Community radio provides concise summaries in 3 sentences or less that provide the high level and essential information from the document. The document discusses community radio initiatives in India and their role in rural development. It defines community radio and outlines its key characteristics including serving a local community, encouraging participation, and being non-commercial. Several examples of community radio stations across India are provided along with their objectives such as creating awareness around health, education, agriculture and empowering marginalized groups.

1. Community Radio for
Rural Development:
Issues and Strategies
Dr. Arpita Sharma
Assistant Professor,
GBPUA&T, Pantnagar

2. Contents
 Definition of Community Radio
 Concept of Community Radio
 Community Radio initiatives world-wide
 Some Community Radio cases
 Researchable areas

3. Definition of Community RadioDefinition of Community Radio
Community radio is a type of radio service
that caters to the interests of a certain area,
broadcasting content that is popular to a local
audience but which may often be overlooked
by commercial or mass-media broadcasters.
(UNESCO 2002)

4. Contii---
Community radio will be an effective tool in
protecting and promoting local culture. Besides,
community radio is the best way to meet the needs of
communication at local level because community
radio helps creates a place where various people in
the community including seniors, youths, mothers
with small children, students, religious leaders,
people with disabilities meet.
- Ullah and Chowdhury

5. Contii---
The community radio is a form of local radio which defines
itself as an autonomous entity – and relies on the community
for its survival without any commercial aims or objects.
Community radio is 'a medium that gives voice to the
voiceless, that serves as the mouthpiece of the marginalised
and is at :he heart of communication and democratic processes
within societies.
Lewis (1995)

6. Contii---
So Community radio is a local radio and
participatory in nature, owned and run by the
community, to serve the needs of the people.
Community radio aims to change social conditions
and improve the quality of cultural life through
meaningful and relevant programme. People
actively take part in formulating the station's policy,
strategy and programme content.

7. Concept of Community radio

8. Advantages Community Radio
Scaling up information and communication capacities at
Grassroots
Capacity building and skill up-gradation
Improve living conditions through relevant content in local
languages
Providing a pubic interface
Broadens the media choices of listeners and media consumers
Independent nature and responsibility to serve the community
Socio-cultural-economic impact in poverty reduction, in
addressing development objectives and in democracy building
A medium to facilitate oral communication traditions with
development issues

9. Characteristics of Community Radio
• It serves a recognizable community.
• It encourages participatory democracy.
• It offers the opportunity to any member of the community to
initiate Communication and participate in program making,
management and ownership of the station.
• It uses technology appropriate to the economic capability of
the people not that which leads to dependence on external
sources.
• It is motivated by community well being, not commercial
considerations.
• It promotes and improves problem solving.

10. Principles of Community Radio
Operation
Access
Participation
Self-management
Community mandate
Accountability

11. Functions of Community radio
Facilitate rural development and agricultural
promotion
Ensure local level good governance and
accountability
Disaster management
Protect and promote local or community culture and
traditions

12. Contii---
Establish democratic and participatory media
scenario
Minimize divide through bridging between local
and national issues
Community radio empowerment and promoting the
right to know
Ensuring social progress and curbing injustice in
society

13. Contii--------
Reflect and Promote Local Identity, Character,
and Culture
Create a Diversity of Voices and Opinions on
the Air
Provide a Diversity of Programmes and
Content
Encourage Open Dialogue and Democratic
Process

14. Contii-------
Promote Development and Social Change
Promote Civil Society
Promote Good Governance
Encourage Participation, Sharing of Information and
Innovation
Give Voices to the Voiceless
Provide a Social Service as a Replacement for the
Telephone

15. Contii------
• Contribute to Diversity in Broadcasting
Ownership

16. Distinct Features of Community Radio
Facilities
Sources of Support
Management
Program Makers
Programs
Broadcast Hours

17. Radio Community Radio
State owned and control Community owned and
controlled
National priorities Local priorities and issues
National/Regional
language
Local idiom and dialects
Large geographic area Small focused area
Centralised Decentralised (functional
autonomy)
One – way communication Two – way communication
(proximity encourages
participation)
Assumes homogeneity of
audience
Preserves cultural identify
Difference between Radio and Community
Radio

