[cr-india] cr-india Digest, Vol 36, Issue 25

Thu Nov 30 11:11:30 CET 2006

Dear Aaditeswar,

Thanks for your reference. The publication was little bit old and needs
revision. However, I wish to inform you that UNESCO in collaboration
with ABU designed  a low cost digital radio which is available for sale.
These radios are costing around USD $ 5000-6000 Plus fright cost from
Kuala Lumpur.

Please follow this link for a detailed information:

http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=21931
<http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=21931&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_
SECTION=201.html> &URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html  

12 systems are already procured from 9 countries from Africa and Asia.
You may contact : Rukmin Wijemanne rukmin.w at abu.org.my more information.

I could send you a brochure on the system.

The system was displayed in Broadcast Asia 2006 in Singapore and
Telecentre leaders forum in Binin. We received good responses.

We will also display the system BES Expo 2007 at Pragati Maidan New
Delhi in February.

You may like to see other two publications on community radio which are
of much relevance to your input.

How to do a community Radio

http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=16162
<http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=16162&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_
SECTION=201.html> &URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html  

Configuration of Radio Stations and Media Centres: A practical guide to
procurement of technical equipment for community media institutions 

http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=16165
<http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=16165&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_
SECTION=201.html> &URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html  

With warm regards,

Hara Prasad Padhy

Programme Specialist(Communication and Information)

Communication and Information Sector

Communication Development Division

UNESCO

1, rue Miollis

Paris 75732 France

E-Mail: h.padhy at unesco.org 

Work Phone: +33.1. 45 68 4455

FAX: +33.1.45685585/+33.1.45685579

Website: www.unesco.org/webworld

UNESCO helps ABU to develop low-cost mobile broadcasting system

02-05-2006 (Paris)

Demonstrating the possibility of using digital technology for low cost
radio broadcasting, a prototype of a "radio-in-a-box" was recently
developed by the Studio Technology and Training Team of the Asia Pacific
Broadcasting Union (ABU). 

A reliable, sturdy and low cost integrated mobile broadcasting system
based on digital technologies was a long felt requirement of
broadcasters working in disaster and emergency response community
broadcasting. 

The "box" measuring around 55 x 50 cm contains a laptop, mixer,
CD/Cassette player and a 30W FM transmitter. The "box" can be used to
produce radio programmes using a portable digital audio recorder,
microphone inputs or other pre-recorded material; schedule play lists
for playback automatically and broadcast via the built-in FM
transmitter. 

UNESCO commissioned the ABU to design and build the box which should
cost within US$ 5000. The equipment was sourced from various parts of
the world and met the cost requirement. The laptop is the heart of the
system, being used for editing with freeware software and for the play
out of scheduled programmes also using freeware. Using the portable
digital audio recorder interviews and other events taking place in
remote areas can be recorded. This material is then downloaded via the
USB port to the laptop, where it can be edited and prepared for
broadcast. 

The 30W transmitter can be tuned to any frequency within the FM band by
a very simple setting process. The transmitter which is only 13 cm in
height is heavily screened to be able to be used close to audio sources
without interference. 

According Rukmin Wijemanne, the Head of Studio Technology and Training
at ABU the radio-in-a-box lends an ideal way to provide broadcast
communications to remote communities as it can be transported to such
areas easily and a broadcasting station set up in very short time. It is
also ideal to serve disaster hit areas where broadcasting infrastructure
may have been destroyed. 

ABU has obtained an "Experimental Broadcast License" from the Malaysian
Communications and Multimedia Commission for the purpose.

( source: UNESCO webworld)

-----Original Message-----
From: cr-india-bounces at sarai.net [mailto:cr-india-bounces at sarai.net] On
Behalf Of cr-india-request at sarai.net
Sent: jeudi 30 novembre 2006 00:17
To: cr-india at sarai.net
Subject: cr-india Digest, Vol 36, Issue 25

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When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific

than "Re: Contents of cr-india digest..."

Today's Topics:

   1.  Cost of setting up a CR station (Aaditeshwar Seth)

   2.  Fwd:  Code of Conduct (Frederick Noronha)

   3.  Asia's doors open only very slightly to community radio

      (Frederick Noronha)

   4.  Radio Sagarmatha, Nepal,     wins AMARC International Solidarity

      Prize (Voices For All)

   5.  Radio chapter in International Communications Market Report

      2006 of OFCOM (BNNRC)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1

Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2006 12:59:05 -0500

From: Aaditeshwar Seth <aaditeshwar at gmail.com>

Subject: [cr-india] Cost of setting up a CR station

To: cr-india at sarai.net

Message-ID: <456DCA68.1030308 at cs.uwaterloo.ca>

Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"; format=flowed

Dear all,

Please excuse my ignorance, but I was very surprised by the cost numbers

stated in an earlier email. A few months back I also glanced through one

of the CR handbooks available on the UNESCO website, and I couldn't 

understand what made the costs go up so significantly. I hope members 

here can clear up my doubts.

