FIRST TRAVELOGUE ON ODISHA RELEASED

Odisha’s first ever travelogue Antaranga Odisha is released today at Hotel NewMarion, Bhubaneswar. This book emphasizes the experience of the writer while travelingthroughout the state. It contains narration on 19 spots of 7 districts with details of culturaland historic importance. This has been published by Deepak kumar Pani on behalf ofMediaamind and written by journalist Harihar Panda.

The 128 pages book is printed on entire glossy art paper with self descriptive

photographs. Konark, Chandrabhaga, beauties aside Marine drive are explained in

the first chapter. The Konark is not only described on the tourism point of view but its

creation and its destruction are explained as it seeks a general traveler’s attention.

The typical Odia cuisine at Satapada on its blue sea mouth has given importance in

the second part named SATAPADARE MACHHA BHAJA. The History of palace at

Parikuda, attack of British soldiers, the story and mythology behind Kalijai has been

focused in this chapter.

As you know Thuamul Rampur block of Kalahandi District is famous for its poverty but

the writer has explored a hidden treasure of natural beauty amalgamating the moutains,

streams, tribes and their habits with details of root chart. Bhairan Ghumar can be called

as the 2nd Khandadhar has also become an icon on this book.

Kandhamal and Koraput are described in 4th and 5th chapter. You will find something

different in these chapter while traveling around Phulbali, Daringibadi, Dhimamaska,

Mandashur, Belghar, tidipadar and Koraputs history at Nadapur and Suryabanshi

Dynasty.

Bondas and Bondaghaat has been remarked here as a most beautiful mountain of

Odisha. The lifestyle, their ornaments, Haats and their dancing style are explained as an

experience.

Talsari, Chandipur, Panchalingeswar and history of India’s first ever princely state

merged in Independent India are imagined in the last chapter. It is very interesting and

readworthy.

In a ceremony at Hotel New Marion Supported by The SAMAYA.This book has been

released by This book has been released today by Sj Gopal krushna Mohapatra, Editor

The SAMAJA in presence of Sj Asit Mohanty, Editor Pourusha, Sj Jayanta Chandra

Mardaraj Harichandan, Member state Wildlife Board & King of Nilagiri Sj Akash

Das Nayak, eminent Actor And is presided by Sj Satakadi Hota, Chief Editor The

SAMAYA .

THE CRS MOVEMENT IN ODISHA

The Phulbani people of Odisha in recent days are enjoying their mobile phones with a great extent. It will be rightly spotted by the eyes if you will move to this small hilly town in future. People are moving on the earphones with murmuring the local and Bollywood songs. This has not happened because of free mobiles or sudden receiving the signals of reputed radio stations. But it happened because this backward area is now blessed with its own media platform on air.

On the eve of 66th independence day Radio Muskan 90.4 FM is dedicated to the public by the Collector and DM of Kandhamal. Not only Phulbani of Kandhamal district but world famous Konark of Puri district, Jagatsinghpur town and Balipatna of Khurda district are now having their own identity in having own CRS. Konark?s Radio Namaskar promoted by Young India has started this as a movement to say the people?s rights and dignity.

For this reason it has been awarded by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting last year. Similarly in Jagatsinghpur Radio Sanskar in the frequency band of 91.2 has emerged as the first agriculture-based CRS promoted by Sourabha. It is being financially helped by agriculture department of Govt. of Odisha. This Department is also helping Radio Kishan at Balipatna and Radio Muskan at Phulbani.

The presence of this community Radio stations has earmarked the media development in Odisha. It can be termed as a developmental media unit or emergence of a Parallel line in the Mass Communication Field. But in common man?s perspective it is popularized as the voice of the mass. Generally, in Odisha, political ownership has dominated the media since the emergence of new economic era. Each and every big media house is associated directly or indirectly to some political parties.

They are representing the voice of the mass with a hidden agenda. In this scenario the evolution of such community media platform is really admirable since, it is the only media platform which conceived to be controlled by the community or public. Before 2006 in India community owned media is only in theory of broadcasting. Thanks to Mr. Raghav Mattoo of a small Bihari Village Mansoor pur, who has brought the concept into reality. He had not undergone any training and also he is not a rich fellow. But in just Rs. 50 he started the Radio station named Mansoorpur FM. The BBC called Raghav?s Mansoorpur FM the amazing do it yourself village FM Radio Station.

Beside attempts are made much before in 1996 to set community radio stations in India. Some Social activists on this year hammer out a Bangalore declaration on community Radio as an alternative to public service and commercial radio. These activists have noted that Nepal and Srilanka were far ahead in this regard. Even in Nepal Bhojpuri programs are being broadcasted to catch the mass of Bihar. There is no separate policy in this regard. Further more? and it is also evident that when people especially the poor can participate in the communication process and consensus building about issues that affect their lives, it helps them to cast off their traditional state of apathy and stimulates them to mobilize and organize to help themselves? (UNESCO-2001).

