[cr-india] Bangalore's first community radio station goes Active

[Alokesh Gupta]

Bangalore's first community radio station goes Active

BANGALORE: Bangalore's first community FM radio station, Radio Active 107.8 
(RA), hit the airwaves on Monday.

RA 107.8 is Karnataka's second community radio station, the first one being 
operated by the Agricultural University at Dharwad. Launched by the Jain 
Group of Institutions (JGI), RA 107.8 will focus on issues concerning 
health, environment, development, scientific awareness, women's welfare and 
social issues, in turn seeking to inform, educate while entertaining 
listeners.
The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) which had earlier been 
allocated the frequency 107.8, will start broadcasting from 107.2 starting 
Monday evening.
The station was inaugurated by Rashtriya Vigyan Evan Prodhyogiki Sanchar 
Parishad (RVEPSP) scientist Ujjwala Tirkey.
Content, say sources, will be generated partly by students, partly in 
partnership with other institutions and colleges, as well as sourced from 
NGOs like VOICE. Since community radios run by colleges and educational 
institutions are allowed to pay lower subscription rates to the Indian 
Phonographic Association (IPA), some film music, chiefly in local languages, 
will also be played on the station.
College students from Bangalore's RJI institute's post graduate department 
of communication will work as radio jockeys for the new station. 28 RJs have 
already been shortlisted for the job. Initially, the station will air eight 
hours daily, in sessions of four hours each - the second session being a 
repeat of the first. College students and RJs Ramakant and Priyanka kicked 
off the inaugural show, the former in Kannada and the latter in English.
The station will broadcast through a BEL 50 watt transmitter which has a 
range of about 15-20 kms line of sight radius, according to JGI sources.
At present, there are 28 community radio stations (including RA), with the 
Anna University being the first one to start a few years ago. Tamil Nadu 
(including Pondicherry) takes the lead with 11 community radios in 
operation, followed by Delhi and Uttar Pradesh with four each, Karnataka, 
Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan with two each and Kerala with one, are some of 
the other states in which some cities have community radio broadcasts. 
Orissa has recently been granted a license, according to Commonwealth 
Educational Media Center for Asia director, Dr R Sreedher. In Bangalore, 
eight licenses (including JGI) have been granted, with Bangalore University 
having been allotted the frequency about two years ago.
Though non government organisations can start community radio stations with 
the recent changes in the law, none has been granted a license as yet, 
according to Sreedher. The Parliament has approved five minutes per hour 
advertisement revenues for community radio stations, under certain 
conditions.

By Tarachand Wanvari (RadioandMusic.com)
Published on 25 June 2007

http://www.radioandmusic.com/headlines/y2k7/june/25june/banglore_community.php