[cr-india] {CRF India} Re: Centre sends right signal to the Cuddalore’s flood-affected

Mon Dec 14 07:47:45 CST 2015

Let me clarify my thoughts and also answer some of Vinod's observation

1. UNESCO was the pioneer in community radio in the world and had some
models which they wanted to try in India.
2. In 2002 they tried to start the Pasteur Radio by giving a transmitter
and AIR engineers helped to set up the transmitter . The WPC cried foul
play and stopped the transmission. UNESCO did not follow the rules
regarding import of transmitter
3. UNESCO helped to develop the CR by narrow casting and DDS, Voices,
Jharkhand, and Kutch were examples. Thousands of dollars poured into these
experiments .Today when the CR licenses have been issued all four got the
licenses , one did not launch and other three are not at all examples of
sustainable radio stations. With the national media support , they have got
enough publicity and credits . The electronic media friends helped them to
get world wide coverage. But in India they stand nowhere in taking the
moment forward.
4. UNESCO was for policies and guidelines, ethics etc and when I tried to
roping UNICEF in 2006 it had complete resistance from UNESCO . Of course
UNESCO was being advised by 10 wise men from our country.  The difference
between UNESCO and UNICEF is the latter uses Indian governments money and
 only administer them by offering technical guidance and advice. But the
UNICEF model of a CR costs more than a crore of rupees for setting up a
station and nurturing it for five years through highly paid consultants
whose fee might be several times more than the cost of setting up of the
station.
5. When CEMCA which is not a bilateral or a multilateral agency, but an
inter-governmental agency  entered the sector , i came into direct line
fire from all the CR activists. They wrote letters to the ministry, wrote
unparliamentary language against me, to scuttle. CEMCA uses indian money,
indian governments money, did not charge any consultancy or fee for its own
staff, and reinvested  the institutional charges back to the same sector.
But CEMCA never offered transmitters or hardware. CEMCA never imposed its
own model.

I know when the National consultation was held in 2010 in IIMC, CEMCA tried
to join. I know the humiliation i and my then vice president and todays
president an Indian woman Prof Asha Kanwar had to face in that
consultation. While CEMCA was doing work at the ground level, they had
invited a person  from Vancouver who was a friend to most of the
organizers, to address them at the consultation. Not even a word about
CEMCA even at the time of vote of thanks . Now I am happy Vinod is
including the name of CEMCA along with international agencies, may be
because he is in the advisory board of CEMCA. May be i am wrong and may be
pardoned for the comment

6. Once I left CEMCA , the same 10 wise men started advising the new
director, joined him in new projects which funded their outfits, and saw to
that CEMCA exited from the CR scene.
7. One world Foundation is a multilateral agency - and we know what is
happening to CR sector workshops and sampans. Less said is better.
8.When a disaster strikes, the first few days will see immense humanitarian
work and the relief materials will reach some of the affected. As days go
by, politicians, aid agencies will come with lots of  money with stickers
of their leaders or organizations . If UNESCo gives aid, it has to be
acknowledged in each and every document. They get undue publicity . They
come with a specific model, specific ethics and guidelines to run the
station. Often these reflect a particular school of thought nearing the
borders of some political parties.
9. My only contention is setting up of a CR station provided the license is
given, is not  rocket science and is not that costly compared to disaster
relief efforts. Help them to get a license. Send a locally made equipment
with one of the nearby CR staff and launch the station. In this case why
BECIL , we could have gone to Hemant.
10. Granting temporary WPC clearance is a well known procedure existing
from 1865 telegraph act. Only thing is that it must be applied by an Indian
organization .
11.Let us use bilateral, multilateral agencies for policy updates by the
government, and not for grass root level activities.
12. In this case while Delhi and Bengalru CR activists were involved, who
prevented them to contact James, Sherley or any other nearby CR station to
rush with volunteers to help them
13. The people who helped Cuddalore did a marvelous job but while doing so
they did not think of anyone else except who are closer to them.
14. It is unfortunate that I am away from the country, otherwise I would
have been the first person to rush, mobilise local volunteers and launch
the station with least delay
15.. Let us use this occasion to train all our CR station staff on disaster
management and communication. May be that we devote a whole day in the next
sampan to discuss case studies, experiences and guidelines instead wasting
time and money. Of course, the way in which i am being treated, i have no
hope of being in it anymore. But hope our friends will take it forward. Let
us use foreign money and expertise in developing the capacity of all i
repeat all CR stations to face disasters

sreedher

Dr. R. Sreedher
Media expert and Community Radio Practitioner
Emeritus Professor Apeejay Stya University, Sohna India
B 1/ 43 Hauz Khas
New Delhi 110016
Phone: +91 *9810778459*