After so much discussions and deliberations, in 2002 Govt of India opened the door of Community Radio stations only to Govt institutes and Universities. Still it was in dilemma why the Govt is no allowing the communities to open their own Media. With the pressures of international and state voluntary leaders and think tanks on ordinary people to access information, de-centralization and the democratization of information, the Ministry adopted the policy to include Social organizations to set CRS in 2006. Regulations has been relaxed and also the application process. On the other hand the fees in different sectors like wireless operating license, Grant of Permission, Bank guarantee, etc., has also being relaxed considering the community participation and minimizing the gap between media and common people. This is the reason behind the growth of Community Radio Channels in India.

But like other indicators Odisha is much behind the scene. While Maharastra has 16 numbers of CRSs, Karnataka 10, Rajasthan 06, Tamilnadu 20 number of operational CRSs as on the data placed by ministry of I&B in 2nd Community Radio Summit held on February 2012, Odisha only has 2 numbers of Radio stations. Odisha?s name was added in this field in 2010 when NA Ansari conceived the idea of setting a CRS in Konark on behalf of Young India a youth Organisation. After the summit of February 2012 the number of CRS in Odisha has grown up to 5 including one University Radio Station at Ravenshaw University.

Another University Radio station of Siksha O Anusandhan University, Bhubaneswar is searching a date for its inauguration. On the other hand eight more Social organizations are holding LOI to set CRS in respective project areas. Still the number is not encouraging. The community Organizations should come forward to give a voice to the community. They may be in a question how to make a sustainable CRS in the 2nd compendium of CRSs in February 2012 at New Delhi it was also raised by the stake holders. Some are in doubt that the Community Radio stations are in the group of welfare and can not broadcast advertisements.

But it is wrong. For sustainability advertising of open market revenue collection is permissible. Even DAVP has empanelled Radio stations to provide commercials, In Odisha Radio Sanskar 91.2FM is far ahead in revenue collection and programming than other stations. Although it is not empanelled with DAVP but it is preparing commercials for its clients and broadcasting them for revenue like other commercial FMs. It has its own tariff card. It is collecting Rs. 5,000 per month from the clients to run its commercials. In this regard it is collecting an amount of nearly fifty thousand per month on average. This amount is being shared among the Radio jockeys, sound engineers and other professionals said the secretary of the parent organisation Mr. Manoj Das. One major part is reserved for welfare activities.

Recently to encourage our community went for plantation activities. Open spaces and college grounds are planted by our members. This initiative has increased our listenership and popularity. Even people are becoming less interested in listening other Commercial FMs. They listen their own programs. If community oriented programs will be made then revenue will not be a problem. Now in just one year we are going to be self-sufficient.

The agriculture department is also helping us in revenue and in content, so we do not have any problem in the management and better infrastructure he said. We are now trying to attract more and more commercial clients as the grants of the Govt agencies will decrease. On the Other hand no other Radio station is in the effort of self sustainability, which is to be taken care of. Otherwise after three years of Departmental support the Radio stations will be in pen and paper only

THE STORY OF TV IN ODISHA

THE STORY OF TV  IN ODISHA

The Story of Television in Odisha brings back to the period of Narrow casting and technological advancement. When the People of India are entering into the era of color Tv and Digital TV technologies, Odisha was waiting to have its own TV channel. Even the Public broadcast system also prevents us to see our artists and news programs on our Tv Set.

But the Time has changed a lot. The Story of narrow casting is moving fast towards broadcasting. The first ever TV Channel which has claimed to be the first TV news Channel in the Capital City has moved ahead and now it is claiming to have more TRP, i.e, more number of viewers.   

Similarly more and more Pvt Companies are floating their money in the name of business, glamour and influence in this sector.  So this industry is booming like anything.

In 1994 the only TV channel in Odia language was Doordarshan Odia i.e., DD 6. This is the only 24 hour TV channel available freely through its terrestrial transmission service by the antenna and boosters. The Service included both entertainment program and News Bulletins   with a regional taste. Now DD Odia is claiming 29% of the Revenue Market and has a reach of 23%.

In 1996-97 the Cable TV in Bhubaneswar started showing the local happenings in the form of regular bulletins. Industrialist Baijayant Panda & his wife Jagi Mangat Panda started this through his own network called Sky View. Further this company renamed as Ortel Communications and started telecasting OTV as especially dedicated Cable TV channel. In a few years it spreads its wing to various small towns and urban areas of the state like Cuttack, Puri, Balasore, Rourkela, Berahampur etc as the parent cable network spreads. Now OTV has made itself a separate Company and started broadcasting through satellite since the year 2006.

