Capitalising on Communication

This opinion article focuses on the author's observation of the abandonment of public service communication in India. The author expresses the wish that "social scientists would discover a[n] equation which could establish the relationship between investments in tangible infrastructure and intangible communication."

In promoting the development of public service communication infrastructure, the author cites the following: "The power and effectiveness of a well-conceived and creatively executed communication programme is well established. Decades ago, agriculture benefited from “radio-rice” (so called because the new variety was popularised via radio), and the green revolution was spurred and propagated through communication. The success of the child immunisation programme in the 1980s and the pulse polio campaign now owes much to communication. Awareness of farmer suicides and movements... have also been driven by communication."


The author discusses the situation of Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India), India's national public broadcaster comprised of Doordarshan television and All India Radio. As stated here, it was "created to play the role of a public-service broadcaster, [and now is] ... a poor copy of private, commercial broadcasters... [It is] continuously under financial pressure and being told to raise its revenues, forcing it to become increasingly commercial." The author's suggested alternative is that private channels be required to set aside time for public-service programmes or messages.

In addition, the author recommends the internet and mobile technology be used as tools to transform critical areas like health and agricultural extension, which require "a mix of mass, group and inter-personal communication". However,"even as the potential reach - through mobile telecom and [Direct To Home, a type of satellite dish] DTH, for example - has vastly increased, the sphere of public service communication seems to have shrunk. Huge investments in the hard-infrastructure are not yielding their full socio-economic benefits because of inadequate investments in public-service communication." The article suggests that investment in communication can, in some situations, be a substitute for investment in physical infrastructure, "saving time and money, thereby increasing efficiency and accelerating growth." It calls for "...greater governmental investment and support - though not interference."