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( This article appeared in the Op-ed section of The Hindu, 22nd Feb 2013.) The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoIB) organised the 3rd National Community Radio Sammelan from February 9 to 11 to celebrate a decade of community radio. The celebrations were cut short when Secretary to MoIB Uday Kumar Varma confirmed that community …

On the 8th of December, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), published a consultation paper titled “Issues Related to prescribing Minimum Channel Spacing, within a License Service Area, in FM Radio Sector of India“. The title is self-explanatory, and there are a few interesting implications for radio in there. Firstly, what is channel spacing? …

The World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) Asia Pacific board, met in Bangalore in 2010, and one of the outcomes of that regional meeting was the need for further applied and in-depth capacity building. As a result of that initiative, AMARC AP organized the first ever capacity building forum which was held in Bangkok …

Community Radio is mostly an analogue platform in India. Licenses are given by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, to broadcast in the FM band of the electromagnetic spectrum (88-108 MHz). Today there are more than 150 operational community radio stations in the country. Assuming each radio station reaches an average of 150,000 people, the …

Maraa, is a partner for the Commonwealth of Learning (COL), based in Vancouver, Canada. Working specifically with Media specialist, Ian Pringle, Maraa has been working closely with COL to publish all the community radio training modules developed with our field experience of setting up 6 community radio stations in India. All modules are available on …

Women community radio practitioners and trainers from all over the Asia Pacific Region come together in Mysore, on the eve of the 2nd Regional Asia Pacific Conference of the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) held in Bangalore.

Community Radio, is a subject which is gaining popularity thick and fast in the world of development and social communication. The top down communication models of the 70′s have lost their sheen considerably, and the new keywords are inclusion and participation. While there is no doubt about the potential of the medium, and enough “success …

Set in the beautiful hills of Mukteshwar, Uttarakhand, at a mean alleviation of 7100 feet above sea level, Kumaon Vani Community Radio station is certainly one of the most exciting places to visit for community media enthusiasts to visit. With heavy snow fall in the winters, and landslides in the monsoons, it is pretty much …

In the corrupt, Naxalite and drought prone areas of Palamau, Jharkhand, AID is setting up Vikalp Community Radio station, the first one to go on air in the state. Vikalp, which means alternative, truly looks at providing people with alternatives. Notorious for drought, dacoity, and an almost complete power breakdown, Meral block in Garhwa perhaps …

ನಮ್ಮಧ್ವನಿ ಸಮುದಾಯ ರೇಡಿಯೋ ಕೆಂದ್ರ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರುನಿಂದ ಸುಮಾರು 100 ಕಿ.ಮೀ ದೂರದಲ್ಲಿ  ಬೂದಿಕೋಟೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಇದೆ. ಬೂದಿಕೋಟೆ ಕೋಲಾರ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆ, ಬಂಗಾರಪೇಟೆ ತಾಲ್ಲೂಕಿನಲ್ಲಿದೆ. ನಮ್ಮಧ್ವನಿಯನ್ನು ಬೂದಿಕೋಟೆಯಲ್ಲಿ 2002 ರಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಾರಂಭಿಸಿದರು. ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಾರಂಭಿಸಲು ಕಾರಣ ಇದು ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ, ಅಂದ್ರಪ್ರದೆಶ್ ಮತ್ತು ತಮಿಳುನಾಡಿನ ಗಡಿಭಾಗದಲ್ಲಿದ್ದು, ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಅವಿಧ್ಯಾವಂತರು ಮತ್ತು ಕೂಲಿಕಾರ್ಮಿಕರು  ಜಾಸ್ತಿ ಇದ್ದು ಇವರಿಗೆ ಸರಿಯಾದ ಸಮಯಕ್ಕೆ ಸರಿಯಾದ ಮಾಹಿತಿ ಸಿಗುತ್ತಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ನಮ್ಮಧ್ವನಿಯನ್ನು ಯುನೆಸ್ಕೋ ಸಹಕಾರದಿಂದ ಪ್ರಾರಂಭಿಸಿದರು. ನಮ್ಮ ಧ್ವನಿಗೆ ಸಹಕಾರವನ್ನು ಬೆಂಗಳೂರುನಲ್ಲಿರುವ ವಾಯ್ಸಸ್ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆಯು ತಾಂತ್ರಿಕ …