum, who works full-time at an independent television
production company.

"We had to, as they say, 'Beg, borrow, steal.' We had to borrow editing
equipment and we had one computer for everyone. I was hammering nails to
create a little studio that was soundproof."

Nevertheless, Quayum was convinced of the need for radio programming that
provided religious and spiritual reflection during the Muslim holy month of
Ramadan.

Seven years later he's been proved right.

The temporary station -- manned by more than 100 volunteers -- now has a
network of computers, a purpose-built studio, two editing suites, a
reception and an audio library based in a two-storey building on Arlington
Road in Glasgow's Woodlands area.

During the rest of the year, the space is used as a community centre.
Muslim listeners fund all this.

The station pulls in 35,000 to 40,000 pounds in advertising revenues during
the month-long period from cash-and-carry businesses, small clothing
retailers, driving instructors and jewellery shops, all eager to target
Muslims.

This is on top of donations, and a further 60,000 pounds is raised for
charity during a 10-day appeal.

But this is just one example of the demand for specialist programming that
cities all across Britain have been tuning in to.

The Radio Authority granted more than 30 temporary licences for
Ramadan-related stations, including one in Dundee.

With this kind of community backing, it's no surprise that some have made
the case for a commercial enterprise.

Two of the bidders for the recently awarded Glasgow FM licence had proposed
an Asian format.

However, Quayum says the support for Radio Ramadhan comes because "people
see us as a religious station that is a benefit to the community rather than
a commercial radio station".

For now, Radio Awaz, another Glasgow venture, is the closest thing to a
regularly playing Asian radio station that Scotland has.

Established by 35-year-old Javed Sattar, it started out with various
temporary licences before being granted a one-year community pilot project
licence in 2001.

That was extended to 2003 and is expected to be continued until 2004.

Said Sattar, who works as a software technician for Honeywell: "There was no
collective voice for the Asian community. There were stations in London and
Birmingham, but Scotland didn't have anything."

On the radio landscape Awaz stands between the temporary Ramadan stations
and commercial operations like Radio Clyde.

It is targeted at all Asian backgrounds and religions (Islam, Sikh,
Hinduism, Christianity) within a 32-km radius from its base in Govan, off
Paisley Road West. Music gets about 60 percent of the airtime.

Without significant financial investment, audience figures are hard to
measure. A recent survey by the radio station of 300 people showed that 90
percent listened to the station throughout the day.

Despite the wider potential audience, the remit is still strictly
non-profit.

A small grant from the Social Inclusion Partnership in Govan and community
donations have paid for 15,000 pounds worth of equipment and office space.

About 20-30 percent of the budget comes from advertising. These ventures are
less about making money and more about providing a voice to areas of the
population that are not in the mainstream.

Ramadhan Radio Dundee FM 107.50 is broadcasting for the second year in a
row.

Its target audience is small: there are only 3,000 Asians in Dundee and
fewer still within the listening range of the makeshift radio studio at the
Scottish Islamic and Culture Centre.

Inexpensive equipment was bought courtesy of community donations, and
volunteers run the station. Project manager Mahmud Rathor Sarwar believes he
is providing a vital service that is overlooked by mainstream commercial
radio.

"The media don't bother about the community unless there is a murder or
something. They are always presenting us in a negative way. Mainstream radio
stations are not serving the Asian community, especially the new generation.

"If they put in more effort, they would attract more listeners. There is a
big market for them,"
says Sarwar.

Originally from Pakistan, 58-year-old Sarwar has long been a community
activist in Dundee, having served on the now-defunct Tayside Racial Equality
Mission and was a former chair of the Asian Action Group, which worked with
Dundee City Council and the police.

The month-long programming, he says, is an opportunity to put forward the
Muslim point of view and create a dialogue with various cultures in the
city.

Not only does the non-profit station broadcast religious lectures and
English translations of the Koran, it also features interviews with
politicians, police, educators and doctors.

"It's not just for Muslims, not just a religious station. We're trying to
bridge the gap between communities, to allow them to get to know each
other's cultures. That can only have a good outcome."

--Indo-Asian News Service