>> Setting up a CR station could cost you anything between 10,00,000 to

>> 20,00,000 INR, though I'm told it can be done for much less (Don't
bet on

>> it - there are hidden costs).

I know that FM PCI cards that plug into a regular desktop computer come 

for around Rs.7,500. They have an output of only 20W, but I believe that

amplifier circuits can be built easily. A decent desktop computer now 

sells for hardly Rs.25,000, and recycled computers are available for 

peanuts. All content editing can be done in software on the computers. 

The tower costs for the transmitter can be high, but there are research 

groups who have demonstrated that sturdy 20m towers can be developed for

under $300 ~ Rs.15,000. I can't think of anything else apart from minor 

peripherals like speakers and microphones. Sound-proofing a recording 

studio could be expensive, but is it really essential?

On a related note, have people compared the costs of setting up multiple

small 20W CR stations that have a range of up to 5km, instead of a 

single big 100W station? I have a feeling that small CR stations 

networked together (through WiFi or other means) to share content can be

not only more cost effective than a single big CR station, but also more

participatory.

Hoping to gain some insight...

regards

Aaditeshwar

------------------------------

Message: 2

Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2006 20:57:37 +0530

From: "Frederick Noronha" <fred at bytesforall.org>

Subject: [cr-india] Fwd:  Code of Conduct

To: cr-india at sarai.net

Message-ID:

      <8ea78e010611290727o62cc0f3ay4657adeb5ffac988 at mail.gmail.com>

Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"; format=flowed

So are we giving a quiet burial to the Code of Conduct debate? If we

have no interest in it, we would just as well have to take a

pro-censorship line that officialdome things of. It would really help

for us to go beyond just the "security concerns" aspect.  After all,

we have been arguing that community broadcasters get their legitimacy

because they act on behalf of the "community". Accountability  is a

key issue. Self-regulation is important to avoid unnecessary curbs

from officialdom and the bureaucracy.

Below is a letter from Dr Leela Rao, an old friend formerly at the

Manipal Institute of Communication and host of an event on CR in 2002

or so. FN

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: Leela Rao <rao_lee at yahoo.com>

Date: 23-Nov-2006 12:31

Subject: Re: [cr-india] Code of Conduct

To: Frederick Noronha <fred at bytesforall.org>

Deare Fred,

First of all congragulations to all of you for the

excellent work done in getting through the

legislation.

Fred, I am glad you have initiated this debate about

"codes". I was waiting for all euphoria to settle down

before suggesting any such proactive stance.

I agree this is not about regular codes that

governement imposes on broadcasters or any self

regulatory mechanisms that commercial media are

supposed to imbibe.

Also CR will throw up situations, challenges that are

not similar to the mainstream media in many ways. It

is difficult to foresee or anticipate all stake

holders or their claims of legitimacy.

However  given the fact that a few of you have been in

the forefront of the movement and have reached this

significant threshold, may I suggest that you form an

CR association of India to begin with and prepare a

kind of document that lays down the purpose and

intentions of CR in India.

May I also suggest a kind of "community hearing"

process of any grievances or deviations from the

claims made by the CR station to get license in the

first place.

Good luck and best wishes

Leela Rao

- -- 

FN 9822122436 +91-832-240-9490 (phone calls after 1 pm please)

FLOSS, geeks, blogs:  [http://planet.foss.in/]

- ------------------------------

Message: 3

Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2006 04:45:49 +0530

From: "Frederick Noronha" <fred at bytesforall.org>

Subject: [cr-india] Asia's doors open only very slightly to

      community radio

To: cr-india at sarai.net

Message-ID:

      <8ea78e010611291515t216db0ady34f6afd4b01828d8 at mail.gmail.com>

Content-Type: text/plain; charset="WINDOWS-1252"; format=flowed

An April 2006 article... FN

- ---------- Forwarded message ----------

http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=5039236

Asia's doors open only very slightly to community radio

DHAKA, Bangladesh -- AMARC Asia-Pacific -

http://asiapacific.amarc.org/ - is part of an international

non-governmental organisation serving the community radio movement,

with almost 3,000 members and associates in 110 countries.

