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THE ROLE OF COMMUNITY RADIO IN EMPOWERMENT
AND SOCIAL CHANGE: AN ANALYSIS OF RADIO JAMIA
90.4 FM, DELHI AND SANGHAM RADIO 90.4 FM, MEDAK,
ANDHRA PRADESH.
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
by
Moina Khan
(Enrolment No. 100165550)
Supervisor:
Prof. Dr. Shambhu Nath Singh
School of Journalism and New Media Studies
Indira Gandhi National Open University
Maidan Garhi, New Delhi - 110068
2014
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DECLARATION
I hereby declare that the work embodied in this dissertation entitled “The
Role of Community Radio in Empowerment and Social Change: “An
analysis of Radio Jamia 90.4 FM, Delhi and Sangham Radio 90.4 FM,
Medak, Andhra Pradesh” carried out by me under the supervision of Dr.
Shambhu Nath Singh, Professor, School of Journalism and New Media
Studies, Indira Gandhi National Open University. This has not been
submitted for any degree either in part or in full to this university or any
other university.
This is my original research work which I have done under the
guidance and supervision of my guide.
Signature Moina Khan Date
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CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the Dissertation entitled The Role of Community Radio
in Empowerment and Social Change: An Analysis of Radio Jamia 90.4 FM,
Delhi and Sangham Radio 90.4 FM, Medak, Andhra Pradesh submitted by
Moina Khan having Enrolment Number 100165550 for the partial
fulfillment of the requirements of Doctor of Philosophy Degree of the
School of Journalism and New Media Studies of IGNOU, embodies their
original work carried out under my supervision.
Place: ________________ Signature of the Supervisor
Date: ________________
Name: Dr. Shambhu Nath Singh
Professor, School of Journalism
and New Media Studies, Indira
Gandhi National Open University
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
It was not without a sense of scepticism that I have ventured into this theme of the
study. It was indeed the active support and scholarly advice of my Supervisor Prof.
Dr. Shambhu Nath Singh, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), which
has converted my initial scepticism into active involvement in the study. Therefore
first and foremost I express my deep sense of gratitude and thanks to Prof. Dr.
Shambhu Nath Singh for the continuous guidance and support. I am equally thankful
and grateful to Dr.Kiron Bansal, Director, School of Journalism and New Media
Studies, IGNOU, for her support and guidance during the course work of the PhD
Programme. I am appreciative to Mr. Arul Selvan, Associate Professor, IGNOU and
Dr.Usha Chandar, Research Officer, IGNOU for their continuous direction during
various stages of the programme. I am thankful to all those present during my pre
submission seminar for their valuable suggestions.
I express my gratitude to Dr. G.R. Syed, In Charge Radio Jamia 90.4 FM, Delhi;
Algole Narsamma and General Narsamma, Programmers, Sangham Radio 90.4 FM,
for providing insightful information about the respective stations for the study. I am
indebted to all the respondents of the study in Delhi and Telangana for providing the
much needed information. This research would not have been possible without the
help and hospitality of Mr.Quadri and family from Bidar; Mr.Jayraj from Sangham
Radio; Principal, Oxford School, Zaheerabad; my uncle Mohd.Yusuf from
Hyderabad; Dr.Krishna Shanker Kusuma and Prof.B Diwaker my teachers from Jamia
Millia Islamia University; Mr. Khizar Ahmed from Vijayawada; Mr. Suresh Kumar;
Mrs.Salma Iqbal, Mrs Zeenat Zulfikhar, Rubina, Tayyaba and Mrs.Rehana.
Most importantly thank you God for making me capable enough to take up and
complete this project. My project would not have been possible without the
encouragement of my family. I sincerely thank my dad, Prof. Mujtaba Khan for his
constant guidance, answering all my weird questions and often clearing my concepts,
my mom Munavwar Jahan Begum who taught me how to write when I was a child
and because of whom now I am able to convey my ideas creatively and intelligently,
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my husband Advocate Aaga Khan for his constant encouragement and providing me
the time, environment and often accompanying me to easily and efficiently complete
the project, my sister Maria Khan who is soon going to become a doctor herself kept
poking me to complete my project and become a doctor before her, and our cousin
Shaziba Khan for making things easy and providing me time by taking charge of other
important things. I am equally thankful to Dr. Pramod Asthana, IPS, for his
intellectual insights, and appreciative to Poornima aunty and Palu.
Lastly but most importantly thank you Sony Vaio and Microsoft for making the
compilation of thesis work so smooth and faster. I can’t even imagine how my
supervisor and my dad completed their thesis without you!!
Moina Khan
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ABSTRACT
This thesis is a descriptive study placed within the theoretical framework of
participatory paradigm analyzing the role of community radio stations, a relatively
new form of media spread in the rural and urban areas of India. The growth of this
alternative medium in India is beset with the twin challenges of its effectiveness and
acceptance among its audience. The objective of the study is to understand the role of
community radio in empowering its audience through encouraging self reliance,
sustainability and self development thereby promoting social change among those it
caters to. For this a comparative analysis of a community radio station Sangham
Radio 90.4 FM in Telangana, functioning in the rural settings and Radio Jamia 90.4
FM in Delhi, functioning in the urban settings of India is done with the data collected
through qualitative as well as quantitative techniques with an interpretive approach
from the point of view of audience. The figures, narratives, and comments
collectively analysed not only provide an answer to the role of community radio in
empowerment and social change but also present a way forward in the form of
suggestions for a better functioning of community radio stations in India.
While introducing alternative radio, the chapter I explores its relevance in global
environment and traces the history and development of community radio in various
parts of the world and India per se. The hypothesis and research questions raised
conform to the purpose and broader objectives for the study.
Chapter II delves into the background of how development was defined and redefined
tracing various studies and literature from ‘dominant’ to ‘dependency’ to ‘another
development’ era. While demonstrating various real life examples of community
radio’s role in development and change, the chapter sketches various studies and
literature from within the participatory paradigm. The literature from the participatory
paradigm provides a deductive approach to the study with the conceptual framework
derived from Mc Quail’s democratic participant media theory, Paulo Freire’s
Participatory model and participatory media characteristics given by Servaes and
Malikhao.
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Chapter III provides a detailed research design starting with explanation of what
triggered the research problem and prompted to undertake the study, selection of
subjects, qualitative and quantitative data collection tools utilised, selection and
specifications of sample selected, and method of analysis. It also introduces the
subjects of the study; the two radio stations Sangham Radio 90.4 FM and Radio Jamia
90.4 FM with background, audience connect, programming objectives and strategies
of the respective stations.
While Chapter IV and V document the data collected through survey, observation,
interaction analysis and in depth interviews for Sangham Radio 90.4 FM and Radio
Jamia 90.4 FM respectively in the form of tables and graphs besides the respondents’
narratives and comments are detailed out. An individual analysis of the qualitative
and quantitative data for the stations along with the conceptual framework derived
from participatory paradigm provides an evaluative and analytical view of station’s
role in empowerment and social change for its audience.
In the final Chapter VI, with the results attained from individual station analysis, a
comparative analysis with graphical representation of data of both the stations is done
while revisiting the defined research objectives. Findings of comparative analysis are
used to generalize the results and understand the role of community radio in rural and
urban settings of India in empowering its audience in order to embark them at the
threshold of a change and development. Generalizations of results also provide
various observations for an improved functioning and effective positioning of
community radio stations in the face of challenges let loose by the dominant
commercial media.
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CONTENTS
Page No.
Chapter I. Towards the Alternative Radio: An
Introduction 1-34
1.1 Background and Introduction 2-32
1.2 Hypothesis 32
1.3 Objectives of the study 32-33
1.4 Research Questions 33
Chapter II. Remodeling Development: Review of Literature 35-74
2.1 Literature for the study 36-66
2.2 Theoretical framework for the study 66-72
2.3 Significance of the study 72-74
Chapter III. Evaluating the role of Indian Participatory Radio:
The Methodology 75-107
3.1 Research Design 77-79
3.2 Defining Variables 79-82
3.3 Selection of Community radio stations 82-99
3.4 Sampling Technique 100-102
3.5 Data collection tools 103-105
3.6 Method for analysis 105-106
3.7 Ethical considerations 106
3.8 Research design diagram 107
Chapter IV. Participatory trend in rural settings- Sangham
Radio 90.4 FM: Findings, Analysis and Discussion 108-148
4.1 Sangham Radio 90.4 FM listeners’ trend 111-121
4.2 Sangham Radio 90.4 FM non listeners’ trend 121-129
4.3 Understanding Sangham Radio 90.4 FM as a participatory
media for the community 129-148
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Chapter V. Participatory trend in urban settings- Radio Jamia 90.4 FM:
Findings, Analysis and Discussion 149-185
5.1 Radio Jamia 90.4 FM listeners’ trend 151-161
5.2 Radio Jamia 90.4 FM non listeners’ trend 162-171
5.3 Understanding Radio Jamia 90.4 FM as a participatory
media for the Community 171-185
Chapter VI. Developmental Radio in Indian rural and urban settings:
Comparison, Suggestions, Conclusion 186-221
6.1 Radio Jamia 90.4 FM v/s Sangham Radio 90.4 FM 188-207
6.2 Suggestions for community radio functioning 207-214
6.3 Research objectives and hypothesis revisited 214-219
6.4 Contribution to new knowledge while giving scope to
future researchers 220-221
Bibliography 222-237
Annexure/Questionnaires 238-256
Annexure A- Radio Jamia 90.4 FM Listeners questionnaire 238-240
Annexure B- Radio Jamia 90.4 FM Non Listeners questionnaire 241-242
Annexure C- Sangham Radio 90.4 FM Listeners questionnaire 243-246
Annexure C 1- Sangham Radio 90.4 FM Listeners questionnaire- Telugu 247-250
Annexure D- Sangham Radio 90.4 FM Non Listeners questionnaire 251-253
Annexure D 1- Sangham Radio 90.4 FM Non Listeners questionnaire- Telugu 254-256
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LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES
Page No.