18. Community Radio
Initiatives in India

19. Anna FM @90.4 Mhz
Launch in 2004
Place: Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Run by: Anna University
Area covered: Kannigapuram, Kotturpuramm,
Balajinagar, Saidapet, Little Mount, Kobalitittam,
Chitra Nagar, Ventakapuram, all within a 10 km
radius.
Population covered: Students and dense urban
population
Profile of community: Students, day laborers and
housewives

20. Contii--
Target audience: 70 per cent female audience.
Women listen and also participate in the programs.
Infrastructure: One transmission room, one
recording room and large auditorium.
Permanent staff: Three
Transmission time: 11 hours. 7 am to 6 pm
Media Faculty-10
Frequency-90.4 MHz

21. Programmes through Anna Community
radio
• Police Community Interaction
• Women Empowerment
• Entrepreneurship management
• Vazhkaiyin Vannangal (life style programme)
• English Language Programme
• Samudaya Nerkaanal (Face-to-Face with the Community Live Phone-in Interactive Talk
Show)
• Music Programme
• Science Awareness
• Consumer Awareness
• Carrerrs Guidance
• Management matter
• Natchathira Nerkaanal (Interviews with lesser known stars from the community}
• Community matter
• Programmes for Visually Challenged
• Arokiya Vazhvu (Health is wealth)

22. Strengths of Anna Community Radio
To arrange for experts, celebrities and academia to
appear at events or participate in phone-in
programs.
During festivals, debates are organized and
celebrities are invited.
Students from the Department of Media science
volunteered to anchor Samudhaya Neerkaanal, a live
phone-in community program.

23. Gyan Vani Community radio
Launch in 2001
Initiated by the Human Resources Development Ministry and
the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) with
the help of Prasar Bharati.
Operate as ‘Media Cooperative’ with the day-to-day
programmes being contributed by various educational
institutions, NGOs, government and semi-government
organizations, UN agencies, Ministries such as Agriculture,
Environment, Health, Women and Child Welfare, Science &
Technology, etc. besides National level Institutions such as
NCERT, NOIS and State Open Universities.

24. Contii---
Area covered: operating presently through Allahabad,
Banglore, Coimbatore FM stations of India on test
transmission mode. The network is slotted to expand to a total
of 40 stations by June-2002.
Range: 60 km and covers an entire city
Target audience: Students of Open/Conventional
Universities.
Transmission time: 6am-10am
Purpose- Enhance teaching learning process
Medium of Language- Hindi or English

25. Programmes
Awareness programmes on Panchayati Raj Functionaries
Women Empowerment
Consumer Rights
Human Rights, the Rights of the Child
Health Education
Science Education
Continuing Education
Extension Education
Vocational Education
Teacher Education
Non-formal Education
Adult Education
Education for the handicapped
Education for the down trodden
education for the tribals

26. Contii---
Channels: four channels catering to different cross section of
audiences, GD1, GD2, GD3 and GD4, GD5
Areas Coverded: Agra, Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Srinagar,
Trichy and Thiruvanathapuram at the Indira Gandhi National
Open University( IGNOU),New Delhi on the occasion of a
decade of Gyan Darshan , Educational TV Channel of India,
of IGNOU

27. Holy Cross Community Radio
On air since: December 2006.
Vision: Community Radio as a new participatory medium.
Focus:
 Enhancing participation of the local rural community in
development
 Building capacity through education
 Providing creative opportunities to upgrade skills in the field
of their interest
Location : Holy Cross College, Tiruchirappalli (Tiruchi /
Trichi), a city in Tamil Nadu, south India.
Frequency: 90.4 Mhz

28. Contii---
Main target audience: Students, home makers, youth and
farmers
Primary Themes:
 To creating awareness on topical information in areas of
agriculture, social welfare, education, health and environment
 To preserve and promote the traditional wisdom, knowledge
and skills, thereby helping to promote arts, crafts, culture and
traditions of the rural population.
Preferred Formats: Integrating wide range of issues
creatively in different formats like skit, magazine, folk songs,
quiz, talk shows, discussions, phone in, interviews,
characterization helps to seize the attention of the listeners.

