[cr-india] when cash registers ring for community radio

Tue Dec 30 16:28:53 IST 2008

I didn't expect anyone to state it. 

I only wonder how a complex process of interviews and detailed submissions can be thought of as necessary, yet so easily subverted, as for this worthy to make it through the very first, early bird, applications. At the same time, dozens more are held up, and who knows how many dozens, hundreds, or thousands, not even submitted, merely because the process is too daunting, or else they are disqualified by default.

And this is hailed (only by the ministry, it is true) as a citizen-friendly policy, part of our growth into a participatory democracy!

 Vickram
http://communicall.wordpress.com
http://vvcrishna.wordpress.com

________________________________
From: sumegha agarwal <sumegha at hotmail.com>
To: v1clist at yahoo.co.uk; cr-india at sarai.net
Sent: Tuesday, 30 December, 2008 13:45:23
Subject: RE: [cr-india] when cash registers ring for community radio

Sorry Vikram,

I don't think it appropriate to disclose owner's name on this forum. lot of people looked at CR as a serious profit making venture due to lack of awareness and due to the fact CR is a new thing in India. Someday, this person might get fed up, hand over the station to some real CR people or could become a CR convert!!!

sumegha

________________________________

Date: Mon, 29 Dec 2008 12:40:59 +0000
From: v1clist at yahoo.co.uk
To: cr-india at sarai.net
Subject: Re: [cr-india] when cash registers ring for community radio

Owner, Sumegha? 

I wonder if this slant was noted, when this worthy 'managed' to get the license threaded through the thorny tangle of the process?

 Vickram
http://communicall.wordpress.com
http://vvcrishna.wordpress.com 

________________________________
 From: sumegha agarwal <sumegha at hotmail.com>
To: cr-india at sarai.net
Sent: Sunday, 28 December, 2008 22:00:03
Subject: Re: [cr-india] when cash registers ring for community radio

 Off late I was approached by one CR station owner to take up the role of PD with the station. This person rued about investment of few lakhs in setting up the station. This person's main concern was to recover the money invested ASAP. Idea was that I should not only earn my salary and also deliver lots of profit. That too with hardly having any program content worth broadcast available. Further discussions were held whereby partnership was offered and I was also asked for a marketing plan with clear timeline re: recovering revenue through advertisment. I too spent lot of time explaining the vision and scope of CR to this person. No doubt our discussions led to nowhere.

tx
sumegha

________________________________

Date: Wed, 24 Dec 2008 06:44:46 -0800
From: arti at trfindia.org
To: cr-india at sarai.net; venniyoor at gmail.com
Subject: Re: [cr-india] when cash registers ring for community radio

This story is obviously the work of a highly imaginative desk editor -- especially the headline - because nothing much in the story seems to suggest that the Jamia station is going to rake in anything close to big bucks, what with Rs 50 for a 10 second ad. If they can raise enough to pay reasonable stipends to their staff, that will be a miracle.

Arti

Arti Jaiman Project Manager: TRF Radio arti at trfindia.org www.trfindia.org www.jaiman.org www.pitara.com

--- On Wed, 24/12/08, sajan venniyoor <venniyoor at gmail.com> wrote:

From: sajan venniyoor <venniyoor at gmail.com>
Subject: [cr-india] when cash registers ring for community radio
To: "CR India" <cr-india at sarai.net>
Date: Wednesday, 24 December, 2008, 12:48 PM

This is the second press story in a row on how CR is going "to set cash registers ringing". (Another one had appeared in Indian Express last week: 'Community Radio Must Earn Revenue') 

Not only is the story below factually incorrect (IMS Noida tells me that they are already broadcasting ads), this media projection of CRS as a cash-cow is sending out very wrong signals. Like many others on this list, I have often been approached by dubious individuals and NGOs in search of ringing cash registers courtesy 'community radio'. Very often in Delhi -- and recently in Patna -- I've had long, surreal conversations with people who assume that CR is a kind of cut-price commercial radio station. The tragedy is that, given the loopholes in the policy, anyone can set up a network of CR stations and turn them all into low-cost commercial FM channels without even bending the law. 

Unfortunately, it is the genuine community-based group, with little or no interest in making profits, that's grilled endlessly on their revenue model and why they don't plan to broadcast round the clock. The other sort, who prepare a business plan before they think of a programme plan, set the standards of 'sustainability' that the rest of us are supposed to shoot for. 

I guess it is difficult to tell whether it is cash registers ringing or bells tolling when one's ears are stuffed with greed and ignorance.

Sajan

'This is Radio Jamia, and you can hear our cash register ringing' 
 Hindustan Times, 24 Dec 2008

Come January, Radio Jamia on 90.4 FM — run by Jamia Millia Islamia University — will become the first campus community radio station in the Capital to air commercials.

And this is exclusively meant for the benefit of local products and commercial ventures.

"Our radio reaches out to people within 10 km. This new feature will provide a platform for the local tea stall, the nondescript beauty parlour, eating joint or even a small-time soap manufacturer within the area to popularise their product or service," said GR Syed, Reader and in-charge of Radio Jamia. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting allows community radio stations to have a five-minute commercial spot every hour.

There are five operational community radio stations managed by educational institutions in Delhi, including those run by Delhi University (DU) and Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC).

DU and IIMC don't plan to introduce commercial spots in the near future. This will make Radio Jamia the first among them to generate revenue through advertisements. The station currently airs programmes for six hours every day.

Private institutions, namely Jagan Institute of Management and Jagannath International Management School, run the other two stations.

"The commercial length will be anywhere between 10 and 30 seconds and we've decided on a tentative charge of Rs 50 for the same. Currently, our volunteers and radio jockeys work without pay. We would like to start paying them a token amount with the money earned through advertisements," said Syed.

If needed, students of the Mass Communication and Research Centre will also help produce the commercials.

"They will, however, have to pay the rent for the using the university studio," said Syed.  

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=IndiaSectionPage&id=7a66cbb5-7e23-41a8-91c9-1a187b110da5&&Headline='This+is+Radio+Jamia,+and+you+can+hear+our+cash+register+ringing'

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