Prospects and Challenges of Institutionalised Community Radio Initiatives: An Exploration

Abstract - provided by the authors:

Problem Statement: The first phase of the Indian policy on community radio (CR), which aimed at bringing development through localised media to the voiceless, supported and provided priority for licensing to the educational institutions of the nation, with the major objective being efficiency in handling technology and developing programmes. Today, the revised CR policy in India allows various organisations and development bodies to acquire a license for starting a CR station for the people. With 32 stations operational in India currently, as many as 4,000 are in pipeline. A lot of funds are pumped in for operation and sustenance of institutionalised campus stations, and the initial interest and faith of the CR players in this model needs to be examined.

Methodology: The present study was an attempt to provide insights into the functioning of CR setups in different colleges. Researchers sought to evaluate the effectiveness of the model and to gain insights into the factors contributing to a successful institutionalised CR setup. It also aimed to document and compare the process of initiative development and functioning, as well as to analyse the process of content development and extent of people's participation. The study was carried out in two locales - namely, Delhi, which proved to be a hub for many institutionalised CR setups, and Tonk, Rajasthan, where a rural setup was functioning. Researchers first obtained the consent of the five institutes, four of them in Delhi (Delhi University, Jamia Milia Islamia Mass Communication Research Centre (MCRC), Indian Institute of Mass Communication, and Jagannath Institute of Management Studies) and one in Tonk, Rajasthan (Banasthali Vidyapeeth). Interviews were conducted with multiple stakeholders involved in the functioning of the setups to gain insights and seek information on CR as a tool for enhancing development. After initial visits to the radio stations, interviews were conducted with the working heads of the station. This helped to gain knowledge on various issues of CR broadcasting, namely: objectives of the station, funding pattern, audience catered to, human resources and availability of staff, technology details, programming pattern, content decisions and development, process of content generation and involvement of the community, capacity building, feedback and evaluation strategies, and the way the future of CR is foreseen. Thereafter, listeners of each of the stations were contacted to develop an understanding of the same dimensions from their perspectives and to analyse their level of understanding and connection with the CR.

Major Findings: It was observed that all the stations had been developed with the major objective of awareness generation among the community, though discrepancies were seen in the definition of "community" amongst the supervisors and the staff. The programme producers were mainly students who are transitory in nature as a population group; so, as they graduate and move off campus, lack of permanent human resources became a matter of concern, especially for the mass communication institutes. Funds were not a major problem for them, as they receive funds from the universities. Training of the programme producers was construed as being accomplished through a variety of methods, though all the heads felt that the staff lacked field exposure and training in reference to feedback generation, especially in urban CRs. CRs of institutes with mass communication courses serve as training labs for students to gain exposure of the formats of communication and thereby in future secure employment in the commercial sector. With regard to content decisions, what goes on air is generally determined by members of the station and does not involve the community, except in the rural CR under study. The types of programming and formats followed vary according to the choice of the members. Feedback mechanisms were not in place to review the impact of the programmes on the lives of people. People nonetheless seemed hopeful when assessing the CR model; they seemed to be positive about the CR in their area. The picture in rural CR seemed a lot different than in the urban stations. The connection between the rural listeners and the CR seemed much stronger, due to the unavailability of other forms of media and the community participation in the CR. Thus, the listeners felt more connected and happy with the station. According to the heterogeneous urban listeners, the CRs seemed to require a lot of publicity, community interaction and involvement, issue-based programming, and increased reach. Though each CR seemed to have specific problems, the one in the rural area seemed like the picture of hope for the model to be followed.

Lessons Learned: The study concludes with a few suggestions. For instance, institutes can act as background catalysts for taking the CR to the community instead of bringing the community to the station. Other key points include: utilising local leadership, arranging proper orientation of CR staff, conducting research to study impact of the CR, and making top-down models of communication more participatory by bringing in networks with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and locally operating organisations to enhance community involvement. There is a need to question the basic aim and thereby categorise the CR accordingly as a pure campus radio or a CR, with community being understood as both the youth on campus and the people around it.