Chapter I. Figures
The Social Change Model by NCLP 13
Chapter III. Figures
Diagram: Research design for the study 107
Chapter III. Tables
Table 3.1 Sangham Radio 90.4 FM (Sampling technique) 101
Table 3.2 Radio Jamia 90.4 FM (Sampling technique) 102
Chapter IV. Figures
Graph 1 Sangham Radio target audience 132
Graph 2 Listening habit of Sangham listeners 132
Graph 3 Sangham Radio listeners’ participation 133
Graph 4 Sangham listeners’ involvement in decision making 133
Graph 5 Dependence on Sangham Radio for information need 137
Graph 6 Sangham Radio existence knowledge 137
Graph 7 Reason for not listening Sangham often 139
Graph 8 Non listeners of Sangham Radio 139
Graph 9 Sangham Radio existence knowledge 140
Graph 10 Sangham Radio’s popularity 140
Graph 11 Sangham Radio contribution in area development 142
Graph 12 Perception about Sangham’s involvement in area development 143
Graph 13 Preference for a radio station representing community/area 143
Graph 14 Relating Community radio with development 144
Graph 15 Information provided by Sangham different from other media 144
Graph 16 Development through Sangham Radio 145
Graph 17 Listeners view on importance of Sangham in village 147
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Chapter IV. Tables
Table 4.1 Listeners’ understanding of Sangham Radio 112
Table 4.2 Sangham Radio’s involvement with listeners 113
Table 4.3 Listeners’ view on Sangham Radio content 113
Table 4.4 Association of Community Radio with development 114
Table 4.5 Sangham Radio Knowledge 123
Table 4.6 Respondents’ idea of development 124
Table 4.7 Associating Community Radio with development 124
Chapter V. Figures
Graph 1 Radio Jamia target audience 174
Graph 2 Listening habits of Radio Jamia listeners 174
Graph 3 Listeners’ participation in programming 175
Graph 4 Listeners’ involvement in decision making for Radio Jamia content 175
Graph 5 Dependence on Radio Jamia for information need 177
Graph 6 Radio Jamia existence knowledge 177
Graph 7 Reason for not listening Radio Jamia 90.4 FM 178
Graph 8 Non listeners for Radio Jamia 178
Graph 9 Radio Jamia existence knowledge 180
Graph 10 Radio Jamia popularity in its radius 180
Graph 11 Radio Jamia’s contribution in listeners area development 181
Graph 12 Respondents’ perception on Radio Jamia’s involvement in
developing their area 181
Graph 13 Preference for a radio station representing area/community 183
Graph 14 Respondents perception about a community radio 183
Chapter V. Tables
Table 5.1 Listeners’ understanding of Radio Jamia 152
Table 5.2 Radio Jamia’s involvement with listeners 153
Table 5.3 Listeners’ view on Radio Jamia content 154
Table 5.4 Association of Community Radio with development 155
Table 5.5 Radio Jamia Knowledge 163
Table 5.6 Respondents’ idea of development 163
Table 5.7 Associating Community Radio with development 164
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Chapter VI. Figures
Graph 1 Target audience for Radio Jamia and Sangham Radio 190
Graph 2 Listeners’ participation trend in Radio Jamia and Sangham Radio 190
Graph 3 Listeners’ decision making trend in Radio Jamia and Sangham Radio 192
Graph 4 Listeners’ dependence for information need on Radio Jamia and
Sangham Radio 192
Graph 5 Listeners’ perception about their station content being different than
other media 194
Graph 6 Information about station’s existence 195
Graph 7 Contribution in listeners’ area development 197
Graph 8 Respondents’ area/community development perception for their
Respective stations 197
Graph 9 Respondents’ perception about community radio and social change 201
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“George Orwell in Nineteen Eighty-Four warned us of a society controlled by Big
Brother. Is that what we are encountering today when we see so many people in poor
communities tuning into western dominated ideals of the rich consumer society?
Orwell was very concerned about the socialist drives of the industrial age. But
perhaps he was also warning about the take over of society by a democratic political
power driven to degradation by these very industrial drives and by the easy resort to
globalization of media.” (Fraser & Estrada, 2001)
The 20th
Century marked the beginning of globalisation and as we entered the era of
21st
century we were already deep into what Marshall Mc Luhan termed the world; a
global village (The Gutenberg Galaxy: The making of typographic man, 1962).
However, amidst of this century, the world somehow started realising the essence of
native and aboriginal values. While being global we started to incline towards local.
The ideas of individuality, identity, ideology, representation, recognition and self
development suddenly started to gain momentum. Globalisation somewhere made us
realise the importance of local and individual development and hence the need of
alternative media.
Alternative media is any kind of media-Print, Radio, Television, Online etc…that runs
parallel to and fulfils the needs and requirements that a mainstream media fails to do.
About the mainstream media, Noam Chomsky states, ―They are the ones with the big
resources; they set the framework in which everyone operates. Their audience is
mostly privileged people, people who are wealthy or part of what is sometimes called
the political class. They are basically managers of one sort or another. They can be
political managers, business managers, university professors or other journalists who
are involved in organizing the way people think and look at things. What they interact
with and relate to are other major power centers -- the government or other
corporations or universities.‖(Chomsky, 1997) ―Enzensberger distinguished between
the repressive use of media – centrally controlled, with one-way flow of messages,
produced by specialists for isolated individuals, and promoting passive consumption;
and an emancipatory use of media – decentralized, linking many to many, fostering
interactivity, collectively produced and actively used, promoting collective
mobilization. (Gabriel, 2005) People tend to get attracted with programmes having
their native flavors. Even global media is pushing itself into local programming with
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region, religion and culture specific content. Entertainment and commercialism has
become an important ingredient for private media. With extreme commercialism and
the market race, many sections of the society and relevant socio cultural issues tend to
get ignored by the mainstream media. Democratization of media through alternative
media is the solution for all such issues.
Why Alternative media?
Alternative media may represent a group, a marginalized community, and blurs the
line between producers and consumers of the message. It is essentially a social,
political and economic phenomenon as compared to its counterpart which is
essentially providing audience to the advertisers competing in the global market.
Acting as a citizen journalist for a community newspaper, blogging, vlogging,
painting ones voice as a graffiti on wall or voicing own thoughts on air on a non
commercial radio for women; all of this is participating in alternative media. It has got
various names; Radical media, activist, third tier, independent, citizen‘s media, and
free media. The popular US video magazine, radical software started in 1970, after
low cost video equipment availability in the States talks about alternative media in
general and radical video sphere in specific, ―The media must be liberated, must be
removed from private ownership and commercial sponsorship, must be placed in the
service of all humanity. We must make the media believable. We must assume
conscious control over the Videosphere. We must wrench the intermedia network free
from the archaic and corrupt intelligence that now dominates it.‖ (Youngblood Gene,
1970, p.16) This kind of media works on some basic principles of access,
participation and decision making. Access in the sense of using the media and
choosing to make programmes according to the requirement. It is not just the content
which is relevant but also the process, with which the content is created, presented
and delivered. Participation allows the audience to get involved and extends the role
of media in not only informing or communicating but also conversing. Decision
making challenges the agenda setting model of the bourgeois media by fully involving
people in structuralising and organising the media, and formulating plans for effective
communication.
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Alternative media should be taken as an opportunity to revive the purpose of mass
communication. The main aim of mass media is somewhere lost with concepts of
economy, market and globalisation. Result is we as audience get what the media and
the economic theory wants us to achieve. We as audience, we as readers, we as
community, we as society and we as a state know better about our own society and
nation than a white collared editor or journalist, politician or policy maker who sets
our agenda. To be an alternative media it‘s not important to only discuss negativities,
poverty, calamities but it is necessary that different sections of society get exposure
and opportunity to represent themselves and their thoughts. Welcoming every opinion
from the community with shades of black, white and even grey is supposed to be the
agenda of alternative media. Communication should be a multi dimensional and
interactive process allowing opinions from everywhere. An ideal and effective
alternative medium unlike mainstream media does not emphasize on creating fairy
tales with sophisticated and professional production techniques but its main highlight
is clear and understandable information and conversation put up in a creative manner.
