Community Media
Voice of the people
January 18, 2008, J.B.S. Umanadh, Frontline
This article introduces Sangham Radio, an FM community radio station in the Medak district of the Telangana region in Andhra Pradesh. Sangham Radio, which is managed by mostly Dalit women, is among the growing number of Indian community radio stations that reach out to listeners with programming in local dialects. The station is run by the Community Media Trust, a part of the non-governmental organisation Deccan Development Society, which runs the station to recognise the possibilities for non-literate women as teachers and assist them in sharing their knowledge with the outside world by equipping them with skills of video and radio.
Radio: broadcasting uber wires
September 27, 2007, Vickram Crishna
The rules governing radio broadcasting have undergone drastic change in recent years in India. Radio, which was sandwiched between print media and television, was under government control for a long time. In the last decade, the medium has been liberalised albeit with conditions which make it difficult to setup and operate community radio networks. The author traces the change in government policy with respect to radio and then focusses on the problems faced by people wanting to operate such networks including technological barriers.
The power of video for change
April 2006, Nilosree Biswas, Infochange India
The article looks at how video technology has been harnessed by the marginalised sections of the population to raise their voice against exploitation. The author analyses how the illiterate women of Ahmedabad, who were engaged in subsistence level occupations such as vegetable selling and bidi rolling, could themselves create videos which showcased their condition in stark detail.
No takers for community radio programme
February 6, 2008, The Hindu
Quoting the Information Commissioner K.V.R. Tagore, this news item reports that several NGOs backed out of the Karnataka State Government's initiative to prop up community radio programme when they came to know that they had to contribute. The programme called 'Namma Banuli' has been designed in such a way that the NGOs will have to bear one-third of the cost, the remaining to be funded by the government.
Dang tribals learn of their rights through community radio
InfoChangeIndia
The article analyses the impact of community radio on the tribal communities in the Dangs district in Gujarat, which are one of the most marginalised and deprived sections of community. Aaykar, the community radio has had significant impact in detecting corruption in various government organizations and thus increasing awareness amongst the tribals regarding the availability and price of such government services.
Internet revolution reaches India's poor
October 10, 2007, Anand Giridharadas, International Herald Tribune
ICTs are having increasingly far-reaching effects in India as IT companies and their employees are using technology to address the poverty in their own backyard. In Bangalore, a new networking site called Babajob is creating employment opportunities and bringing the networking revolution to some of India's poor.
Community radio at last?
October 18, 2006, The Hoot
The Indian government has moved forward on a decision allowing NGOs to apply for licences without a fee and to have five minutes of advertising per hour of radio broadcasting. This has been made possible through constant lobbying for opening up community radio, thus eroding the opposition from ministries such as Home Affairs. In 2002, educational institutions were permitted to get licences, but not many took advantage of this opportunity.
