Radio as a

Development
Medium

By Vartik Chaturvedi
BJMC: SHIFT 1
BATCH: 2021-4
 INDEX
• Development through Community Media.
• Why Radio is the Best Option?
• Radio as a Community Media
• Community Radio Projects Worldwide.
• UNESCO PROJECTS
• Entertainment Education
• Community Radio in India
• Government Guidelines for Community Radio
• THEN VS NOW
• Changes that can be Done
Development through
Community Media

Any form of media that focuses on community

participation with the goal of transforming society is
known as community media.
- Empowerment of vulnerable communities and
population who are isolated geographically or culturally
through media channels.
Why Radio is the best option?
Radio is the first true mass medium of communication.
Radio is possibly the most important medium for of
community media in developing countries.
- Financially very accessible – over 75% of
households have access to a radio.
- Relatively inexpensive to produce, and distribute.
- Can be used to communicate to someone illiterate,
unlike print media.
Radio as a Community Media

Radio operating according to a social agenda and promoting

sustainable development is a true social service provider.
- Involve population in decision making, participation process,
stimulate public debate, promote civic rights, help held
authorities accountable towards citizens.
Community radio projects
worldwide
Breeze FM, Zambia
- “Budget tracking through local
radio”
Questions local officials about
where government funding is
usually locally.
 Loliondo FM,
Tanzania
Loliondo FM constitute is the only radio to
broadcast from and for Ngorongoro district.
Serves a Masai community, and acts as the
only source of information, as no newspaper
is being delivered in the local Masai
language.
UNESCO PROJECTS
1. Community radios in Africa – enabling isolated
communities across the continent to voice their
concerns and to access news on issues of local
interest.
2. United Nations Educational, Scientific &
Cultural Organisation says 5 radios per 100
inhabitants is necessary for minimal
development.
Entertainment Education
It means using media strategically both to entertain
and to educate audiences about development issues.
- They rely on formative research of audience
segments, largely of focus groups and survey.
- Most commonly air government funded programs
– Family planning, AIDS prevention etc.
 Community Radio in India
In 1996, VOICES – a development
communications based NGO based out of
Bangalore organized a gathering of
community radio stakeholders, declaring
calling for the establishment of a third tier
of broadcasting, i.e. community
broadcasting was signed.
Government
Guidelines
for
2003 Community
– First Radio
set of community radio guidelines
were released by the government of India,
restricted eligibility to educational institutes only.
2006 – New guidelines were released which
permitted NGOs, educational institutes and
agricultural institutes.
THEN VS NOW
THEN - 1st Community based radio station was
licensed to an NGO in 15th October 2008, by
Deccan Development Society in Pastapur
Village, Medak District, Andhra Pradesh.
NOW - In 31st May 2019, Ministry of
information & Broadcasting has listed 251
operational community radio stations in India.
Changes that can be done
Central Government controls communication channels and the
current licensing mechanism to commence community radio
services is lengthy and bureaucratic.
- Change in government policy and formulating
comprehensive community radio guidelines.
- Certain restriction on broadcasting news and current affairs
needs to be taken off.
- States to be empowered to further popularize this important
medium of communication.
References
1. https://en.unesco.org/radioict/press/
2. https://medium.com/bharatinclusion/
3. https://www.ukessays.com/essays/media/
4. https://www.ciiblog.in/
5. http://communication.iresearchnet.com/develop
ment-communication
/
 THE END
THANK YOU!