Today‘s new form of media doesn‘t require training to be a journalist but we all are
citizen journalists if we have the courage and spirit to raise our own and our
community‘s voice.
“It is unfortunate that the so-called radio professionals have set certain artistic
production standards which could intimidate the regular village people. The irony is
that the so-called professional productions cannot compete with programmes done by
the inexperienced village people. The professionals forget that the ultimate judge of a
radio programme is the listener.” (Allard, 1990)
―Who says what to whom and with what effect‖, the standard communication model
of the scientist Harold Laswell continues to be the most popular prescription for
communication even today. Sending social messages to keep the environment clean
and green through various mass mediums using effective pictures and quoting the ill
effects of a polluted environment, can shock the audience and pause them to think that
moment, but does not ensure that the person will practice what is preached. This is
just information exchange. What one needs is knowledge that comes through
involvement, participation and dialogue. A more sophisticated and action oriented
communication system lies in the alternative approach. The alternative form of media
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focuses on democratisation, information exchange and participation at various levels.
―Every nation needs to define development for it and find its own strategy‖ (Servaes,
1989 in Srampickal, 2006). Every society has a different communication need and
hence requires a suitable development strategy. The members of a particular society
are the appropriate judges to determine what they require for their own development.
Alternative media facilitates it‘s audience to define as well as practice development.
Community radio has to be viewed from this perspective and in this sense it is a
medium that enables communication for development involving the community
members to identify vital issues of social life, design a strategy, initiate dialogue,
exchange information, get involved and find a solution.
World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters, AMARC defines community
radio as:
“When radio fosters the participation of citizens and defends their interests; when it
reflects the tastes of the majority and makes good humour and hope its main purpose;
when it truly informs; when it helps resolve the thousand and one problems of daily
life; when all ideas are debated in its programs and all opinions are respected; when
cultural diversity is stimulated over commercial homogeneity; when women are main
players in communication and not simply a pretty voice or a publicity gimmick; when
no type of dictatorship is tolerated, not even the musical dictatorship of the big
recording studios; when everyone's words fly without discrimination or censorship,
that is community radio.” (José Ignacio Lopez Vigil, 1997)
What is community radio?
Once community was assumed to be a group of people living in a common location
sharing similar culture, values and beliefs. However the global village phenomenon
has actually changed the traditional meanings of community. Community is no longer
limited to a location, however is characterized with having something common among
its individual members who might not be limited with proximity. The community in
order to have a life of its own should have a sense of freedom and security. This sense
of connection among the community members forms the basis of development in any
society. The philosophy of associating and bringing individuals together was kept
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alive through clubs, religious and cultural groups, coffee houses etc….However in the
present era it is a different scenario and a discussion over a cup of coffee has turned
into online forums and on air discussions. Preeti an avid listener of Radio Mewat, a
community radio station in Mewat, Haryana, states in a conversation, ―I know less
people personally but know many through voices on Radio Mewat. Radio has given
me many friends‖. (Personal Conversation, 2012) Radio due to other technological
advancements might not be the most preferred medium throughout the world but it
continues its charm with being more personal, local, informal, friendly, accessible,
creative, imaginative and reachable. German playwright and author Bertolt Brecht
states in his work, ‗the Radio as an Apparatus of Communication‘,
"Radio is one sided when it should be two. It is purely an apparatus for distributing,
for mere sharing out. So here is a positive suggestion: change this apparatus over
from distribution to communication. The radio would be the finest possible
communication apparatus in public life, a vast network of pipes. That is to say, it
would be if it knew how to receive as well as transmit, how to let the listener speak as
well as hear, how to bring him into a relationship instead of isolating him. On this
principle the radio should step out of the supply business and organise its listeners as
suppliers." (Bertolt Bretch in Hill, 2004)
Radio as a medium is more efficient and has an ability to share rather than just
transmit information. Sharing among its audience makes the communication through
radio, a two way process. Listeners should be encouraged not only to hear but also to
speak, share, inform, and bind themselves into a relationship, to build a connection
not only with radio but a number of people listening to radio. It‘s not the producers or
programmers who should supply programmes but the listeners should create
programmes for listeners. Bretch very aptly connects radio to an alternative use where
the community can become the information suppliers for their own community. Here
the function of the medium is in actuality where the identity of the listener is of a
producer and identity of the station is of a development tool. ''The historical
philosophy of community radio is to use this medium as the voice of the voiceless, the
mouthpiece of oppressed people (be it on racial, gender, or class grounds) and
generally as a tool for development. Community radio is defined as having three
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aspects: non-profit making, community ownership and control, community
participation. ''It should be made clear that community radio is not about doing
something for the community but about the community doing something for itself, i.e.
owning and controlling its own means of communication.'' (AMARC, 1998) A
community radio as a strong form of alternative media promises actual development if
effectively used. It is a medium that does not help the community instead initiates self
help and develops the ability of the community in not only recognizing its problems
and potentials but also using that potential to determine ways to solve and ultimately
find a solution to the problem.
Community radio has been defined differently by various sets of communities using
the medium around the world. These are some of the functional definitions that they
have come up with their own experiences.
“Community radio in the commercially dominated media system community radio
means radio in the community, for the community, about the community and by the
community. There is a wide participation from regular community members with
respect to management and production of programs. This involvement of community
members distinguishes it from the dominant commercial media in the Philippines that
are operated for PPPP - profit, propaganda, power, politics, privilege, etc. Serving
the big P (people or public) is a token gesture mainly to justify existence in the
government bureaucratic licensing procedures. Stations collectively operated by the
community people. Stations dedicated to development, education and people
empowerment. Stations which adhere to the principles of democracy and
participation.” (AMARC)
''Firstly, Community Radio is characterized by the active participation of the
community in the process of creating news, information, entertainment and culturally
relevant material, with an emphasis on local issues and concerns. With training, local
producers can create programmes using local voices. The community can also
actively participate in the management of the station and have a say in the scheduling
and content of the programmes. Secondly, it is essentially a non-profit enterprise. In
these days of highly commercialized broadcasting, the ethos of community radio
remains independence and responsibility to serve the community, not the advertiser.
As the station is owned by the community, it also maintains some responsibility in the
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running of the station. Thirdly, community radio programming is designed by the
community, to improve social conditions and the quality of its cultural life. The
community itself decides what its priorities and needs are in terms of information
provision.''(VOICES, India in AMARC).
''Radio stations that practice radio broadcasting as a community service and see
communication as a universal right. That seek to build a common path to support one
another and strengthen our people's communication. Radio stations that see
themselves as an integral part of the community in which they participate. As media,
they develop pluralistic and participatory communication that is open to the need for
expression of the social and cultural sectors with less access to exclusively
commercial media. That exercises the right to communication and, particularly, the
right to information. That exercise radio broadcasting as a service, and not simply as
a commercially profitable activity.'' (Federacion Argentina de Radios Comunitarias,
FARCO, Argentina in AMARC.)
Community communication through radio
Radio as a medium is more personal, intimate and native than any other means of
communication. It has the capacity to connect with the audience locally, emotionally,
nostalgically and humorously. The medium has the inherent capacity to be interesting
with its sounds, narratives, storytelling and anecdotal style. Being very close to
listeners it creates an identity in their minds, an identity which is imaginative and is of
the listener‘s own. When such a strong medium is put to cater to a narrower audience
it works even more effectively. A community radio initiates interaction and action
among its community members. Stuart hall‘s analysis that of messages being
interpreted and decoded differently depending upon one‘s cultural and traditional
background fits into community communication aspect. When communication
happens within a specific context or premise, the communication process becomes
more effective. In case of a community radio which has a narrower audience, the
premise is the community to which it caters. The chances of same message being
interpreted differently here are less due to similar things common among its audience
that can be culture, community, background, orientation etc..., which serves as a
reference point for shared interpretations. Even if there is any difference in
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interpretation of the message by its audience it‘s easier to understand the dissimilarity
by referring to common and uncommon features.
