[cr-india] for info: UNESCO Press Release on CR

[sajan venniyoor]

PRESS RELEASE

 

Community Radio Rides a Popularity Wave

 

February 4, New Delhi - The time for Community Radio has truly come. The
tremendously enthusiastic response that the exhibition on “Community Radio:
Innovation, low cost solutions and access” got at the BES Expo -2007 (from
February 1-3 in Pragati Maidan) demonstrated this loud and clear. The
exhibition, organised by UNESCO - in collaboration with Plan India, OneWorld
South Asia and Care India – was an attempt to create awareness about
Community Radio and show case low cost technology that can be used to set up
radio stations.

 

The exhibition was held against the backdrop of the new Community Radio
policy allowing NGOs and not-for-profit organisations to set up community
radio stations for development purposes.  

 

The uniquely designed stall at Hall 10 in Pragati Maidan sought to create an
ambience of a rural community radio station and highlighted the fact that
setting up radio stations need neither be complex nor costly. In fact, the
stall ran a special live broadcast `Hamari Awaaz FM  89.9 Mhz’ from the
Radio-station-in-box. The “box”, measuring around 55x50 cm contains a mixer,
CD/Cassette player, a 30W FM transmitter, antenna and a laptop with the
added possibility of multimedia programming and access services.  The 30W
transmitter can be tuned to any frequency within the FM band by a very
simple setting process. Developed by the Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union,
with UNESCO assistance the “box” is a self sufficient broadcasting and
production tool and will cost Rs 3 lakh, minus import duty.  

 

Rukmin Wijemanne, Head of Studio Technology & Training, ABU, said at the
exhibition, “The box is in modular form and has been specially designed for
people who cannot invest in expensive studios.” The box was used by several
children and young people, trained by Plan, to anchor and broadcast live
their radio programmes. 

 

Also on display was a suitcase radio – a handy portable suitcase that could
function as a full-fledged radio station. A member of Mandakini ki Awaaz, a
community radio group from Uttarakhand that conducted the live broadcast,
also showed how a radio station can be made soundproof - with papier mache
egg-trays and thermacol! 

 

“The time for Community radio has come,” declared the Honourable Minister
for Urban Development S Jaipal Reddy, Chief Guest at a half-day Forum on
this topic, treating ongoing applications and best practices in this field
with a view to determining the way forward in support of a budding industry,
organised during the exhibition. He said although the media in India is
overcrowded and getting louder each day, there is still something missing -
ie presence of community radio reflecting the concerns of the community. 

 

Mr. Reddy said it was necessary to make community radio stations cheaper to
make the concept of community radio popular and useful. “For this, we need
to innovate more and be aware of what is already available.” He said the
media had the potential to make stars and superstars and community radio
could help discover the potential star in every young person. 

 

The minister also pointed out the relevance of community radio in dealing
with local issues. “All needs are not necessarily national. There are many
issues that are locally relevant and can only be taken up at local levels.
Community radio can be an effective tool in doing this,” he said. 

 

In competition with some of the most exclusive, high tech and highly priced
exhibits, the popularity of the community radio stall increased with every
passing day. Over 500 people visited the stall – that included
representatives from NGOs, educational institutions, student groups, radio
equipment manufacturers and researchers. “ Everyone wanted to know how a
community can start a radio station – what are the procedures and what are
the costs involved,” informed the organisers of the stall. 

 

Ms Jocelyne Josiah, Communication and Information Advisor, Asia, UNESCO,
said the world was divided into those who loved radio and those who had yet
to discover it. She said if I Pod and other cutting edge technology were one
side of the media spectrum, radio was on the other extreme. However, its
importance lay in its incredible reach and the fact that it was capable of
touching the soul. 

 

The minister also visited the Community Radio stall and said he was
extremely impressed at the highly innovative hardware options and the cost
feasibility of the equipment that was on display. 

 

Presentations on existing community radio applications and practices like
the E-Tuk Tuk that was used in remote communities in Sri Lanka and
Radio-station-in-a-Box were made at the Forum. The E Tuk Tuk, Mr Kosala
Keerthirathne from Sri Lanka explained, was an auto-rickshaw which contained
a mobile telecentre and radio broadcasting unit. In villages of Kothmale
where the E Tuk Tuk was used, programmes were broadcast through it for 9-hrs
a day in the range of 30 to 50 kms. However, since mobile broadcasting was
not yet allowed in idea, a similar concept could be used to run a multimedia
centre. Kothmale’s E Tuk Tuk has trained as many as 600 students so far in
multimedia skills, Mr Keerthirathne said. 

 

“This overwhelming response has encouraged us to support such interactive
exhibitions in other states too,” said Ms Josiah.

 

Ends

 


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