Open Forum, Connecting Communities & Voicing the Voiceless

e-radio | Community Radio

Community Radio Stations (CRS) unlike the commercial ones are mainly into transmission of news, updates and initiatives to a particular segment of the community. It is a tool not only to empower and capacitate underprivileged sections but also to facilitate better forms of learning and interaction among the local people. Initiation of CRS can also be identified as an endeavour to decentralize radio frequencies. Implementations of community radio programmes have been furthered by the exclusive plan of the Government of India to establish 4000 CRS in different rural localities across the country. In the wake of rural participatory development programmes and community development initiatives, community radio is playing a major role in disseminating vital information on rural community living, primary education, rural projects and community health.

The liberalisation of the economy in the early 1990s also introduced changes in the landscape of radio broadcasting. Moreover, a landmark Supreme Court decision in 1995 ruled that broadcasting should be controlled by the public as different from the Government. This led to a comprehensive national media policy that recommended that broadcasters transmit from within the country, effectively ending the government’s monopoly over broadcasting. Thus, radio was opened to private investments. With the privatisation of FM radio stations, broadcasting has changed from a state monopoly to a highly commercialized venture (Thombre, 2000 as cited in Jayaprakash, 2000). Non-government organizations and development agencies wanted to obtain licenses for community radio broadcasting, but policies on such have yet to be formulated, thus putting a dampener on the development of community radio stations in India (Mehta, 1999 in Jayaprakash, 2000). But local radio stations continue to be established because they reach the diverse and remote audiences more effectively. However, these stations have increasingly functioned like commercial radio stations , defeating the concept of community radio (Jayaprakash, 2000).

In November 2006, India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting opened up the airwaves for community-based FM broadcasting. This new policy would allow a nonprofit organization with minimum three years of registration to apply for permission to engage in community-based FM programming. India is the first country in South Asia to have a Community Radio Policy separate from that of mainstream radio (Community Radio Network, 2007). In March 2007, Shri S. K. Arora, Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of India announced the establishment of 4000 community radio stations over the next few years (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation [UNESCO], 2007). Arora made the announcement during the national consultation on the practice and potential of community radio, which was attended by radio operators at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) (UNESCO, 2007). The consultation meeting was organised by both the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of India and UNESCO and was attended by over 150 representatives from the government, bilateral agencies, umbrella NGOs, grassroots community workers, and both mainstream media and community radio (UNESCO, 2007). Overall, the number of radios doubled to approximately 111 million from 1991 to 2002 (Library of Congress, 2004). It remains the cheapest available electronic medium and a popular source of news and entertainment, particularly Bollywood and regional film songs. Based on AIR listenership, it is evident that the radio is more popular in the rural than in the urban areas.

Information, knowledge and communication needs of the grassroots are equal to those of all other people, yet the marginalized are often unable to meet the required needs. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have to some extent helped in bridging this gap of information needs for the grassroots. ICTs have changed the way in which people interact with society and the way the wider society involves individuals in this evolutionary process. Apart from traditional media of communication, newspaper was the first mass media for information dissemination way back in 17th century. Radio broadcasting embraced the digital revolution in 18th century well ahead of television. It's interactivity, use of local language and able to reach all categories of society is the key for its success. Radio sets are relatively cheap, easy to carry and operate. This is still the most popular form of information communication technology among the grassroots

Community involvement is fundamental for the successful use of radio with diversified thinking process on various issues, like health, education, nutrition, socio-cultural taboos and so on. Taking above facts into consideration Open Forum has initiated a Programme of e-radio to facilitate the opportunities available with Community Radio Stations and Building a National Level Radio Broadcasters Network, for the content dissemination at a much wider level. Radio Broadcasters Network would facilitate pooling of knowledge and resources in audio format and also facilitate content dissemination on-line and off line. Initiated in 2006, Open Forum’s multi-dimensional community oriented radio programme e-radio achieved a milestone in December 2008 with the capacity development training of 50th batch on Community radio initiatives. The programme incorporates capacity building workshops for Community Based Organisations (CBOs) in the use of audio tools as a means for social and economic empowerment, and for networking and content sharing. Since January 2006, Open Forum has initiated a long intensive capacity building programme for 25 civil society organizations. Batch of 25 knowledge workers each have been trained in issue identification and scripting, recording people's voices and opinions, inteviewing experts and anchoring. Open Forum closely supports each team in the production of radio programmes that are broadcast through e-radio portal of Open Forum and its narrow casting among grassroots communities throughout nation. The initiative has generated a lot of enthusiasm as these teams toil to consolidate and articulate their concerns about the issues and communities closest to their hearts.

The Radio Broadcasters Network have NGOs and CBOs using audio as a communication tool in their development programmes. This network would facilitate sharing of audio programmes on various development issues. This exchange would help in dissemination of information and knowledge among peer communities. Audio will facilitate everyone in the society take advantage of this information and knowledge. While the advantages of community radio are yet to reach the civil society, such networks would help in strengthening and proving the advantage of peer to peer information sharing of local issues, solutions and strategies which will help in empowering the communities.

Objectives
• To bring likeminded NGOs/CSOs to one platform for information and knowledge sharing in their respective fields.
• To promote use of radio as an effective tool of communication for development
• To agree on various methodology and systems for operation.

Role of Open Forum
• Open Forum will promote these programmes through narrowcasting with the NGO networking.
• To broadcast programmes through Open Forum e-radio portal.
• Open Forum will provide the training to selected persons, nominated by the NGOs, on making radio programmes and in the process, encourage building content library for open access by NGOs/CBOs, under certain guidelines.
• Open Forum will support in production and developing of audio programmes

Role of NGOs
• Sharing audio programmes among the network
• Development of audio programmes
• Sharing of issues and concerns on development issues
• Developing network of Community-Based Organisations, supporting Self-Help Groups and various other groups with community people as their members.