“An effective strategy for the community radio station is to present what cannot be
offered by any other radio station; that is, local content with a local flavour... The
local radio station must dwell on its strongest reason for existence - local events,
issues, concerns, and personalities. If a local station can do an exhaustive reportage
of what goes on in its community on a regular basis, there is no way a regional or
national broadcast outfit could compete for listenership. The element of proximity is
the most potent quality that the community radio should capitalize on. People will be
enthusiastic to know on a daily or even hourly basis about the people and events
unfolding next to their place of abode” (Tabing, 1998)
Social change through community radio
Empowerment is the essence for development. This kind of development is much
more than infrastructural. It is the improvement and nourishment of individuals and
social structures. Without empowerment, development and change is difficult to
achieve. Decision making power, capacity, ability, capability, freedom, choice, and
participation are the terms synonymous to empowerment. It is multi faceted approach
that provides control to individuals on their own lives and gives them an opportunity
to improve it. It is a phenomenon that questions what is right and wrong in the society
and challenges power and authorities around us. Communication and empowerment
are relative terms. Without empowerment, communication is a mere exertion of
power rather than a powerful process. Communication should be such that it intends
to empower the people with information and awareness. McClelland (1975), ―in order
for people to take power, they need to gain information about themselves and their
environment and be willing to identify and work with others for change,‖ Whitmore
(1988) defines empowerment as, ―an interactive process through which people
experience personal and social change, enabling them to take action to achieve
influence over the organizations and institutions which affect their lives and the
communities in which they live.‖ (Whitmore in Lord and Hutchison, 1993). ―Lord
and Hutchison (1993, p. 6-7) noted Kieffer‘s (1984) work on personal empowerment
wherein he ―labels empowerment as a developmental process which includes four
stages: entry, advancement, incorporation, and commitment.‖ ―The entry stage
appears to be motivated by some event or condition experienced as threatening to self
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or family, which Kieffer refers to as an act of ‗provocation‘. The advancement stage
includes three aspects necessary in continuing the empowerment process: a mentoring
relationship, supportive peer relationships with a collective organization, and the
development of a more critical understanding of social and political relations. The
third stage involves the development of a growing political consciousness. The fourth
and final stage is commitment, wherein the participants apply the competence
developed in the previous stages to more and more aspects of their lives.‖ (Lawson,
2001) Kieffer‘s idea of empowerment can be effectively connected and achieved
through community radio. Entry, advancement, incorporation and commitment are
associated terms while working with an alternative media like community radio. The
entry stage is when the community or the group feels the requirement of a station for
them, they face a problem or a crisis and here community radio could be a platform to
solve their problems or show them a road ahead. At the advancement stage it‘s time to
collect as a community, strategise over the problem and create a plan. It‘s the time to
understand and decide how they as a community would be able to encourage other
community members to join and work for their own issues. Here it is when the
community radio comes into functionality. The third stage is when the action is in full
swing. With discussions, debates, and dialogues it‘s time to plan how to move ahead
and solve the problem, it‘s time to develop political and social consciousness. The
fourth stage is the step to rejoice and to celebrate the victory or development. It is the
stage when the station becomes popular, when people start believing in it, when more
and more community members want to join, participate, come up with other issues,
decide, and create a programming strategy to solve those issues. As Kieffer points out
people develop themselves and apply their competence that they build up in their
previous stages and here is when those so called amateurs running a radio station,
become professionals. They might not be professionals technically but they become
experts in strategising their bigger issues and problems and solving them on their own
through their very own community radio station. Empowerment is the beginning for
social change and at the same time, empowerment is the result of a whole process that
involves communication aimed towards social change. It is a circular process of
communication. In a conference during April 1997 in Bellagio, Italy, social change
and communication activists and professionals came together for exploring the
possibilities of new communication strategies for social change. During a post
conference meeting, they defined communication for social change as, ―a process of
public and private dialogue through which people themselves define who they are,
what they need and how to get what they need in order to improve their own lives. It
11
utilizes dialogue that leads to collective problem identification, decision making and
community-based implementation of solutions to development issues.‖
(Communication for social change consortium-CFSC, 1999). They also declared
certain important characters for the model of social change:
―Sustainability of social change is more likely if the individuals and
communities most affected own the process and content of communication.
Communication for social change should be empowering, horizontal (versus
top-down), give a voice to the previously unheard members of the community,
and be biased towards ownership.
Communities should be the agents of their own change.
Emphasis should shift from persuasion and the transmission of information
from outside technical experts to dialogue, debate and negotiation on issues
that resonate with members of the community.
Emphasis on outcomes should go beyond individual behaviour to social
norms, policies, culture and the supporting environment.” (Communication for
social change consortium-CFSC, 1999)
All of the above mentioned points are more or less the characteristics and functions of
a community radio station. These are also the features of a social change model as
given by CFSC that is community radio can be an agent of social change. Social
change may be understood as process of transformation of individual minds and
society as a whole. For any change to happen in the society focus should be at the
basic unit and should be community rather than state as a whole. ―Social change
builds community-based responses that address underlying social problems on an
individual, institutional, community, national and/or international level. Social change
can change attitudes, behaviours, laws, policies and institutions to better reflect values
of inclusion, fairness, diversity and opportunity. Social change involves a collective
action of individuals who are closest to the social problems to develop solutions that
address social issues.‖ (Fund for southern communities) It is the transformation in a
society‘s ideology, culture, economy, infrastructure, habits and behaviour. Societies
may change slowly, quickly or gradually but they do change with time. The change
could be planned or intended and it may also occur suddenly. Change may lead to
controversies and revolutions or it may be the result of revolts and actions. The idea
12
of social change gradually evolved from modernized to post modernized times.
During the period of modernization, social change was much economic and was based
on industrialisation and technological adoptions but in the post modern times it is
focussed on ideologies, experiences, identity and individualism. With huge
technological advancements, the emphasis today shifted from how the communication
would be done to for whom the communication is intended towards and what the
communication would be. Today the significance is more on content rather than its
delivery to its target audience. Also, the communication for social change involves
social mobilization. ―Social mobilization is a process that engages and motivates a
wide range of partners and allies at national and local levels to raise awareness of and
demand for a particular development objective through face-to-face
dialogue. Members of institutions, community networks, civic and religious groups
and others work in a coordinated way to reach specific groups of people for dialogue
with planned messages. In other words, social mobilization seeks to facilitate change
through a range of players engaged in interrelated and complementary efforts.‖
(UNICEF) For social mobilization communication that involves people not only in
strategising but also while acting on strategies and a horizontal way rather than a top
down approach is used. In one of the social mobilization activities in the health sector
in Madagascar by UNICEF ―The health workers conduct essential outreach to
families on issues such as proper hand washing, not defecating in the open and
vaccinating children. Many of the health workers are also parents from the
local community, lending additional legitimacy to their message.‖ (UNICEF) In such
activities aiming towards social change when community people are involved, they
not only learn managing development on their own but could even practice what they
learnt at a later stage without the help of any support organisation.
A social change model created in 1994 by organisations- National Clearing house for
Leadership Program (NCLP), Centre for student studies, Jossey Bass-a publication
house and the Stamp student union at the University of Maryland, all of them located
in USA and working for developmental issues formed this model that is now widely
used by college students in USA. ―Established in 1994, the Social Change Model
approaches leadership as a purposeful, collaborative, values-based process that results
in positive social change. The Model was built upon the following assumptions:
13
• Leadership is socially responsible, it impacts change on behalf of others.
• Leadership is collaborative.
• Leadership is a process, not a position.
• Leadership is inclusive and accessible to all people.
• Leadership is values-based.
• Community involvement/service is a powerful vehicle for leadership.‖ (NCLP,
Centre for student studies, Jossey-Bass & The Stamp, 1994)
The Social Change Model: Leadership for a Better World by National Clearing house
for Leadership Program (NCLP), 1994.
Courtesy: http://socialchangemodel.ning.com/
Above mentioned social change model suggests leadership as an essential ingredient
but in the post modern times the meaning of leadership has evolved. It doesn‘t mean
14
authority and power but members of the same group leading the group. Community
involvement is a must in social change of post modern era. Group values, individual
values and society/community values go hand in hand and can‘t survive in alienation.
Social change in today‘s world can be brought with a circular communication process,
focussed on participation and having a horizontal approach rather than a top down
model. Community radio promises all this, has the ability to empower its audience,
thereby acting as an agent of social change. People in different parts of the world are
realising the potential of such a radio station and struggle, efforts and initiatives are
witnessed in this direction. Countries globally are making an attempt to change
locally.
