30 Sep 2008
· community-radio
Delhi-based Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has announced that it is launching a six-month certificate course in community radio in association with Commonwealth Educational Media Centre. According to a report in The Times of India, the course will bring together community radio practitioners, communication experts and academics for content planning in community radio. Read the full TOI story here.
Continue reading →25 Sep 2008
· community-radio
Its unofficial. But we’ve got our frequency. Yesterday’s visit to Sanchar Bhavan yielded this wonderful nugget of information that TRF has been allocated 107.8 as their CR frequency. An official letter follows next month.
Meanwhile, I am playing verse games with Ek Sau Saat Dashamlav Aath, which is what 107.8 will sound like in Hindi. The possibilities for a followup line seem endless. Though if something comes to your mind, please do send them in.
Continue reading →23 Sep 2008
· community-radio
Symbiosis Institute is on its way to starting a CR station on-campus sometime early next year. According to a report in RadioandMusic.com, the SIMC Students’ Council President Mitin Chakraborty has confirmed, “We have already applied for the necessary government licence for our campus radio and would be starting the radio once we procure the licence.” Read the full story here.
Continue reading →23 Sep 2008
· community-radio
India’s first CR station seems to have got caught in internal bickering. According to a story in The Indian Express, “The first community radio Anna FM was launched with lot of fanfare by the Media Science Department of the Anna University some years ago, providing the students with some valuable experience. But today, the students have minimal or no access to it.” Read the full story here.
Continue reading →21 Sep 2008
· community-radio
Two wonderful stories about how the Jamia community radio station in Delhi contributed to keeping peace in Jamia Nagar where the recent shootout took place. Run by MCRC Jamia Millia Islamia University, the CR station helped broadcast information about what was happening in the neighbourhood, and quelled rumours that may have sparked off incidents of violence. You can read the RadioandMusic story hereand The Times of India story here.
Continue reading →13 Sep 2008
· community-radio
A story just came through that reminded me of something N Ramakrishnan of Ideosync had thrown in the air as an idea worth pursuing. Using community radio, at a very local level, for the community to showcase its talent and “vote” for whom they think is the best. An “Indian Idol” reinvented at the local level. Via radio. Not only would a program like this generate enormous interest in the radio station, it could possibly reel in advertisers for the 5 minutes of ads per hour of programming that CR stations are allowed.
Continue reading →09 Sep 2008
· community-radio
Our file is apparently finally complete. That mystery form which has confounded brighter minds, is finally filled and filed. How did we do it? Er, with a little help from some people from WPC. I had tried and tried but the minute I came to the technical bits I just could not figure out what to fill in. Finally I called WPC. A helpful gentleman there suggested I come over and he would help me fill the form. I landed up in the reception of Sanchar Bhavan where a kind person at the reception asked me what my work was, called up, discovered that the relevant people “weren’t on their seats” and suggested I sit on the sofa and relax while he tried to reach them. He even offered me tea! Finally, after a number of calls, I finally made it up to those hallowed corridors. One hour later, I was out of there, form filled. I’ve taken screen grabs of the process once I was back in office, so if anyone out there wants a guide on how to fill the Network Application Form, you only have to ask. Problem is, I just hope it is correctly filled. I went to Sanchar Bhavan with a lot of faith!
Continue reading →08 Sep 2008
· comment
I find it hard to breathe when I think of the scale of the catastrophe in Bihar. More than 25 lakh people affected by the raging waters of the Kosi. As I browse through news reports out of Bihar, it is depressing and infuriating to see the depths of human behaviour in the looting, raping and pillaging of fleeing villagers. The very boatmen who are supposed to rescue people, are turning tormentors, in the worst way possible.
Continue reading →04 Sep 2008
· community-radio
We’ve been seriously considering Teaching of English as a significant element in the CR station’s content offering. Centre for Learning Resources’ Dr Kurrien has mentioned that he would be happy to share the content that they have developed for the teaching of English over radio.
I just read a wonderful story about how it is being done in Bihar, through the radio (AIR), for primary school children throughout the state. Read the full story here.
Continue reading →04 Sep 2008
· community-radio
We’ve finally done it. Today I spent the entire morning weaving my way through the corridors of Sanchar Bhavan, and sitting with a very helpful person who screen by screen helped me fill out the Network License Application form. This is the last remaining form before our application file is considered complete. Now, all we have to do is to print the form out, and drop send it off to WPC.
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