The goal of the "Association mondiale des radiodiffuseurs

communautaires (World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters,

AMARC) is to "support and contribute to the development of community

and participatory radio along the principles of solidarity and

international cooperation".

"AMARC Asia-Pacific was launched in February 2003 by the global

meeting, AMARC 8, in Kathmandu. That meeting decided to officially

establish AMARC Asia-Pacific," says Suman Basnet (37), AMARC

Asia-Pacific's regional coordinator, based in Kathmandu.

Adds Basnet, a former television man and documentary filmmaker

himself: "It took us all this time till November 2005 to meet in

Jakarta and do a regional assembly and elect the first official board

of the region."

AMARC's Asia-Pacific president is the Bangalore-based Ashish Sen,

whose non-governmental organisation, called VOICES, now an APC member,

has long been associated with the campaign for community radio in

India. (See https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/cr-india, a

mailing list that has been pressing for this).

Its deputy president is Sonia Randhawa from the Centre for Independent

Journalism in Malaysia. She has initiated a community radio station

that, due to difficulties in broadcasting from Malaysia, has set up

its transmitter in neighbouring Indonesia, broadcasting over

shortwave.

"There are some very progressive groups involved, and they also work

with migrant workers (in Malaysia)," Basnet says.

AMARC Asia-Pacific's treasurer Shane Elson, from Alternative Radio,

Australia, is also vice-president of the Community Broadcasters

Association in Australia (CBAA).

"Our office (in Kathmandu, Nepal) is very small. We have only three

people. A colleague who looks after finances, and a messenger, who

helps us with running around and cleaning," says Basnet.

But so far, AMARC Asia-Pacific has been able to mobilise nearly 200

members in the region. Basnet says the largest numbers, about 40, come

from Indonesia, with members in Australia, Fiji, thirteen in Nepal,

and three in the India and Bangladesh (VOICES, and two others), in a

region that has not been very conducive to the idea of community

radio, as Asia has long been accustomed to state-monopolised (and more

recently, commercialised) broadcasting.

AMARC Asia-Pacific accepts applications for two types of members.

Voting members are community radio stations or an organisation

earnestly planning to start such a station. Associate members are

those supporting the idea. The latter cannot vote.

How is a 'community radio' station defined?

"Community radio is a station that is governed by communities.

Governance, management and running of the station also belong to the

community. It is mostly volunteer-run and with very few paid staff."

Would they be open to networking with 'campus radio' stations, now

being set up in some larger educational centres in India, for

instance?

"Strictly speaking, these aren't community radio stations. But it

would be important to associate with them in a positive manner. They

would be welcome to join AMARC in its activities. This development has

to be seen in a positive light (at least as a starting point)," says

Basnet. "The policy to say either all (full-fledged community radio)

or nothing is not a good step."

There are many different concepts and names from the world of

community radio - community radio, rural radio, cooperative radio,

participatory radio, free radio, alternative, popular, educational

radio - so, what is it that makes a radio station a community radio

station?

AMARC quotes its members saying: Radio stations, networks and

production groups that make up the World Association of Community

Radio Broadcasters refer to themselves by a variety of names.

Practices and profiles are even more varied.

Some are musical; some are activist and some mix music and activism.

They are located in isolated rural villages and in the heart of the

largest cities in the world. Their signals may reach only a kilometre,

cover a whole country, or even be carried via shortwave to other parts

of the world.

Some stations are owned by not-for-profit groups or by cooperatives

whose members are the listeners themselves. Others are owned by

students, universities, municipalities, religious communities or trade

unions. There are stations financed by donations from listeners, by

international development agencies, by advertising, and even by

governments.

How does Basnet see the situation in the region, as far as community

radio or "CR" go?

"It varies a lot from country to country. There's still a huge

struggle (in the Asia-Pacific) for a community radio-friendly

atmosphere and enabling environment. Legislation is still largely not

in place," he adds. But airwaves are opening up in terms of

accessibility to citizens, in diverse ways.

In Indonesia, there are "hundreds and hundreds" of "pirate" stations.

Their number varies between 1,500 and 2,500. These are very small, and

no action has been taken against them. They exist in very far-flung

rural places. These are sometimes even little radio stations run by

farmers from little huts. Their antennas are homemade. Some are not

even recognisable as antennas.