‘The Other Radio’ around the world
Evolution of community radio
“Community radio emphasizes that it is not commercial and does not share what it
would call the prescriptive and paternalistic attitude of public-service
broadcasting…The key difference is that while the commercial and public service
models both treat listeners as objects, to be captured for advertisers or to be
improved and informed, community radio aspires to treat its listeners as subjects and
participants.” (Lewis and Booth, 1989)
Beginning of community radio can be traced back 60 years ago with the development
of miners‘ radio in Bolivia in 1947. The concept for Miners‘ radio was different than
what it is today of a community radio, nevertheless even the Bolivian radio was a
radio for a cause. The focus that time was basic requirements of bread and butter and
house to live. This radio came into existence as a trade union radio for providing the
miners better wages and good working conditions. Another radio called Stutatenza
was developed in the same year for peasants in Columbia. This station was set up by a
priest Joaqin Salcedo who believed that education could bring a change in the life of
farmers. The station broadcasted a number of programmes on farming techniques,
health, relationships, family, literacy, farming and other schemes etc. Early
community radio stations were the result of pressure groups and activist or radio for a
cause. In Europe during 1920s the government played an authoritative role and
15
exercised its monopoly in the media sector by not allowing the private players in
media to work independently that resulted in the growth of independent radio or
community radio being. Technology also formed a basis for the growth of such
stations. The invention of cheap receiver sets and low power transmitters during
1950s accelerated the development of radio for a cause. At that time a push pull
marketing scenario was witnessed with the beginning of a community stations in
particular areas, and the number of people owning radio receiver sets increased in
those areas. This aspect also indicated the interest of people to listen to radio for
which they spent money to buy those sets. ―For example, in a poor rural area of Mali
where a community radio station began to function, radio ownership rapidly rose by
140 percent.‖ (Myers, 1998)
During 1980s UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization) started its efforts towards developing community radio. African
countries were their initial target areas. Community radio in Africa was important
from two points of views, firstly there were developmental issues to be taken care of
and secondly, African countries didn‘t have many common languages, so it was
difficult for the government broadcasters to reach majority of the people. Community
radio with its unique local element could use this as an advantage.
―Community-based radio broadcasting could be the least costly mass medium for
development in media-starved rural Africa. It could promote positive cultural identity
using local languages, which are ineffectively used on national broadcasting stations
and are usually accessible only to urban and elite audiences.‖ (Mills J, 1990 in Fraser
and Estrada, 2001, p.8) ―There were also problems of physical and mental distance:
the central broadcasting facilities were often too far away from their rural audiences
for their broadcast signals to be received intelligibly; and the urban-based programme
producers were too far away mentally to know and understand their rural audiences
properly.‖ (Fraser and Estrada, 2001, p.8) For the community radio set up in Africa,
UNESCO designed a battery run solar power transmitter, audio mixer and solar power
receiver. Mass production for receivers was still difficult as the cost was still higher
for the general public. Apart from technical there were political issues. ―UNESCO‘s
push in the area of community radio was essentially radical, based on concepts of
human rights and freedom of expression. But the world of the early 1980‘s was still
16
divided by ideological conflict between Left and Right, and state monopolies on
broadcasting were the norm in many developing countries. It is easy to think that
governments simply wanted to repress all forms of self-expression that could pose a
threat to their authority or to their stable hold on power. However, closer
consideration shows that many governments, especially in countries with a
multiplicity of ethnic groups and languages, felt that national identity and unity would
be strengthened through having a single broadcasting voice from the centre and
through promoting a national language. Whatever the reason for governments to
defend their broadcasting monopolies…..‖ (Fraser & Estrada, 2001, p.10)
An early model of the FM community radio transmitter designed by Mallard
Concepts Ltd., UK for UNESCO. (Photo courtesy-Community radio handbook,
UNESCO)
―Radio pluralism is an essential component in the deepening of the democratic
process now under way: it allows people greater access to a diversity of information,
and guarantees increased popular participation for sustainable human
development...African states must speed up the ending of the monopoly over of the
airwaves and give priority to national proponents of independent radio when
17
allocating broadcasting frequencies...‖ Bamako Declaration on Radio Pluralism
(President Konaré of Mali, 1993 in Fraser and Estrada, 2001)
After a long journey full of efforts, UNESCO finally opened the first South African
community radio station in the underdeveloped Homa Bay area in Kenya in May
1982. The villagers after training broadcasted the programmes in Lou language.
However after two and a half years it was closed down by the government on the
pretext that it is against the official policy of making Swahili and English the national
language. The next step of UNESCO was setting up of a community station with
Srilankan Broadcasting Corporation, under Mahaweli Development Project a huge
irrigation assignment in Srilanka. Setting up of community radio in this area actually
helped the community to know and share agricultural development practices. With
various radio programme formats villagers were involved with the station, solving
each other‘s issues and problems. Though the station was a result of a joint effort with
the Srilankan government it fulfilled much of the characteristics of a community radio
station.
Some Achievements of Mahaweli Community Radio, Srilanka
“In one area we came across a group of teenage delinquents who had no land and
were desperately in search of something to do. Through our programmes and
discussions, we motivated them to clean up the village pond and set up an ornamental
fish production enterprise. In another village we arranged a mass wedding to
solemnize the marriage of elderly couples who were living together. Their offspring
had faced many hardships as their parents were not legally married. I produced many
programmes on gambling and alcoholism which helped the addicts to reflect upon
themselves and give up the vice.” (Sunil Wijesinghe 1999 in Fraser and Estrada, 2001,
p.10)
The struggle for the other voice began long back in different parts of the world. The
only difference presently is that the movement is now being recognised as community
radio station. Community radio scene has still not achieved a remarkable place
throughout and somehow or the other it continues to struggle in terms of content,
18
recognition, finance, political regulations, policy guidelines, acceptance etc. However
countries throughout the world are moving towards democratization of
communication and finding ways to explore and present their own voices. A glimpse
of community radio scene in some states:
South Africa
―Community Radio collectively still the No. 1 Radio Broadcasting preference by
South Africa with 6.6 million listeners- South African Advertising Research
Foundation Radio Audience Measurements May 2007. Community Radio collectively
is now the third largest broadcaster nationally according to SAARF 2004, with almost
5 million listeners in the most rural areas of our country covering all provinces.‖
(National Community Radio Forum) ―There are an estimated 15.4-million radio sets
in South Africa, with community radio garnering almost 8.6-million listeners a week.‖
(Brand South Africa Country portal, 2012)
The national community radio forum established in 1993 has been working in
lobbying for free airwaves in South Africa. History of community radio in this area
has been backed by apartheid ideology. Segmentalisation of African people on the
basis of class, colour and language was quiet common and media was full of political
agendas. However with liberalization and de regularization, airwaves were made free
with the establishment of Independent broadcasting Authority in 1994. There are
around 165 community radio stations in South Africa in various languages with many
of them being represented by National Community Radio forum. Some of the popular
stations include Bay FM which was earlier a University managed station and now is
being managed independently by the community. ―Bay FM‘s 99.9 philosophy is that
as a unifying facility for the community, the station broadcasts programme content
that:
Reflects, responds and contributes to the ideas and aspirations of the Byron
Shire community
Exposes and discusses issues of importance to the community
19
Provides information to link the diverse facets of the community, and
celebrates the unique character of the Byron Shire.‖ (Bay fm)
Bush Radio, one of Africa‘s oldest community radio stations, indeed has a very
revolutionary history. It applied for a community radio station license to the
Apartheid government in 1992 and repeatedly got rejected. As a result it started
broadcasting illegally. In response to this the apartheid government raised charges
against Bush radio Chairman and Coordinator. With huge and much debated
demonstrations and court hearings, charges were dropped after a year. Bush Radio
finally came on air when independent broadcasting authority regulated broadcasting
in Africa in 1994. Bush radio produces diversified programmes basing upliftment
projects that are also converted to educational workshops for all age groups in its
community.
Noam Chomsky about Bush Radio during his visit to the station:
“It was one of the high points of a very exciting and instructive visit, and I was really
pleased to have the opportunity to be with you for a few hours. I would also like to tell
you how impressed I was with what I saw and heard at Bush Radio. I have had quite a
lot of contact with popular media in the United States, and often elsewhere, and have
rarely come across achievements comparable to yours. There is no doubt in my mind
that community radio is, in general, one of the most important ways to develop a basis
for meaningful functioning democracy. In my own (fairly extensive) experience, I have
found abundant evidence to support this conclusion.” (Bush Radio)
20
Image Courtesy: http://bushradio.wordpress.com/about/
Image Courtesy: http://bushradio.wordpress.com/about/
21
United States
There are community radio stations licensed under low power and full power
broadcasting rules, while some are internet stations. Community radio movement hit
the states in 1940s when Lewis Hill, a liberalist broadcaster met others and created
Pacifica Foundation that supported and encouraged the new wave radio. The Pacifica
foundation refused government funds and promoted listener membership. Looking at
the new phenomenon many other stations came into existence in 1960s and followed
the trend of being independent. ―During 1975 many of such stations combined and
formed National Federation of Community Broadcasters that encourages and
strengths community radio stations in the United States. Many such stations became
part of Fledging Grassroots Radio Coalition, a group against increasing
commercialization of radio and encouraging volunteer based grassroot
radio.‖(Walker, 1997) Community Radio stations in USA like KPOV, Radio Boise,
KFAI, WGDH, KVMR, WMNF etc… are running successfully; educating, informing
and entertaining various communities. These are also the stations who have been
awarded for their programming by National Federation of Community Broadcasters,
USA (United States of America). President Barack Obama realising the potential of
community based LPFM (Low Power FM) has signed the local community radio act
into law, allowing many more community stations to get established. Prometheus
Radio, Common Frequency, Brown Paper Tickets, and Radio Spark project are some
organizations involving radio activists who advocate for community stations. Their
main focus is to promote social change through low power FM stations (LPFM). They
assist and support LPFM set up from advocacy to regulatory framework and
encourage media democratization through radio. ―A tiny non-profit organization
operating a national campaign from a basement for 12 years to get more non-
commercial radio stations approved, may soon see its dream come true. On January 4,
the non-profit Prometheus and other groups seeking to diversify media ownership
scored a victory when President Barack Obama signed into law the Local Community
Radio Act. It directs the Federal Communications Commission, which regulates the
national airwaves, to allow more low-power stations access to the FM radio dial.