On 14 December 2015 at 05:40, Vinod Pavarala <vpavarala at gmail.com> wrote:

> With all due respect, I think the policy about refusing foreign aid during
> national calamities refers to bilateral aid.  Over the years, various
> high-ranking government officials have gone on record asking for loans from
> multilateral agencies such as the World Bank and ADB to rebuild
> disaster-hit areas of the country.
>
> But, at a larger level, in terms of support to the CR sector generally,
> some of the organizations that have played a significant role in its growth
> in the country include: CEMCA, Ford Foundation, UNESCO, and UNICEF.  Out of
> these, FF as a foundation is described, perhaps, as an INGO, while the
> others are multilateral agencies of which India is a full member-partner.
> And, from what I understand, CEMCA was set up through an agreement between
> GoI and COL. If CEMCA has been able to do such good work to support CR in
> India over the years despite its 'international' tag, I don't see any
> reason why that tag should be thrown at UN agencies and argue against their
> involvement in community radio in India.  Let us just go beyond
> name-calling of organizations such as the ones I mentioned and get on with
> our work. If radio stations have been benefiting from their association
> with these agencies, there's no reason to thwart that now in the name of
> some misplaced or misdirected nationalism.
>
> Of course, this is all independent of the fact that Government of India
> has no qualms about seeking public or private funding from other countries
> for a variety of their pet projects.  Japanese aid to the new bullet train
> project is a case in point!
>
> best,
> Vinod
>
>
>
>
>
> On Thu, Dec 10, 2015 at 5:46 PM, sreedher ramamurthy <r.sreedher at gmail.com
> > wrote:
>
>> The Govt of India whether it is UPA or NDA has taken a policy decision
>> that it will not encourage foreign aid during national calamities. It is
>> the army, navy, airforce, ndrf which manages these calamities.
>>
>> When people wanted to set up a CR station with UNESCO assistance, the
>> govt did not give permission. But when an Indian organization offers to run
>> a station with an Indian company giving technical support,  the approval
>> was given r fast. In fact such temporary licenses are known in Cr sector ,
>> first Anna university, then at Guwahati and later at Port Blair.  WPC has
>> been giving temporary licenses. It is a very simple procedure. It hurts
>> when foreign donors or organizations poke their nose.
>>
>> sreedher
>>
>> Dr. R. Sreedher
>> Media expert and Community Radio Practitioner
>> Emeritus Professor Apeejay Stya University, Sohna India
>> B 1/ 43 Hauz Khas
>> New Delhi 110016
>> Phone: +91 *9810778459 <9810778459>*
>>
>>
>>
>> On 10 December 2015 at 07:11, sreedher ramamurthy <r.sreedher at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Don't claim astronomical credits to CR Forum. It is to the credit of
>>> Tamilnadu government, and Nelson who was interested in community radio
>>> right from 2004 and to the WPC. At the most CR forum might have played a
>>> supplementary role. This is what irritates people. The cause is more
>>> important than the person.  What is the difference between amma, AIDMK,
>>> Kalignar DMK , BJP , Congress and CRF ? Are we taking the same path as
>>> politicians by pasting stickers for some donations given by unknown people?
>>> What is the difference between pasting amma stickers and claiming it as her
>>> effort, and CRF claiming it as its success. Where is CRF all these days?
>>> What is the legal standing of CRF? I am a member and i don't know whether
>>> any General body meeting was ever held for the past three days? What are
>>> its activities? Have they submitted their mandatory reports like annual
>>> report and financial statement to the Registrar of Societies? When it is
>>> now illegal entity and claiming its success is a mockery of the whole
>>> system.
>>>
>>> Dr. R. Sreedher
>>> Media expert and Community Radio Practitioner
>>> Emeritus Professor Apeejay Stya University, Sohna India
>>> B 1/ 43 Hauz Khas
>>> New Delhi 110016
>>> Phone: +91 *9810778459 <9810778459>*
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 10 December 2015 at 03:17, Arti Jaiman <arti at trfindia.org> wrote:
>>>
>>>> An achievement CR Forum and the entire CR sector should be proud of.
>>>>
>>>> More power to radio.
>>>>
>>>> Arti
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Sent from a phone. Please ignore typos.
>>>>
>>>> On Thu, 10 Dec, 2015 at 12:16, Sajan Venniyoor
>>>> <venniyoor at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> [*Thanks to Jean Parker for this link