29. Contii--
Broadcast Timing: 6.00 to 11.00 am and 3.00 to
8.00 pm
Management structure: The well constituted staff
and volunteer structure has helped the station to
increase their broadcast hours from two hours to a ten
hour of daily broadcast

30. SIVANTHI Community radio (90.4 MHz)
Place: Aditanar College of Arts and Science, Tiruchendur
On air since: 14th October 2007
Functioning at Aditanar College of Arts and Science,
Tiruchendur
Area covered: 15 km and covers an entire city
Population covered: Students, Women, Men
Transmission time: 6am-10am
Objectives: To create awareness about health care, education,
female literacy, self employment and environment
preservation in the minds of local community

31. Radio Active
Place: Bangalore.
Housed: Mahaveer Jain college
Launch in:
Frequency:107.8 MHz and radiates its programmes
at 100 W.
Area covered: 15 km and covers an entire city
Population covered:
Transmission time: 3hr-4hr/day
Purpose-

32. Contii---
• Focused Areas: Environment, Women Empowerment,
Children in Need, Animal Welfare, Disabled , Human Rights
Persons Welfare
• Objectives: To educate the children of migrant construction
workers, and focus on development and welfare of the
labourers in general.

33. DU Community Radio Station
Launch in: 2october 2007
Started by: Delhi University at School of
Open Learning located in the North Campus
of the varsity
Frequency: 90.4FM
Range: 10 KM
Broadcasting Hours: 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. in
the morning and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the
evening

34. Programme
• Awareness on health,
• Hygiene
• Anti smoking
• Gender sensitization
• Environment and other issues related to local
communities.

35. Contiii---
• Phone-in Programmes with the experts on Health,
Education, stress management, Environment,
interpersonal relationship between parent and
children, examination stress etc.
• Spreading awareness among the students about
various careers, career counseling and broadcasting
other socially relevant programmes.
• Broadcasting the programmes of campus and
colleges such as seminars, workshops, lectures,
discussions, debates, cultural functions etc. for the
student communities.

36. Contii----
• Conducting (including academic counseling)
interactive programmes for the students enrolled at
School of Open Learning who could not get the
opportunities for face to face teaching learning
process.
• Broadcasting different community based programmes
with the help of community members residing in the
adopted slum areas and the community residing
around Delhi University

37. KONGU Community Radio
Station
Initiated in Kongu Engineering College Campus, 31 st March 2003
Programmes: Lectures, Seminars, Conferences, Skit and topics on
Community Development
Vision: Help to create a community with equal access to Knowledge,
Information, Participation and Rights
Mission: Utilise community radio to secure freedom of expression, general
welfare and social uplift
Goal:Empower even the poor, illiterate, voiceless and unreached members
of the community to claim and acquire legitimate freedom and entitlement
Broadcasting timings:
• 07.30 to 10.00 AM
• 12.00 to 2.30 PM
• 3.30 to 7.30 PM
• Totally 9 hours at present

38. MICAVAANI Community radio
• Launch in: 14th November 2005
• Range: 5 Km
• Programmes detailing various government schemes
for the rural population, job opportunities, good
agricultural practices, alternative sources of
employment, health and hygiene, the status of
women, educational broadcasts for the village
children
• Target Group: Rural communities

39. Jamia Community Radio
• Launch in : 2005
• Run by the AJK Mass Communication Research
Centre of Jamia Millia Islamia University.
• Frequency- 90.4 FM

40. Sangham Radio
On-Air since: October 15, 2008, but narrowcasting
since 1998.
Initiatives: Deccan Development Society
Community Media Trust
Location: Village Machnoor, Jharasangam Mandal,
Medak District, AP
Main Target Audience Primary audience is rural
women from the marginalized groups, also targets
rural people in general.

41. Contii--
Prime Themes: Seed sovereignty and women; Food sovereignty and
women; Women and biodiversity; Women and land; Ownership; Women
and ecological agriculture; Ecological enterprises for rural women;
Healthcare and plant medicines; Herbal care for animal diseases; Making
children’s education relevant to rural milieu; violence against women; legal
education for women.
Broadcast Timing Daily between 8 pm to 9.30 pm (total 90 minutes).
There is a plan to increase broadcast upto four hours daily in the next six
months.
New Idea Local issues, global vision - programme designing to be done at
the community level; Women Speak to Women: Completely focused on
women’s issues.

