[cr-india] Community radio project to deliver health education?

[Parminder]

Thanks Sajan for this information, and backing up my views.

 

The CR Forum, in my view, should write an official letter, with as many
endorsements as possible, to the government against such misrepresentation.
We should say that India's radio policy should make clear provision for
radios run by government agencies other then the AIR, and that we strongly
support such a provision. However, the category of community radio should be
kept clearly distinct. In this regard we can offer help on developing
definitions to separate the two categories. Accordingly, sufficient
frequency slots should be kept reserved only for 'community radio'.

 

On another note, I do support government (or other kinds of public) funding
for 'common infrastructure' for community radio in any given region with the
ownership clearly in hands of 'collectives' of community-based organizations
(CBOs), or to used a slightly disgraced term, in the hands of
'cooperatives'. Single organization owned community radios have a greater
chance of developing new, illegitimate, power centres in the community, and
collectives of organizations can provide some safeguards against such an
eventuality. This is apart for the fact that a frequency slot is much more
optimally used by a set of CBOs, than just one. The concept of 'common
infrastructure' can extend beyond transmission installations to field
equipment, recording and editing equipment, capacity building, technical
support etc, which can make 'community radio' really affordable and more
participatory to many. 

 

The terms of any such collaborative ownership, supported (but not
controlled) by government funds, should however be clearly laid out, and the
CR Forum can help develop some templates etc for it. 

 

Parminder 

 

  _____  

From: sajan venniyoor [mailto:venniyoor at gmail.com] 
Sent: Sunday, August 24, 2008 11:17 PM
To: CR India
Subject: Community radio project to deliver health education?

 

Close on the heels of the story about government-run
<http://www.igovernment.in/site/Community-radio-station-for-Bihar-farmers-so
on/>  'community radio' stations for Bihar farmers comes this report of a
government-run 'community radio' project to deliver health education in
Kerala. A closer look shows that (1) the radio in question is 'Ananthapuri
FM', AIR Trivandrum's commercial broadcasting service a.k.a Vividh Bharati
and (2) the project is run by the National Rural Health Mission. 

As Parminder says, let us be very clear that (1) a radio which is set up and
run by a  government agency is not a community radio and (2) a radio which
is for 'informing and educating' people about government schemes, or in fact
only 'informing and educating' about anything at all, is not a community
radio. 

As he observes, community radio is about community ownership and
participation. Radio Health is probably a worthy initiative, but it would
take a considerable stretch of the imagination -- or very sloppy reporting
-- to describe it as a 'community radio.'

Sajan

Community radio project to deliver health education
Aug 22, 2008, The Hindu 
http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/22/stories/2008082259820500.htm

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM-Arogyakeralam)
is taking the first step towards realising the concept of a community radio
by launching the first FM radio for disseminating health education and
public health messages to the rural population.

Radio Health, to be aired on the Ananthapuri FM platform, will be initially
launched in Thiruvananthapuram district and then taken to other districts in
phases. The coverage area extends from Kanyakumari up till Chavara. A formal
launch is expected next month.

Said to be the first of its kind venture, Radio Health is envisaged as a
vehicle for providing information on health-related activities in the State
and for giving health education to the community, especially rural women.
Apart from relaying programmes on health topics, Radio Health will also
function as a link between the community and the health workers. Local
people would be encouraged to develop content and interact with health
providers.

"Our intention is to develop this as an interactive and educational device
for the rural folk to familiarise themselves with health-related activities
in their locality, to air their doubts on health issues and also to gain
awareness on public health campaigns. Later, we want them to develop local
content with the help of health workers and start relaying programmes so
that each block will have its own radio health clubs,' says G. Sunilkumar,
NRHM's District Programme Manager who is coordinating Radio Health's
programmes.

The first of these Radio Health Clubs is being planned in the Podiyam tribal
settlement in Kuttichal. A radio kiosk and loudspeaker will be set up in the
locality, which will be switched on every day at the specified time by
either a health NGO or the local public health nurse. Health education in
this area will focus on the problems of alcoholism and safe sex.

Initially, the programmes will be for a duration of 30 minutes and will be
aired from Thursday to Sunday from 3 p.m. The primary target audience of
Radio Health will be rural women and school children, who could influence
and encourage behavioural changes on health issues within the family and
community.

The programmes include health education talks by doctors, maternal and child
care issues, phone-in programmes, and those that discuss native knowledge on
health ('Naattarivukal'). The district NRHM unit has prepared a panel of
doctors who will help to develop programmes and to deliver health messages.
Programmes for the next two or three months have been prepared. The response
to the initiative from the field has been very enthusiastic and in many
block panchayats, Accredited Social Health Workers (ASHAs) are taking the
lead to anchor programmes and to develop skits that focus on health
education, says Dr. Sunilkumar.

Doctors from the Medical College and SAT hospitals will cooperate with NRHM
in this initiative. The cooperation of some private hospitals is also being
sought. A quality assessment panel has also been set up, including doctors
and various department heads in MCH, who will screen the programmes.
-----------------------------------------------------------

On 8/19/08, Parminder <parminder at itforchange.net> wrote:
> Pritam

> I know I will not be the only one to say this on this list, so let me
hurry
> and say it before others do :-) .
>
> It is of course a welcome move for radio to be released from the monopoly
of
> central government, and that now state governments, who have the primary
> mandate for development activities, can have their own radio. It is going
to
> be very useful in many ways.

> But let us be very clear that 

> (1)     A radio which is set up and run (making programs etc) by a
> government agency is not a community radio
>
> (2)     A radio which is for 'informing and educating' people about
> government schemes, or in fact only 'informing and educating' about
anything
> at all, is not a community radio. Community radio is about community
> ownership and participation. 
>
> Regards
>
> Parminder 

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