Communication

Title: The role of radio and television in Rural

development

Submitted to: Prof. Anamika

Submitted by:

Name Roll No.

Basudha Pansari UR20023
Debashish Sahoo UR20024
Debasish Sahu UR20025
Debi Kalyani Nayak UR20026
Disha Sodani UR20027
Divyakshi Khale UR20028
Jai Watts UR20029
Kalinga Kishore Sahoo UR20030
Malavika Sailesh UR20031
Meenakshi Padhi UR20032

School of Rural Management (SRM)

XIM University

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Table of Contents

1. Introduction.........................................................................................................................3

2. History................................................................................................................................3

3. Experiments with Radio and Television as a Communication Tool..................................4

4. Importance of television and radio:....................................................................................5

5. How radio & television has helped rural India? (DD Kisan owned by Doordarshan).......6

6. Changing scenario - How it is helping Rural India............................................................6

6.1. Poverty eradication-.....................................................................................................6

6.2. Illiteracy eradication-...................................................................................................6

6.3. Employment -..............................................................................................................7

6.4. Urbanization-...............................................................................................................7

6.5. Marketing and product awareness-..............................................................................7

7. Rural Radio and Television as an Extension tool...............................................................7

8. Examples of the importance of radio and television in Rural development.......................8

9. Importance in Agriculture...................................................................................................9

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1. Introduction 

Experience with rural radio and television has benefited from both the reach and the
relevance that local broadcasting creates. The importance of sharing information locally
and opening up wider information networks helps the rural population be updated about
the things happening globally. Over the past few decades, the growth of rural radio and
television stations reflects both the improvements in information technologies and the
shifting development paradigm towards a more participatory style of information and
knowledge transfer. The importance of radio and television in the rural areas would also
tell them about the social concerns they have to be aware of.

2. History

In 1923 and 1924, three radio clubs were organized in Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras,
and radio broadcasting in India began as a private endeavor (now Chennai). In June 1923,
the Radio Club broadcasted India's first radio programme. Music and lectures were the
mainstays of the two- to three-hour daily broadcasts. Due to a lack of financial support,
these stations were forced to close in 1927. It was followed by establishing a
Broadcasting Service, which began broadcasting in India on an experimental basis in
Bombay in July 1927 and Calcutta a month later under an arrangement between the
Government of India and the Indian Broadcasting Company Ltd.
Since June 1936, All India Radio has taken a significant step. When India became
independent, the AIR network had only six stations with 18 transmitters - six on medium
wave and the rest on the short wave - in Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Lucknow, and
Tiruchirapalli. Radio listening on the medium wave was limited to the urban elite of these
cities.
By 1939, a short-wave service had reached every corner of the country, and the
programme structure had been altered to accommodate wartime needs. News and political
commentaries were introduced during this time, as well as special broadcasts for
individuals living near the strategic north-eastern and northwest borders. With 198
broadcasting centers, including 74 local radio stations, serving more than 97.3 percent of
the country's population, the broadcasting landscape has radically evolved since
independence.
Television was the first broadcast in India in 1959 as part of All India Radio and was
formally commissioned as an experimental service on September 15, 1959. Its goal was
to promote social consciousness and education. Television was not authorized as a regular
daily service till Mrs. Indira Gandhi was in charge of the Information and Broadcasting
Ministry on August 15, 1965.
Doordarshan transmissions are now broadcast to about three-quarters of the country's
population via television transmitters.
On August 1, 1975, a Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) was launched
with the help of an American satellite for a year, exposing 2400 villages in six states -

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 Orissa, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka - to area-
specific programmes beamed by the satellite. The experiment was a huge success, and
everyone praised it.
The Kheda Communication Project (KCP), which began in 1976 and continues to this
day, is the most inventive experiment in using television for rural development and
empowerment.
It employed a one-kilowatt transmitter when it was first known as Pij TV.
Agrawal and Raghaviah (2006) found that the Pij transmitter may be received within a 30
km radius of Pij village. India's first attempt at decentralized community television
broadcasting was awarded the renowned UNESCO-IPDC prize for efficient rural
communication. Four hundred communities received 650 community television sets,
which were installed in public spaces.