42. Our Voice (Namma Dhwani) -
India
Launch in : September, 2001
Programme : agricultural, medical, educational, and
cultural programmes
Target group: Men, Farmers, Rural entrepreneurs,
Children and Youth
Operated: A partnership between VOICES,
MYRADA, UNESCO, and poor farmer groups in the
Boodkote sector in Kolar – kicked.

43. Contii----
• Development Issues: Agriculture, Children,
Youth, Environment, Health, Economic
Development.

44. People’s Action for Rural Development (PARD)
Vaanoli Community Radio
• Launched in:
• Coverage area: 60 villages with in a radius of 12 to
15 Km
• Target group: Farmers, men, women, children
• Timing: 4 hours daily starting from 3.00 pm. to
7.00 p.m
• Programmes: Education, Health, Environment and
Legal awareness, Sustainable Agricultural
Techniques, Information on Government Schemes

45. 'Jago Mumbai'
• Frequency: 107.8 FM
• Range: 10 kms, Mahim, Juhu, Andheri,
Carter road, Bandra, Versova and cover a
pollution of two million in the area

46. Radio Namaskar
Launch in:
Focus Area:
• Local Self Governance
• Human Rights
• Right to Food/Information/Education.
• Disaster Management
• Gender Equity
• Societal Peace
• Survival of indigenous trade & culture
Focal Group:
• Student
• Fishermen
• Women
• Farmer

47. Contii----
Immediate Objectives:
• Promote communicable link among the proposed villages to develop an
enabling environment for an “all time connection” among them that will
ensure flow of information/benefits & access to all amenities and benefits
for the targeted people.
• Promote a group of trained and organized youths/women from target group
who will sustain the momentum of project.
Development Objective:
• Ensure access to information, amenities and benefit packages provided by
Govt.
• Ensure above benefits quite affordable for the people who are unable to
avail that from private source.
• Enable the beneficiaries to share & communicate their problems in
democratic manner with redressal agents (Govt. officials, departments
etc.).

48. Programme:
• Local Governance
• Food Security
• Women in Front
• Youth for Development

49. Social Impact of
Community
Radio

50. Rural Development and Agricultural
Promotion
Agriculture knowledge onAgriculture knowledge on
• Right practices,Right practices,
• Inputs,Inputs,
• Processes andProcesses and
• Markets has to reach every farmerMarkets has to reach every farmer

51. Protect and promote local or
community culture and traditions
• Community Radio will be an effective tool in
protecting and promoting local culture.
• Community Radio Station will broadcast in
local dialect, reflecting local culture with local
performers, interests and offering locally
composed music and programme of the area as
well as the country.

52. Ensure Local level Good
Governance and Accountability
• Community Radio assists people to obtain their right by giving
them a platform to express their grievances.
• Community Radio has enormous potential of voicing the
concern with in and between communities.
• Effective Communication tool, Community Radio can
promote a high level of transparency and accountability by
playing the watchdog role at all spheres of local public
administration and good governance.

53. Democratic and Participatory Media
Scenario
• Community Radio can contribute by taking the opportunity to
eradicate existing problem of credibility and Urban biasness of
the central radio broadcast system through providing authentic
news and pro-people local programme contents.
• These kind of participation will help in strengthening the bond
between the development activities and the community people
and development compact association with the community
development initiatives by the Government and other
organization.

54. Community Radio empowerment
and promoting the right to know
• Community Radio offer concrete means for
public participation and for cultural diversity.
• The content includes political and economic
news that facilitate community dialogue and
involvement, community and personal
message information programme and
culturally relevant entertainment.

55. Social progress and curbing
injustice in the society
• Community Radio helps to balance
inequalities.
• Community Radio can contribute through
providing the means for cultural
expression, community discussion and
debate and facilities political engagement
through providing news and information.