Before this, in the year 2001, Ramoji Rao promoted ETV has given a broad view of News and Entertainment to the viewers of Odisha with a separately dedicated Odia channel called ETV Oriya. This is the channel which has developed professionalism in the state. And explained that separate entertainment programs, Serials can be made in Odia language and in Odisha there is ample scope for business and attracting viewers. Again this can be explained that ETV Odia is the only channel which has created serious professionals in the field of entertainment. The dying acting culture also got a new life with the entrance of ETV Odia. Therefore in a few days, ETV Odia becomes a familiar and household name through out the state. It also encouraged the interested personnel to come forward and invest in this sector. Influenced by ETV Mr. panda and his Associates started their new venture to convert their own cable Tv to a Satellite TV and OTV became a satellite channel.

Like wise, the time has invited many interested people to enter in to the sector of entertainment, glamour and influence.  

Then NK Media venture’s Naxatra News came into existence. Promoted by Mr. Prabhat Malick it has added competency in quality broadcasting and coverage of new stories. The modern equipments and graphics system used in this TV has influenced a lot to other competitors. And become popularized.  

Then the queue started and options added to our remote to control choice. MBC, Tarang, Lakshya, Kamyab, Sarthak, Kanak TV, STv, Prarthana, Tarang music has put a lot to make the stories unbiased and entertained the odia viewers.

When you search for Odia TV channels in wikipedia you’ll find a number of TV channels, you may not have heard about that. They include 36 numbers of Channels categorized under Public channels, Movies, General Entertainment, DTH, cable, news& current affairs Channels.  Moon movies, U movies, UBO Movies and Laxmi TV. These Channels are famous for their narrowcasting activity and known as the Cable TV channels in Certain areas. Similarly other Cable TV Channes may include M-xpress Tv, OMM TV, Balasore  AAMA-NEWS, Balasore, Pratidhwani-NEWS of puri,  Moon TV Oriya, OBO TV-Movies, UCV Entertainment & News at athgarh, Utv (Uttkal tv) of Berahampur, Laxmi TV Laxmi Cable Visionof Marshaghai.  These Local TV channels do not have the appropriate permission of the Ministry. But have a good impact as in certain places they are promoted by some reputed Journalists. The Local administration also helps them in accumulating information and news.

The House hold names in regard to the news and current affair brand of Odisha may include OTV, ETV, MBC, Kamyab, STV, Kanak Sambad, Naxatra News. These channels are permitted by the ministry of I&B to telecast news and Current affair programs in Odia Language. Similarly Tarang music, Tarang, Ollywood, Prarthana are some other channels running here in Odisha as general entertainment Channels.

But this is not the end of the story. Odisha is going to the next Electronic Media Hub in the Country. National and multi national promoters are showing their interest in promoting their subsidiary TV channels in Odisha to attract viewers and revenue. In this context Channel V and Star group has applied to have permission for telecasting Odia language Shows in different Channels. Horizon News of New Delhi also had shown interest in this regard.  Kolkata based Brand Value Communication has planned for NEWS ODISHA and MUSIC ODISHA, Crystal Phosphates ltd planned and apllied for Crystal Odisha TV, Dreams entertainment applied for formal satellite licence and permission, New delhi based international TV Pvt ltd applied for Odiya TV. Including these list the Ministry of I & B website shows a pending list of 348 channels awaiting to get the licence and permission since 2009. The Total number of TV Channels permitted in India is 825 as on January 2012.  

In Odisha part, Soumya Ranjan pattnaik promoted Eastern Media Ltd has got the licence for broadcasting another channel named Manjari in GEC category. Similarly Naxatra opted licence for Naxatra Barnali and Naxatra Saptaranga. It has applied for other language like Jharkhand, Bihar, Marathi, Chhatishcargi, National and North East.

Siksha O Anusandhan Group promoted Summa real Media also planned to broadcast three different channels in the name of News 7, Prameya Cartoon and Prameya TV. These three channels have been permitted and hopefully coming to the TV set this year.

The List of proposed TV channels in Odisha is growing day by day. But not the Human Resource. Skilled manpower is a continuing problem for each and every TV news and program production room. Therefore, the quality and standard is compromised.

Hence, it is the time to create more and more skilled manpower to cope the industry. Some of the industries like Sambad, Dharitri, Naxatra are doing a lot in creating skilled manpower but no body is running a syllabus fit to the TV industry. The time has come to look in to the matter otherwise it may hamper to the entire business community.

hariharpanda001@gmail.com

mob: 9861406292