The three vital ingredients of entertainment, education, and information were present in
the program's content. It was impossible to dispute that Doordarshan had acted as a
catalyst for societal change. The rural programme "Krishi Darshan," which premiered on
January 26, 1967, was one of Doordarshan's most popular programmes.
Through its Educational TV and Open University programmes, Doordarshan also caters
to numerous schools and universities around the country. In 2000, in conjunction with the
Ministry of Human Resource Development and the Indira Gandhi National Open
University, a satellite channel dedicated only to education, Gyandarshan, was launched to
increase educational telecasts. Gyandarshan broadcasts fascinating and instructive
programmes for various audiences, including pre-schoolers, elementary and secondary
school students, college and university students, youth seeking employment, housewives,
adults, and others. In addition to educational programming, foreign programmes are
broadcast to provide viewers with a global perspective.

3. Experiments with Radio and Television as a Communication Tool

The Indian television scene has changed dramatically in the decades after 1959.
Television was employed as a mouthpiece for the central government and the ruling party
in its early years and was used as an educational medium. The majority of the
programming was in Hindi, and much of the news and current events focused on Delhi,
the capital of India. While television was entrusted with the noble purpose of encouraging
national integration, it was discovered in many sections of the country, particularly in the
northeastern states, that the medium was reinforcing a sense of alienation.

It is critical to define the phrase "development communication" at this stage, as the term
has many connotations. Agricultural extension and rural communication are not the only
forms of development communication. It is not solely concerned with the development of
rural areas, nor is it focused exclusively on agricultural growth. It promotes development
in rural and urban communities and fields such as agriculture, family planning, and
nutrition.
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 When television was first introduced in the country in 1959, it began as a social
experiment in which local teleclubs were formed in Delhi and given access to community
television sets. Educational television was the first broadcast in 1961 to help middle and
high school education. Its science, mathematics, and language training trials were
adequate, and many UNESCO experts praised them.

A few years later, Krishi Darshan began airing telecasts for farmers. It was broadcast for
20 minutes on Wednesdays and Fridays and serviced 80 villages (in and around Delhi)
via community television sets. The Department of Atomic Energy, in partnership with the
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, All India Radio, the Indian Agricultural
Research Institute, and the Delhi Administration, launched this experimental initiative.

All India Radio was in charge of Indian television when it was in its infancy. Television
was split from radio in 1976 and given a new name: Doordarshan. Some analysts consider
this arrangement to be a hindrance to television's natural evolution in its early years.

With the commencement of the Satellite Instructional Television Experiment in 1975-76,

India's television journey took a new turn. A one-year trial project used the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration's ATS-6 satellite to provide educational messages
to 2400 villages across the six states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, Orissa,
Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh via satellite.

If the 1970s were the decade of television experiments in social communication, the
1980s were the decade when the noble goal of development communication was
abandoned, and Indian television began to become commercial. "India embarked on
television in the name of development but utilized it in fact to provide trifling pleasure
and to churn out government-oriented rather than people-oriented news," remarked the
Working Group on Software for Doordarshan, which was formed in 1982 in response to
these changes.

4. Importance of television and radio:

 Media platforms like radio and television are effective means of mass communication,
delivering news to people all over the country, including rural areas.
 The public is also informed about the government's programmes and policies that may
help them - Jan Dhan Yojana
 It also provides educational programmes that even illiterate individuals may
understand - Doordarshan 
 Information on various natural and man-made disasters is also provided through the
media. It aids in the dissemination of early warnings and helps in reducing the
destruction - Orissa & Andhra Pradesh cyclones 

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  Doordarshan, India's national television channel, transmits a wide range of
programmes, from entertainment to education to sports. 
 They raise public awareness about a topic of national and social significance. 
 They both entertain and educate people at the same time.
 They provide information on a variety of societal concerns. Television broadcasts
programmes for people of all ages.

5. How radio & television has helped rural India?

Community radio has developed as a viable and trustworthy alternative to mainstream

media in rural areas, linking diverse communities of rural India and covering more than
local news and entertainment, amongst the rush and bustle of city life, with our FM radio
and several television stations. It's a medium that keeps our ethnic languages and
traditions alive daily in rural India's far-flung hamlets and villages.
We often see rural development solely through the lens of economic progress. It should,
of course, encompass social, spiritual, and moral development as well. Poverty
elimination, illiteracy eradication, and job creation are all part of its mandate. Community
radio serves as the connecting link that connects all of these growth drivers through a
single communication channel. It will show to be a crucial weapon for governments to
use for social upliftment in the years ahead. Radio and television play a vital role in the
life of the rural community. 