Once implemented, the law is expected to result in as many 2,000 new stations;
beginning in about 2013.That would more than double the approximately 800 low-
power stations currently in operation, compared with around 13,000 commercial
22
stations nationwide. An increase in the number of community stations could mean
more coverage of local issues such as school board meetings, high school football,
health, education, local music, and literacy campaigns. "It makes a lot more room on a
medium (FM radio) that a lot of people still use," said Prometheus founder Pete
Tridish.‖ (Hurdle, 2011)
Germany
The Federal Association of Free Radios (Bundesverband Freier Radios-the BFR) in
Germany asks and writes the following on its home page. ―Political scientologists
speak of ‗omitted information‘, literary scholars of ‗grey literature‘ and we talk of a
‗new public‘ ‖ (Christine Sommer -Guist, 2007 quoted Federal Association of Free
Radio). The history of first free radio station in Germany dates back to 1975, when
the first free radio stations were established in West Germany. In the western parts,
rising social movements for peace and against nuclear power paved way to
unmediated and non obtrusive communication that resulted into media operated by
people themselves for their own communication. During 1975, a pirate radio station
called Piratensender Unfreies Westberlin started off on these lines. This action
initiated the establishment of more such stations in Heidelberg and Freiburg in order
to give voice to the issues and people who were earlier not being heard. These pirate
stations struggled for illegal existence for long playing hide and seek from the
government rules and gradually disappeared. Though the stations vanished but radio
activists in West as well as East Germany kept their struggle on, raising voices against
commercial and public broadcasting and demanding licenses for their own stations.
The licenses for community radio stations were finally given during 1990s due to
extreme commercialisation of radio sector in Germany. The non commercial
community radio stations formed by ordinary German public for themselves came to
be known as Free Radio stations, with an association called Bundesverband Freier
Radios. These Free radio stations are free from commercialisation, are owned and
managed majorly by community/city people with the help of membership fees and
rarely funded by federal authorities. Community people collectively are the decision
makers and responsible drivers of the station.
23
One of the popular stations Radio LoRa Munich reaches the whole Munich area and
involves various communities of Munich like non-governmental organisations,
African and Asian communities etc. A Skype conversation with Michael Barnikel, a
programme producer and a host with the station gave some information about the
station. He revealed that they have a variety of programmes like green peace, issues
of migration, news and politics and that the station is run on a split frequency at the
moment and they are planning to have it on DAB technology as well. He also said
that the station is 70% spoken word and 30% music and it‘s a member association of
around 500 people paying 40 Euros annually. A Skype conversation with Ralf Wendt,
one of the founding members of the Radio Corax in Halle, revealed that the station
was found in the year 2000, and covers the whole Halle city and has got around 20000
listeners. He said that the audience range from 18 years to 45 years old; discussing on
politics, art, socio culture issues, various events in the city, shows on music etc. The
program formats range from plays, talk, information and specialized magazine,
mobile radio etc. According to Ralf, “free radio station is a tool for people who
create society for alternative publicity and for spreading a voice.” (Personal
conversation, 2012) Radio FSK in Hamburg reaches the whole Hamburg area and the
programmes are provided by a combination of various groups that include feminists,
environmentalists, music bands etc. According to the website information, “On 101.4
MHz in the Hamburg city and on 105.7 MHz in Norderstedt, Itzehoe and Henstedt-
Ulzburg (in the net from wilhelm.tel)” (Radio FSK). BFR currently has 33 members
and, ―the members of federation operate non commercial, and democratic society
based broadcasting, which deals critically with the existing social relations; the
marginalized, sexiest, and/or racist discrimination who have limited or no access to
the conventional media production.‖ (Bundesverband Freier Radios)
United Kingdom
―Over 200 community radio stations are now broadcasting in locations across the UK.
Since Ofcom (Office of Communications) awarded the first community radio licence
in 2005, a new station has launched on average every 13 days, each serving a
particular community‘s needs. Over the past year, Ofcom has awarded new licences in
Scotland, Wales and the south-west of England.‖ (OfCom, 2012/13). The most
interesting criterion for community stations in the United Kingdom is specifically
24
targeting communities or groups of people rather than areas or colonies. Since areas
are a mix of culture and identities, targeting communities gives more scope to be
exclusive. ―A 2011 Ofcom report on the economic state of UK community radio
noted that stations targeting a community of interest (rather than a geographic
community) reported a higher income than the sector average.‖ (Matthew, 2013)
Development of community radio in the kingdom started quiet late in 2005, but it
continues to grow smoothly. Community Media Association (CMA) promotes the
growth of all kinds of community media including community radio. It involves
people from various fields like social activists, academician, community media
enthusiasts who work together to provide information, entertainment, awareness,
promoting identities and cultural expressions through native media. It provides advice
and support to community media organisation and represents them before regulatory
and other authorities like OfCom. Formed in 1983, this organisation earlier known as
community radio association campaigned and continues to do for the parallel
existence of alternative radio along with the already existing public sector and
commercial stations. Since United Kingdom is a place that inhabits people from
regions around the world, community radio stations are developed for Asians,
Africans, Christians, multicultural and local communities of the kingdom.
Australia
―In 2001, the Australian Broadcasting Authority listed just over 200 community
broadcasters and about 150 active aspirant stations working toward a full license. This
indicates an increase of nearly 400 percent on the number of stations in 1985 when
there were just 56 licensed stations, with the number of stations more than doubling
since 1995.‖ (Forde, Meadows & Foxwell, 2002). Beginning of community radio
stations in Australia dates back to 1970s at a time when the political and cultural
environment in Australia was beginning to change. People from all walks of life
lobbied for radio licences for themselves. The very first community radio station was
Radio Adelaide by University of Adelaide that began functioning in 1972 and still
continues on airwave and online. ―Radio Adelaide is a real radio alternative for people
curious about ideas, issues and music. We are as diverse as the city we live in, with
programs ranging from Jazz and Classical to World Music, arts, current affairs and
more, with many shows presented by local community groups in their own
25
languages.‖ (Radio Adelaide). Community radio sector in Australia is much organised
since quiet a long time with licenses being provided by Australian Broadcasting
Authority (ABA) and is quiet healthiest as compared to other countries. According to
ABA, ―Given the role that community broadcasters play in promoting the objects of
the act, the ABA believes the most useful definition of community is one that is broad
and takes into account social, historical and cultural linkages. The objects of the act
include promoting the diversity of broadcasting services available to the public;
developing and reflecting Australian identity, character and cultural diversity; and
providing programming material that is locally significant.‖ (Pavrala and Malik, 2007,
p.47). According to fifth community radio national survey by McNair ingenuity
research, ―In an average week 15,648,000 Australians listen to radio, 4,441,000 (25%)
of those listen to community radio each week and 10,611,000 (59%) listen
occasionally. (Mc Nair, 2012) The number one reason Australian‘s listen to
community radio is for local information and local news. Almost a third listens for
independent opinions delivered by local voices that 5 sound like real people.
Listening is spread strongly across all day-parts: Breakfast 57%, mid-morning 55%,
Afternoon 46%, Drive 55%, Evening 30%, Overnight 10%.‖ (Mc Nair, 2012).
Community Radio Broadcasting Association of Australia is an organisation that is
dedicated towards smooth functioning and advocacy of community radio broadcasting
in the country. It initiates capacity building and strives to build strong communication
strategies for a powerful community radio network with its 270+ members in
Australia.
