CENTRAL UNIVERSITY OF JHARKHAND

DEPARTMENT OF MASS COMMUNICATION

DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATION

TOPIC – THE ROLE OF COMMUNITY RADIO IN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATION

SESSIONAL – 1st (ASSIGNMENT)

SEMESTER – 6th

TO BE SUBMITTED TO – Dr. Sudarshan Yadav, Assistant Professor, Department of Mass

Communica on, Central University of Jharkhand

SUBMITTED BY – Ashutosh Kumar

REGISTRATION NUMBER – 22110503009

BATCH – Integrated B.A. & M.A. in Mass Communica on (2022-2027)

Role of Community Radio in Development Communication

What is Community Radio?

Community radio is a non-commercial, non-profit radio service that operates at a local level,
focusing on the needs and concerns of the community it serves. It is distinct from public and
commercial radio stations as it is owned, managed, and operated by the community. Community
radio is confined to a small geographical area. It depends on low power transmission covering
not more than 20-30 km. radius. It serves a community which uses common resources for
livelihood, has common development issues and concerns, which are relatively localised,
nevertheless connected to national and regional development goals.

Development is not easy to define as there have been divergent views among the academicians,
development experts and researchers regarding the concept. If we look at the history,
development has been conceptualized from various perspectives, in which various indicators
such as social change, modernization, progress; alternations in life-styles, Gross National
Product (GNP) etc are associated. With the change of society, there has been also change in the
concept of development as well. Various paradigms of development had a different notion about
development. In the 1950s and 1960s development theorists and practitioners conceptualized
development as economic development which can be achieved through industrialization and
urbanization. In the 1970s development included the improvement of quality life with programs
of nutritional status, maternal, child health, primary health care and transformation of
individuals as well as the social system. In the 1980s, it further incorporated issues like poverty
eradication, land reformation and providing, minimum basic needs in its concept. Similarly,
during 1990s it stressed on technological development.
Meanwhile recent development thinking has moved away from objectives of raising the GNP,
industrialization and modernization. There is, however, largely consensus that development is
process of improving the living conditions of society and its’ people. These days development
is linked with prevention of degradation of environment, preservation of scarce natural
resources or finding alternative to them, population control, and so forth. It covers a wide range
of human endeavours such as improvement of quality of life with programs of nutritional status,
maternal and child health and primary health care, transformation of individuals as well as the
social system.

Radio Sagarmatha: Nepal

Radio Sagarmatha is Nepal's first independent community broadcasting station and represents
South Asia's first effort at "independent community radio." The Sagarmatha radio station was
established with financial and technical assistance provided under UNESCO's International
Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC).
Radio Sagarmatha has been on air daily on 102.4 FM with its innovative combination of
educational, informative and entertaining programming. Radio Sagarmatha’s programmes
concern vital issues affecting the everyday lives of the citizens of Nepal's capital Kathmandu
and its environments. Radio Sagarmatha’s programmes have looked at Kathmandu's growing
problems such as air pollution, urbanisation and its impact on heritage sites, tourism, threat of
HIV/AIDS and garbage disposal. Radio Sagarmatha serves the ethnic, religious and linguistic
diversity of over two million people around the Kathmandu valley. Under Nepal's National
Communication Policy Act (1993), a special task force, Radio Sagarmatha prepared the
guidelines for the radio project. Private sector participation in FM broadcasting is one major
provision of this act. Community broadcasting is a relatively new concept in Nepal. Radio
Sagarmatha’s listeners are mostly urban citizens of Kathmandu which is the nation's social,
economic and political centre. Thus, the radio is dealing with an intelligent, informed
community. This listener profile is both a challenge as well as an opportunity. Getting attention
of this audience demands programming that is competitive, comparable and superior to what
already exists. It is an opportunity, because Sagarmatha is dealing with a public that has always
influenced Nepal's political and economic decision-making. Thus, the community radio is also
in a position to influence change. This environment shapes Radio Sagarmatha’s mission. Nepal
now has a strong community radio movement with nearly six community radio stations in
different parts of the country. Some of them have been established by people who have formed
in to community co-operative societies, deemed to be a good model to ensure community
ownership.

Community Radio in India

A very strong movement to promote community radio in India began in 1996 when a group of
communicators and academicians held a conference and pronounced the Bangalore Declaration
Community Radio. The Deccan Development Society (DDS), an NGO was supported with
funds and technical expertise to establish a community radio station in Pastapur, 100 kms south
of Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh under UNESCO's special project, entitled "Women Speaking
to Women Community Radio." The DDS involved around 70 women's organisations, most of
which have been set up by the Dalit women for the managing and production of the programmes
for this radio station. Currently, the studio facilities are being used to produce and distribute
audio-cassettes on the issues related to women's empowerment. However, actual broadcasting
at the station, in spite of its long-time readiness to go on air, has not begun because the Central
Government has not approved the DDS's request for a community broadcasting licence.
The government does not want community radio to become, "a platform to air provocative,
political content that does not serve any purpose except to divide people". There is provision
for the communities to buy time from AIR service and run their programmes. In this scheme of
things, the ownership of the radio stations vests with a public corporation. Within this legal
framework, there have been successful instances of community broadcasting in the country.
Namma Dhwani is a partnership between the Boodikote community in Kolar district,
MYRADA, an NGO committed to integrated development and VOICES, a development
communications NGO, based in Bangalore with technical support from AIR, Bangalore. The
programmes produced by this radio centre are broadcasted from AIR.

Conclusion:
Community or local media have significant role to play in rural development. Although like all
other mass media, the basic or direct function of this local radio is to provide the rural
community information on various contemporary issues that is happening everyday around the
community, country and beyond. It focuses on the programs that would be helpful to the rural
and agriculturally based people. However, being the single or handful communication media
being exist in the locality, it has divergent roles to play ultimately contributing to social change
and development of rural community. On one hand, it could be source of education for some
members of the community as it provides important lesson learned and share experiences of
others while on the other hand, it could also be the medium for inspiration or encouragement
for many. It could also be a tool to express their voices against social injustices and
discriminations being faced in the society and empowering themselves. The local radios could
also play vital role in checking the widespread crimes, corruptions and other irregularities that
is happening in the country and community and play the role of watch dog in a democracy. A
community radio is an effective means of social change. It can play a vital role promoting local
language, culture, development, co-operation and harmony in the society. It also makes the local
people aware of their rights and duties. The community radio gives opportunity to express
problems, success, grievances experiences, ideas and talent. Al in all, the local or community
media provides a forum to rural people, provides important information, awareness, empowers
them and contributes to the sustainable development of the society.
Community radio has proven to be a powerful tool for development communication in India.
By addressing key issues such as education, health, women's empowerment, agriculture,
employment, cultural revival, and governance, it has successfully bridged the information gap
for marginalized communities. Unlike mainstream media, community radio fosters local
participation, engagement, and empowerment, making it a sustainable and effective medium for
driving social change. With continued government support, policy reforms, and increased
community participation, community radio has the potential to further strengthen rural
development, amplify grassroots voices, and build an inclusive and informed society. Its role in
fostering socio-economic progress makes it an essential pillar of India's development
communication landscape.

REFERENCES:

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