6. Changing scenario - How it is helping Rural India

1.1. Poverty eradication-

 Electronic channels will help people know about different rural entrepreneurs' success
stories regarding coping with poverty and fulfilling their basic needs. 
 They could able to know about different employment schemes like Mahatma Gandhi
National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), where at least 100 days of
employment is being provided, then Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY),
which was referring as part of a poverty-reduction plan, to bring connectivity to
unconnected Habitations, Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY)  which was to
provide a stable source of income for the country's underprivileged population living in
rural areas, etc. These all will help them engage in the skilled works they are experts in.
 They could get inspiration and motivation from different Ngo's work, and accordingly,
they can extend their hands for the help they need.
 They can get different sources of private job opportunities related news to apply to work
in it.

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1.2. Illiteracy eradication-
 They can get several pieces of information relating to the educational schemes
launched by the government so that they can send their children to acquire education.
 They can know about the worldwide happenings and the truth of life without getting
confined to specific myths and false beliefs. The more they could gain knowledge in a
diversified field, the more they could claim their rights, and no one could dare make
them fool.

1.3. Employment -
 They can get the knowledge on several platforms to apply their skill sets to acquire a
job and fulfill their basic needs.
 Providing them information relating to the various training programmes conducted by
the government to avail skill learning opportunities.
 There are several chances that the rural people might know specific openings for
working in Radio communication departments. If they get an option of telling their
stories and earning accordingly, that might help them improve their livelihood to some
extent.

1.4. Urbanization-
 They could get valuable confirmations regarding the rumors and frauds happening in
their surroundings so that they can fight accordingly for their rights.
 They can get knowledge about population control and the much more focus put on
commercialization and globalization in India and the world.

1.5. Marketing and product awareness-

 They can get awareness regarding the launch of new rural and urban products and how
acquiring those products can help them change the way of living they are having.
 They can know about various types of markets in reality and can build the capacity to
compare the products they are having and the products that are there in the real need.

7. Rural Radio and Television as an Extension tool

There is immense potential for rural radio and television growth in the rural context as an
extension tool. Extension tools can be a boon in bridging the information gap and provide
all the latest innovations that can be applied for the development of rural India. The
critical step is mobilizing the resources to enhance the reach of these tools in rural India
and strengthening the villagers by providing them with a wide range of information
related to various aspects of their daily activities. It can be connected to agricultural
services or other livelihood options.

While delivering the information through radio or television, it is essential to note that the
mode of communication should be based on local language with proper use of local
ascent. Pieces of information are understood effectively in the local language. Another

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 critical aspect that needs to be kept in mind is the appropriate decoding of the
technicalities of the information through radio. This has been a concern to decode the
technical information with pertinent facts and figures in a simple and easy-to-understand
manner without losing the essence of the information.

It is very important to give proper attention to designing information to be delivered for

the rural audience. The information needs to be more relatable in the local context and
generate interest among the rural audience. Information delivery should consider the
understanding of the rural audience and then the expectations related to their problems,
doubts, or concern. The delivery of information should be based on relevance to the
listeners. Both rural radio and television can become effective if conducted in a
community-based or participatory manner. In the rural context, there is a high relevance
of various focused groups discussions, community associations. The channelizing of the
significance of radio and television will need the active involvement of these groups.

8. Examples of the importance of radio and television in Rural

development

Due to a lack of access to timely and reliable information, the rural population is
categorized into marginalized sections. This weakens government support for rural
extension services. Moreover, the staff employed in the field for implementing any
government scheme fails to reach remote areas because of limited personnel, material, or
financial resources in conjunction with poor road connectivity. Additionally, there are
advantages of existing or emerging opportunities, including market linkages. However,
there are challenges for farmers because there is a high possibility that they might miss
out on relevant information, knowledge on new crops and varieties, or improved land use
techniques. Furthermore, rural people often lack the resources and networks needed to
highlight their interests and concerns, thus, hampering their participation and progress in
societal processes.

Time has tested the strength of mass communication in rural areas, and radio has majorly
proved its ability. Moreover, with public service and private broadcasting, community
radio became the third pillar of radio communication. It has a revolutionary potential to
weave together a community into a stronghold and boost rural development programmes
such as Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP), social audit, National Rural Health
Mission Scheme, etc. Community radios act as a common forum where locals can express
their thoughts socially, politically, and culturally. These radios prioritize essential local
issues, and the primary focus is on education, and development-related information is
disseminated and exchanged.  