Nepal
Beginning of independent radio traces back to 1990‘s in Nepal but an organised
growth was witnessed only after 2006 when government issued licenses for
independent radio. Radio Sagarmatha established in 1997 was the first community
radio in Nepal. Sagarmatha being the very first had to struggle a lot for license but
their efforts made life for future community radio stations easier. The struggle for
having their own content on their own radio in Nepal was so powerful that after the
king seized power in 2005 and allowed only music and no news on independent
stations, community radio stations revolted and started singing news in order to
inform the audience about the political disturbances in the state and their own rights
26
as a citizen. According to UNESCO around 242 licences were issued to community
radio stations belonging to NGO, cooperatives, educational institutions etc during
2011. Nepal government doesn‘t classify radio according to ownership patterns since
they still do not have any such rules but journalists, activists and experts do classify
them as community, commercial and government. Radio stations in Nepal can be
called as community radio stations if their content is for and about the community and
if there is no political influence. Community radio support centre that works for the
cause of this alternative medium is in process of pushing a regulatory framework for
community radio stations. There are now around 330 radio stations in Nepal, out of
which approximately 200 claim to be community radio station. Apart from
Sagarmatha, other popular community radio stations are Radio Lumbini, Radio
Madanpokhra, Vijaya FM, Himchuli FM, Samad FM, and Radio Jagran etc. ―After
2006 the government also made major changes in the license and renewal fees. The
fees were reduced by almost five times for those using a 100-watt transmitter, and 25
times for those using a 50-watt transmitter(to NRs 1000 or US$15) and 20 times for
those using 30-watt transmitters from (NRs 10000 to NRs 500 or US$8). The changed
fee structure for smaller stations indicated the government‘s desire to promote local
stations rather than those broadcasting to larger audiences (mainly commercial
stations) However, only a handful of community stations qualify for the reduced fees
because most of them broadcast using transmitters over 100-watts and have been
focused on expanding reach rather than serve their immediate communities. Some
radio stations – irrespective of whether they are community or commercial –have
clear links with political parties.‖ (UNESCO & Mainali, 2011)
―Nepal also has radios that were used for propaganda by the Maoists during the armed
insurgency (February 1996-April 2006) that were licensed as regular FM stations on
20 September 2009. A cabinet decision approved a "special provision" for
"regularizing" the clandestine broadcast units 23 following which five licenses were
issued. The new licenses were Janasandesh P. Ltd. Kirtipur; Janasanchar Kendra
(Radio Ganatantra), Dhankuta; Janasanchar Kendra, Morang; Naya Nepal Sanchar
Sahakari Sanstha, (Jana Awaj), Nepalgunj; and Naya Karnali Bikas Kendra, (Bhe-Ka
Awaj), Kalikot. The equipment used by the Maoistradios was transferred to these
organizations as part of the regularization. All except Janasandesh P. Ltd. in Kirtipur,
claim to be community radios.‖ (UNESCO & Mainali, 2011) Since there are no rules,
27
the frequencies are almost full and the state has developed a frequency crunch now.
Nepal, having a large number of self claimed community radio stations lacks an
organised policy and framework. Though radio enthusiasts and activists are putting a
lot of effort on air, the authorities necessarily need to take a step ahead for an even
progressive and systematic community radio sector.
‘The Other Radio’ in India
Growth in Indian radio has been quiet piecemeal and peculiar. The need for a new
communication strategy in India was realized in the mid-1990s when airwaves were
declared a public property by the Supreme Court in 1995. During July 1999, it was
decided that Indian private companies would be allowed to invest in radio industry.
This marked the Phase I of private FM licensing policy in India which initiated
licensing procedure to set up 140 private FM stations in 40 cities across India. The
first private FM, Radio City went on air in Bangalore in July 2001 and since then the
sector is growing. Indian radio was getting a new life away from the monopolistic
regime of All India Radio but still there were very weak signs of community radio
stations being established in India. However radio enthusiasts and activists witnessing
the potential and growth of community radio stations in other parts of the world were
already struggling with the campaign to legalise it. A group from Bangalore called
VOICES held a gathering of professionals, academicians and activists in order to
understand the need for community radio in India. A joint recommendation about the
relevance of community radio stations in India was signed and submitted to the
Government of India during September 1996. Some of the main highlights of the
recommendation were:
―Centralised one way broadcasting at various levels of aggregation has limited scope
to serve the goals of development, especially in the context of pluralism and diversity
which is a singular characteristic of Indian society. As such the regulatory framework
should promote a decentralised system of radio broadcasting.
A community radio station would, besides providing education and entertainment,
connect people with people through participatory or circular communication, connect
people with organisations and communities, and finally connect people with
28
government and public service agencies. These needs are not met under the current
framework.
Radio combines the benefits of low cost and wide reach and access. When used in a
community setting with limited area coverage, for example as in FM radio
broadcasting, it offers many exciting possibilities for fulfilling the developmental
goals and aspirations of the people, and wider choices in accessing information from
diverse sources within and outside the community. It‘s potential for creating social
change has been demonstrated in many parts of the world. For these reasons control
of community broadcasting should be vested with the community rather than with the
government or private commercial enterprise.
The present centralised structure of broadcasting isn‘t conducive to people centred,
participatory methods of communications. The potential of medium to promote
community development is largely unrealised. The involvement of other public
bodies, NGOs, professional associations, etc. in the utilisation and management of
airwaves is essential for realising this potential to promote the welfare of millions in
communities, and therefore the public good. The need for structural change in
airwaves in order to accommodate local initiatives is a logical result of this
imperative.‖ (Pavrala & Malik, 2007, p.272-274)
Looking at examples from other countries, government moved its first step towards
the establishment of community radio stations and gave permission only to
educational institutions for its set up. Anna FM became, India's first campus
'community' radio, launched on 1 February 2004. Anwar Jamal Kidwai Mass
Comunication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia followed and was one of the
popular media institutes to receive a license from the Ministry of Information and
Broadcasting to run a Community radio, called Radio Jamia. Radio Jamia FM 90.4
began its 1st trial transmission (live) for 60 minutes on 15th March 2005. ―The long-
standing demands for a third-tier of independent, not for profit broadcasting in the
country yielded a confined ‗campus‘ avatar of community radio in the form of
‗guidelines‘ issued in the first quarter of 2003 that allowed ‗well-established‘
educational institutions to set up FM transmitters and run radio stations on their
campuses‖ (Pavrala and Malik, 2007, p.27)
29
However radio enthusiasts were not satisfied with the government‘s initiative and
demanded community radio stations for under developed villages. Men and women
were at work and continued their efforts. UNESCO helped the group VOICES with a
briefcase radio station kit that could produce and transmit in order to provide hands on
training towards its aim of setting up a community radio station in under developed
area. Other important attempts included Pastapur initiative on community radio, a
workshop organised by UNESCO during July 2000 in Hyderabad for the
establishment of airwaves for the communities. As a result of this initiative a joint
recommendation was signed and submitted to the government. Some of the important
highlights were:
―To take the current government policy of freeing broadcasting from state monopoly
to its logical conclusion by expanding the available media space and permitting
communities and organisations representing them to run their own radio stations.
The creation of a three-tier system of broadcasting in the country: a state-owned
public service network (existing framework), commercial private broadcasting, and
non profit, people-owned and managed community radio stations.
The group pleads with the government of India to dedicate the frequencies, especially
for the creation, maintenance and expansion of community broadcasting in the
country.
Priority should be given in issuing community broadcasting licenses to rural areas and
other regions and communities that are least developed in term of various socio-
economic indicators. This is based on the fact that the least developed regions and
communities of the country are also served by media.
The group which has visited the site of the Deccan development Society‘s community
radio station located in Manchoor Village, Medak District (A.P) near its headquarters
in Pastapur and interacted with the poor, rural women, places on record its deep
appreciation of the eagerness of the women of the area to have a ‗radio of their own‘
and their state of readiness to manage a community radio station.‖ (Pavrala & Malik,
2007, p.281-283)
30
Apart from discussions, debates and dialogues to persuade the government,
community people were already practically trying out the concept of a community
radio station. When government was turning a deaf ear and a dumb mouth towards
broadcasting, the aam aadmi (common man) started narrowcasting. Dalit women in
Zaheerabad district of Andhra Pradesh started producing programmes on agriculture,
domestic issues, health etc and started playing them through audio tapes in sangams
(groups/gathering).Deccan development society functional in Zaheerabad applied for
a community radio licence in August 2000 which was rejected by the government.
The group VOICES produced Namma Dhwani (Our Voice) and cable casted in
Budhikote, Karnataka. It included programmes like organic farming, health, water and
electricity programmes etc. Kutch Mahila Vikas Sangathan, a NGO in Gujarat
purchased 30 minutes on air space on All India Radio, to broadcast a programme
called Chala Ho Gaon Mein ―People rejected the narrator of the programme who
were professionals from All India Radio, and then the characters of ‗Phulwa behen‘
and Raju bhaiya‘ were introduced as presenters‖. (Pavrala and Malik, 2007, p.115)
The programme included drama, folk songs, discussion, storytelling and news. The
programme attracted the local people because it was broadcasted in the local Maghi
dialect that most people spoke and understood on a channel that was broadcasting
other shows mostly in the national language Hindi and some in regional Kutchchi
languag that was understood by lesser audience in that particular area.
Finally, after all the struggles and recommendations, the second stage of guidelines in
2006 extended the community radio stations to non-government organisations that
eventually ventured beyond urban life and entered the rural populace.
The policy guidelines of the government stated:
―1. Basic Principles
An organisation desirous of operating a Community Radio Station (CRS) must be
able to satisfy and adhere to the following principles:
a) It should be explicitly constituted as a ‗non-profit‘ organisation and should have
a proven record of at least three years of service to the local community.
b) The CRS to be operated by it should be designed to serve a specific well defined
local community.