In Thailand, you come across a similar situation. "Depends who you're

asking, they might number at as high as 500. Those are mostly not

registered," says Basnet. Thailand itself has two agencies - the

national ministry and district agencies - that can allow broadcasting.

Nobody knows how many permits have been given to broadcast.

Broadcast permits go to a range of diverse players. "For instance,

there's a little monastery that wants to put out a broadcast. But

there's huge confusion over spectrum management," Basnet observes.

In Indonesia, they have drafted legislation. Civil society and

government-sponsored agencies came up with their own versions of the

proposed law. This led to a huge debate as to which should be

recognised by the president.

Indonesia has its own home-grown and very strong tech culture.

"There's a very activist kind of atmosphere there. They tend to be

very charged-up people. I was told the government dare not touch them

(the 'pirate' broadcasters). They're firebrands who say, if the

authorities dare to shut any station, "We'll go and 'gherao'

(physically protest before) parliament."

"In South Asia, Nepal (which allowed the first airwaves in the

sub-continent, Radio Sagarmatha in 1997) was a pioneer. It still is

the only country with community radio stations, but these are greatly

challenged (under pressure from the monarchy, which has been clamping

down on the people's rights since early 2005). Now it's a pioneer in

showing how CR can be sustained even in a hostile atmosphere," says

Basnet.

Bangladesh has in place draft legislation on community radio, which

has been debated since 2003. It has NGOs and civil society groups like

the Bangladesh Network for Radio & Communication (BNNRC). VOICE and

others campaign over the issue.

Shifting to South Korea, which is the only country where community

radio is coming second to the internet! "It's a highly

internet-enabled country. There are some organisations such as the

MEDIACT, the South Korea Community Radio Research, the Korean

Association of Community Radio Broadcasting, and the Korean

Progressive Network 'Jinbonet' (APC member) that are very keenly

lobbying for CRs.

Finally, their government gave out five licences (in 2004) on a test

and experimental basis to five organisations. Transmission power was

very, very low. Less than 20 watts," says Basnet.

'Security' is still an issue in these parts of the globe. "Last year,

I was speaking to a Japanese friend. Their biggest struggle is to

increase transmission power from 2 to 10 watts. That would cover just

one building or maybe a single house," he says.

On Fiji, there is femLINKpacific, A Media Initiative for Women, which

runs THE community radio station 89.2 FM. femLINKpacific, also

operator of "suitcase radio", is keenly involved in promoting women in

broadcasting, and also works with AMARC around regulatory framework in

relation to community radio in the Pacific. It is election time in

Fiji, and 89.2 FM is speaking to lots of women, voters as well as

candidates, to get their opinions on priority matters for development.

"In the region, Australia is the best example of how community radio

can flourish. CBAA, the Community Broadcasters Association of

Australia, has about 350 members," Basnet says.

He is hoping that the continent wakes up to the potential of the

cheapest and most-suited form of communication among the have-nots, as

the lessons from Latin America and Africa have repeatedly shown.

Photo: Suman Basnet, AMARC Asia-Pacific's regional coordinator. April

2006. Dhaka, Bangladesh. APC ICT policy meeting. Picture taken by

Frederick "FN" Noronha.

- --

FN 9822122436 +91-832-240-9490 (phone calls after 1 pm please)

FLOSS, geeks, blogs:  [http://planet.foss.in/]

- ------------------------------

Message: 4

Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2006 23:26:03 -0800

From: "Voices For All" <voices2 at vsnl.net>

Subject: [cr-india] Radio Sagarmatha, Nepal,    wins AMARC International

      Solidarity Prize

To: "Voices for All" <voicesforall at googlegroups.com>

Message-ID: <1164785163.547344.65500 at 80g2000cwy.googlegroups.com>

Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"

Dear Friends, Greetings from VOICES !

Please view the latest updates on the Community Radio Website -

www.communityradionetwork.org for information on Radio Sagarmatha, a

community radio station in Nepal, winning the AMARC International

Solidarity Prize at the recently held AMARC 9 World Conference in

Amman, Jordan from the 11-17th November 2006.

Regards

The VOICES Team,

Amba Prabhala, Amena Zavery, Ashish Sen, Chethana Gadiyar, Ekta Mittal,

Mrinalini Venkatachalam and Ramnath Bhat.

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For more options, visit this group at
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- ------------------------------

Message: 5

Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2006 18:08:10 +0600

From: BNNRC <ceo at bnnrc.net>

Subject: [cr-india] Radio chapter in International Communications

      Market Report 2006 of OFCOM

To: cr-india at sarai.net

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