During natural calamities and disasters, regular facilities like telephone, television,
internet, print media become inaccessible; however, radio communication, on the other
hand, plays a pivotal role in providing information as a sole medium of communication.
Along these lines, community radio act as an essential communication tool in disaster
relief due to their specific reach in geographical terms and ease of content in the local

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 language. Throughout cyclones, including Yaas, Amphan, Fani, the broadcasters advised
people on dos and don'ts according to the situation. In Odisha, the radios covered at least
5,000 habitations in its broadcast to minimize cyclones' effect on people's lives. The
government witnessed that radio was the only source of information for the people on
safety measures as disruption of telecommunication and power disconnected the affected
people from the outside world. 

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic chaos too, community radios helped several communities
with information on how to contain the spread of the virus and access the various services
and entitlements. Radio Namaskar, based in Puri, Odisha, ran a campaign, 'Say no to
Corona,' with 100 radio episodes to empower local communities with information on
preventing the spread of COVID-19. Also, there was capacity-building of 120 radio
listener groups. It played a crucial role in generating awareness, focusing on various
issues, including the condition of migrant laborers, violence against women, and child
marriage. 

'Shikshan Sarvansathi' (Education for all), a Community Radio Station initiative in

Nashik, Maharashtra, provided free education for students from 3rd to 10th grade during
the problematic time of COVID-19. They aired audio lectures, and it was accessible by all
the students studying in Zilla Parishad and Nashik Municipal schools. The programme
was broadcast in various languages, i.e., Hindi, English, Marathi, Sanskrit. The
programme benefitted more than 50,000 poor students. Under Mission Prerna, the Uttar
Pradesh state government started programmes class-wise and subject-wise on
Doordarshan UP from morning 9:00 am to 1:00 pm daily. Moreover, to better penetration
in the village for studies, the government started a programme on Aakashwani primary
channel MW 747 Khz. It is broadcasted from 11 am to 12 pm every day.  

In the late 90s, television advertisements had a significant role in creating awareness
about societal issues, including family planning, health and sanitation hygiene, and many
more. The famous 'Do boond Zindagi k' advertisement helped eradicate all poliomyelitis
(polio) infections across the country. The taboo issues in rural India, like the use of
sanitary pads during the menstrual cycle, were introduced through the famous
advertisement of Akshay Kumar. These advertisements on television helped the
government to have an entry into the rural area for their upliftment.      

9. Importance in Agriculture

Importance of Radio & Television in rural India is vital. In this growing era, our farmers
are the backbone of our country. Radio and television are two communication mediums
with a lot of potential for influencing farmers to help them grow their farms. The primary
mediums of mass communication are radio and television. The term "mass media" refers
to communication methods that may simultaneously expose vast groups of people to the
same information. The goal of mass communication is to raise public awareness and

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 disseminate technology to the broader public. Crops, cattle, fisheries, forestry, and
meteorological data are examples of technology influencing agricultural growth. These
characteristics are used in agriculture to disseminate technology. Agricultural
development is critical for fostering economic progress and supplying food to the
growing populations in most developing nations. As a result, radio and television, as mass
media outlets, are critical in the transmission of agricultural technology. In the past, radio
had a prominent role in agricultural development; but, as television sets become more
widely available at a lower cost, the importance of television in agricultural growth is
growing. A country's agricultural development is mainly dependent on its agrarian
extension delivery system. This extension delivery method disseminates the technology
developed by research institutes to farmers. The extension workers are the main strength
of the service since they directly interact with farmers using various extension approaches
to transmit technology and get it implemented for improved output. Mass media such as
radio, television, mobile phones, and the internet are complementary and supplemental
instruments for extension programmes.

10.Conclusion

Communication is an extremely effective strategy for disseminating information and

promoting rural development. Radio and television have had a major impact on our
country's socioeconomic and cultural growth. It serves as a good interpreter as well as an
informer, educator, and entertainment. Other than that Radio and television has a mail
role in improving awareness, increasing level of knowledge of the farmers and adoption
of improved agricultural technologies by the farmers and assisting them by providing
market information.
They also have effective role in increasing agricultural production and agricultural
income of the farmers. However, several constraints are still being faced by the farmers in
using radio and television in agriculture .

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