>>>> <http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/centre-sends-right-signal-to-the-cuddalores-floodaffected/article7967369.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication>*
>>>> ]
>>>>
>>>> Centre sends right signal to the Cuddalore’s flood-affected
>>>> <http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/centre-sends-right-signal-to-the-cuddalores-floodaffected/article7967369.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication>Makeshift
>>>> radio station set up in Cuddalore within five days of receiving SOS from
>>>> Chennai.
>>>>
>>>> As the focus shifts to relief and rehabilitation in rain-ravaged
>>>> Chennai, it is perhaps the first time that the Central government has
>>>> helped facilitate the setting up of an emergency community radio station
>>>> within five days of receiving an SOS, at Cuddalore, 180 km away.
>>>>
>>>> 107.8MHz, offering listeners’ services related to relief in this
>>>> flood-affected town, became operational at 5 p.m. on Wednesday. *The
>>>> Hindu* had reported on Tuesday how thousands of residents have been
>>>> cut off by waters.
>>>>
>>>> The setting up of the radio station once again brings into sharp focus
>>>> the need for communication services to be set as part of emergency protocol
>>>> which in this case, was expedited due to some quick thinking by the
>>>> Ministry of Communication and Technology’s Wireless Planning and
>>>> Coordination Unit. Usually, the decision of awarding frequencies to
>>>> community radio is a process that can take days to months.
>>>>
>>>> In the past, requests for emergency radio services have been made
>>>> during the Kosi flood in 2008 and the rains that wreaked devastation in
>>>> Uttarakhand two years ago, for setting up radio stations on a temporary
>>>> basis to address local issues and help in relief.
>>>>
>>>> The district administration had underlined the importance of community
>>>> radio in emergency situations. The National Disaster Management Authority
>>>> was also part of the discussions. But nothing came of it.
>>>>
>>>> *Team effort*
>>>>
>>>> This time round, as a submerged Chennai sent an SOS, processes for
>>>> setting a radio station worked fast. The Broadcasting Engineering
>>>> Consultants India Ltd. (BECIL), a public sector enterprise which provides
>>>> consultancy services to the entire gamut of radio and television services,
>>>> moved in with expertise after a local NGO Saranalayalam sounded them out on
>>>> December 4.
>>>>
>>>> The Tamil Nadu government gave the permission to the NGO after which
>>>> the Community Radio Forum initiated the process of seeking a frequency
>>>> which was given on December 5 by the Telecom Ministry. Mr. John Nelson
>>>> dropped a mail to the senior deputy wireless administrator in the Ministry
>>>> at 11 pm which was responded to by 1 am the following day.
>>>>
>>>> BECIL moved its transmitter by road from Benagaluru, and on Tuesday
>>>> night, the process of setting up a radio station began literally at 12.30
>>>> pm in the Cuddalore Collector’s office where basic Internet and telephone
>>>> services were provided.
>>>>
>>>> With the help of the Public Works Department, materials like lightning
>>>> arrester were put in place. The antenna came up at 10 pm and test
>>>> transmission started soon.
>>>>
>>>> “The Collector wants us to continue our services 24 hours a day till
>>>> relief reaches everyone,” Mr. Nelson, who is running the radio now, said
>>>> from Cuddalore.
>>>>
>>>> A 20-second announcement is played over and over on 107.8 FM. The-set
>>>> up, Mr. Nelson said, is extremely basic but sufficient to start with.
>>>>
>>>> The radio station is in the process of building a partition to separate
>>>> the recording place from the broadcasting studio and work is on to fix the
>>>> antenna.
>>>> ------------------------------
>>>>
>>>> http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/centre-sends-right-signal-to-the-cuddalores-floodaffected/article7967369.ece?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS_Syndication
>>>>
>>>> jean
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Join the Community Radio Forum.
>>>>
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>>>
>>>
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>
>
>
> --
> Dr. Vinod Pavarala
> Professor of Communication &
> UNESCO Chair on Community Media
> Sarojini Naidu School of Arts & Communication
> University of Hyderabad
> Gachibowli, Hyderabad 500046
> Phone: +91-40-23135501/23011553
> http://www.commuoh.in/
> http://www.uccommedia.in/
> http://www.communityradioindia.org/
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
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> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an
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>
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