56. Contd--
Advancement in Health Infrastructure
Effective Sharing of Information
Education programme

57. ApplicAtion of
community RAdio in
vARious fields

58. Health

59. Women & Child - Health & Nutrition - A Community
Radio Initiative in Participatory Science
Communication
This paper is written by Ms. Ujjwala Tirkey
(2009), Scientist, Department of Science and
Technology, National Council for Science and
Technology Communication (NCSTC). This research
paper describes that participatory programme related
to health of the women was developed and showed to
the rural women and the findings show that the
results was positive.

60. Education
"Education is one of the most important means
of empowering women with the knowledge,
skills and self-confidence necessary to
participate fully in the development process."

61. Community Radio for women Literacy: Insight
and lesson from an Indian Experiment
Agrawal (2007) reported that “Project in Radio
Education for Adult Literacy” (PREAL) was carried out to
impart literacy through radio and support the awareness and
functionality components of PREAL Project in Radio
Education for Adult Literacy (PREAL) used radio to promote
literacy skills (reading only) and to facilitate teaching of
literacy in Adult Women Education Centers. The underlying
premise was that 15-20 minutes of radio broadcast once a
week (and its repeat broadcast as well as repetitive use in the
non-broadcast mode) would reinforce learning among women
and supplement teaching of literacy skills by instructors.

62. General

63. Contii--
This study of Banjade (2007) is about Community
Radio Madanpokhara (CRM) in Palpa district in
Western Nepal. CRM has been on the air on
frequency modulation (FM) band serving 800,000
potential listeners in the region since 2000.
Triangulating in-depth interviews, observations and
an audience survey as methods, this research explores
the nature and extent of the local residents’
participation in the communication process. The
listener used community radio for information and
entertainment.

64. Contii--
Myers (2008) reported that radio is still the dominant
mass medium in Africa with the widest geographical
reach and the highest audiences compared with
television (TV), newspapers, and other ICTs. The author
states that radio seems to have proven itself as a
developmental tool, particularly with the rise of
community and local radios, which have facilitated a far
more participatory and horizontal type of communication.
Radio can also help bridge the digital divide by providing
a powerful tool for information dissemination and access,
especially for hard-to-reach rural audiences

65. Contii--
Shively(2009) reported that for a highly populated
and predominantly rural country like India the
edutainment of the masses is essential. This can be
achieved by utilizing the concept of a Community
Radio more effectively. Community radio tells the
story of the people and helps communities striving to
speak out and be heard. Community radio has
provided means of empowerment to the community.
It has given children the chance to speak confidently.

66. Contii--
Bhatnagar (2008) reported that Government of India
announced its Community Radio Policy in December 2002,
which was later liberalised in 2006. Community radio gives
the people a medium to express themselves, a platform to air
their concerns, to be heard, considered and acted upon, thus
increasing their dignity and self confidence. People generally
come forward to gain skills, to be part of the community
group, to share their interest in music, anchoring or to increase
their social circle. A carefully planned orientation process is
very important to map the potential of individuals and to filter
out committed volunteers to form the core team.

67. Mode of Presentation
Straight Talk by Political Leader.
Interview on the spot or in the studio with the Gram
Sarpanch, Pradhan.
Debate/Dialogue/Discussion involving rural people.
Portrayal of success stories, development personal,
farmers and other rural people
Stories, drama, plays
Songs/poems
Demonstration of new techniques

68. CONCLUSION
• Community Radio is truly a people's Radio that perceives
listeners not only as receivers and consumers, but also as
active participants and creative producers of content.
• Community Radio covers all developmental and rights based
issues and updates listeners on the latest developments in
environmental, policy related and other issues.
• Community Radio has the responsibility to help sustain the
diversity of the local cultures and languages and thus should
be supported through legislative, administrative, and financial
measures.

69. Contii---
Community Radio contributes to social change by
initiating or accompanying communication processes.
CR Institutions must carry responsibility for being
effective in facilitating civil society development in
democratic processes.
Developing a range of diverse models and experiences
that work on the ground based on different social,
cultural and economic parameters.
The community must form pat of the creators, movers
and active beneficiaries in this mass technology oriented
approach towards informed development.