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
