[cr-india] Lowering the cost of creating community radio

[Stephen Dunifer]

Hey folks,

Lets get realistic here.  There is no compelling reason that broadcast 
equipment and the costs of setting up a community station should be 
priced so high.  Unfortunately, supposedly well-intentioned 
organizations such as UNESCO and less well intentioned bodies such as 
governmental regulatory bodies end up creating rules and regulations 
whose main purpose, it seems, is to drive up the cost through compliance 
and the hiring of experts/consultants to wade through the regulatory muddle.

Free speech is an inherent and inalienable right, not a right granted by 
any agency.  Law and regulations affecting free speech should act as a 
firewall between the government and the right of free expression.  These 
strictures should say this is as far as the government goes when it 
comes to matters of free speech.  Overly burdensome laws are an 
infringement on free speech and should be rejected on their face.

For the last 15 years Free Radio Berkeley has been assisting communities 
around the world establish community broadcast stations at a very low 
cost.  I would like to offer that experience and knowledge to anyone in 
India who wishes to create a community radio station.  For example, we 
just conducted two 5-day workshops in Oaxaca, Mexico.  Twenty four 40 
watt transmitters were built during those two workshops by 
representatives from 24 mostly indigenous communities.  Overall, the 
budget for the entire project, including food and lodging for the 
participants, was somewhere in the range of $11,000 to $12,000 (US).  
These 24 communities will be establishing their radio stations over the 
course of the next six months or so.  Of course, they will have some 
additional costs for some basic audio gear such as mixers and 
microphones but they were able to walk away from the workshop with an 
assembled 40 watt transmitter, antenna, power supply and 15 meters of 
coaxial cable at an average cost of $500 per community.  This was the 
first phase, we are now setting up a center in Oaxaca for maintenance, 
repair, support, teaching and assembly.

This process could be easily replicated in India.  There are certainly a 
large number of bright folks there with technical and engineering 
skills.  After all, Chandra Bose should have received the credit for the 
first wireless transmission, not Marconi.  Our transmitter designs are 
easy to reproduce and manufacture.  We would very happy to share all the 
details and information to make this happen.  If the basic costs of 
transportation, materials, etc. could be met, we would most willing to 
conduct similar workshop programs in India.

In solidarity,

Stephen Dunifer
Free Radio Berkeley
www.freeradio.org
skype: stephen_dunifer