31
c) It should have an ownership and management structure that is reflective of the
community that the CRS seek to serve.
d) Programmes for broadcast should be relevant to the educational, developmental,
social and cultural needs of the community.
e) It must be a Legal Entity i.e. it should be registered (under the registration of
Societies Act or any other such act relevant to the purpose).
Eligibility Criteria
(i) The following types of organisations shall be eligible to apply for Community
Radio licences:
a) Community based organisations, which satisfy the basic principles listed above.
These would include civil society and voluntary organisations, State Agriculture
Universities (SAUs), ICAR institutions, Krishi Vigyan Kendras, Registered Societies
and Autonomous Bodies and Public Trusts registered under Societies Act or any other
such act relevant for the purpose. Registration at the time of application should at
least be three years old.
b) Educational institutions
(ii) The following shall not be eligible to run a CRS:
a) Individuals;
b) Political Parties and their affiliate organisations; [including students, women‘s,
trade unions and such other wings affiliated to these parties.]
c) Organisations operating with a motive to earn profit;
d) Organisations expressly banned by the Union and State Governments.‖ (Policy
guidelines for community radio, 2006)
The 2006 guidelines widened community radio scope in India. As a result, there were
152 operational community radio stations as on 1st August 2013 run by Educational
institutions, NGOs, Krishi Vigyan Kendra and State Agricultural Universities and
32
over 200 applications are still under process as per the data given by Ministry of
Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, on their website.
Hypothesis and research questions:
In view of the above narrative delineating the need of alternative media instruments in
order to measure up to the challenges let loose by the forces of globalisation, it may
not be an exaggeration to postulate that, ―Community radio has the potential to
emerge as an instrument of sensitization about issues of vital importance and
bring about change and empowerment for its audience.”
Further in the backdrop of the growing necessity, popularity and inherent potential of
community radio in different parts of the world; this study seeks to focus on the
functionality of the community radio project in India. The study explores post
project or beyond project aspect of community radio stations in India with the help of
two kinds of community radio stations one situated in an urban area, Radio Jamia
managed by an educational institution and another set up in a rural area, Sangham
Radio managed by a Non Government Organisation. Though the struggle of various
people has prompted the Indian government to set up community radio stations, the
moot question that haunts a reasonable mind is to understand how much the people
have accepted the medium? Similarly in view of the fact enumerated above that
community radio plays an important role in any society and brings about social
change, it becomes pertinent to explore the nature and scope of development and
social change being brought about by community radio stations in India. With this
central aim, the broader objectives of the study are as follows:
Objectives of the study:
To examine the potential of community radio in articulating and addressing
community issues and grievances.
To analyze the role of community radio in empowerment and social change of
its target audience.
33
To identify the degree of dependence on this relatively new form of media-
community radio in rural and urban settings, at a time when other mediums of
communication are known and available.
To examine the prospects of community radio stations under study in
generating social consciousness and empowerment among its community.
To evaluate the need and direction in community radio functioning to
encourage an empowered and self dependent society.
To draw general conclusions as a result thereof.
Research Questions
In order to effectively comprehend its central and broader objectives the study
will set out to extract answers for below mentioned questions during its
various stages from the vicinity of the selected two radio stations as its
subjects:
Do people depend on the medium for their communication need at a
time when other media is available in abundance?
How people engage themselves with community radio? Do they
engage at all?
How popular is community radio among its target audience?
What do the audiences want? Do they require community radio
specifically for their area or community?
Based on the responses of the audience, what kind of community radio
do the audiences want?
What kind of development do the audiences think their station could
contribute to?
Is the community radio contributing anything to empowerment of the
targeted community?
Is community radio contributing anything to development?
Does it bring any kind of social change in the areas that the stations
serve?
34
Riding the development waves
Image Courtesy: Eco Earth Care optimised (Sinha)
Source: http://www.ecoearthcare.com/storyd.asp?sid=201&pageno=1
Image courtesy: The Hindu (Jebaraj, 2012)
Source: http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/riding-the-air-
wave/article3733524.ece
36
“I have just had the humbling experience of re reading a book I wrote 17 Years ago.
As authors always do, I found excuses for what I read. The field was in flux: we didn‟t
know much about it then; great changes have taken place since I wrote. The book
reflected the state of the art in early sixties: in fact it was a little in advance of that;
but the art has advanced in the intervening years. The book‟s recommendations were
basically sound though not up-to-date. And so forth and so on. The truth is that I was
a bit disappointed. I wished I had been more prescient in 1962. I should have been
more sceptical about the applicability of western model of development. I should have
paid more attention to the problem of integrating mass media with local activity.
Above all, I should have given more thought than I did to the social requirements and
uncertainties of development, and in particular to the cultural differences that make
development almost necessarily different, culture to culture, country to country.”
(Schramm, 1979, p.1)
Growth but no growth
The words spoken by Wilbur Schramm in 1979 take us into a nostalgic journey of
1950s and 1960s, a paradigm that dominantly equated development to
industrialization and technological advancement aimed towards economic growth.
Social scientists, authors, academicians, media professionals and economists after
almost two decades realised that the kind of development they imagined didn‘t yield
the desired rather sustainable results. Wilbur Schramm in his book Mass Media and
National Development, 1964 himself advocated a purely western dominated
development model and also prescribed it as the engine for developing third world
societies. He stressed on developing mass media in all countries that could hasten the
process of development. The publication talked about the practicality of mass media
development program to be used by all governments. Schramm emphasized on the
requirement of communication research in developing nations in order to strengthen
the process of communication. However after around two decades he advocated a re-
framed and a re-examined development strategy in his 1979 UNESCO publication
Mass Media and National Development, which he probably didn‘t perceive and
missed out in his 1964 publication. Here he stated about his lack of thought towards a
more profound sense of development. He accepted of missing out a development that
is closer to social requirements and cultural differences, and those cultural differences
37
specifically differentiating development; culture to culture and region to region.
Around three decades ago from now, perhaps he was already talking about region
specific, native, communication backed by culture and tradition and integrated by
media locally and even more precisely he was pointing towards community
communication. ―Gross National Product in the developing nations was substantially
up, food production up a little, and the average diet up to 96 per cent of the desired
caloric level, number of physicians up about 7 per cent in ten years, literacy also up
about 7 per cent, developing country exports almost doubled in 10 years, and an
average of about $10 billion a year in assistance pouring into these countries.‖
(Schramm, 1979, p.2) The figures give a sense of success but it was a vague growth,
development was still far behind. ―The increase in population (between 2 and 3 per
cent) has wiped out most of the economic gain. Although the proportion of literates
has increased, the number of illiterates in 1975 was actually greater than it was ten
years before-literacy campaigns and schooling have simply not been able to keep up
with population. And as encouraging as some of the figures sound, they have
succeeded only in widening the gap between have and have not countries, rich and
poor people. Food production was higher in developing countries but in ―developed
countries‖ it was growing seven times as fast. The growth in number of physicians in
the less developed countries was impressive, but it was even more in the
industrialized countries, and in those countries the proportion to population is about
four times as large as in the less developed countries. Developing country exports
approximately doubled in 10 years, but in developed countries they increased by a
factor of five.‖ (Schramm, 1979, p.2) Even the so called better and developed states
were also in trouble, Schramm in his book gives a personal experience of a friend
residing in Pacific islands, ―The other friend tried to parlay South sea designs into a
viable clothes manufacturing business. Her work was inexperienced. Their product
was not really competitive in export and too expensive for the ordinary people on her
island. She made some sales to tourists, but the market was thin. The result was far
short of the industrial revolution dreamed off.‖ (Schramm, 1979, p.3) This ‗big push‘,
‗take off‘, and ‗leap forward‘, as termed by economists paved way to a vague,
imaginative, mirage like and illusionary development rather than a sustainable one in
developed as well as developing nations. Awestruck by industrial revolution and
technology, we left behind man power and efficiency. Developing countries were
racing very fast for development but they were still far behind the developed nations
38
as they not only started much early but were also running faster than their developing
counterparts. There were differences even within the developing countries, poor were
becoming even poorer and riches were richest. Of course every nation whether
developed, developing or under developed, required industrialization for
development, but at what pace? At a speed suitable to other powerful nations or to
itself? When does it require? At the same point of time when the developed states
realise it requires growth or according to its own suitability? Through which strategy?
A strategy tailored according to the developed state‘s requirement or its own? Even
the greatest power United States of America was once an agricultural state before it
took to industrial revolution. Schramm in his book tries to analyse such questions
while digging into the ground realities that were missed out during the dominant
paradigm. Schramm takes us out of this wonder land of development while giving a
reality check. ―Europe and North America took 300 years to progress from
agricultural civilizations to industrial ones. Asia, Africa, and Latin America have been
thinking of doing it in 25 to 50 years. In North America, Land was freely available
and a farmer could easily start with 160 acres. In a country like India, by way of
contrast, most farmers own no land at all and the demands of monsoon agriculture
have so overpopulated the farming areas that even an equitable redistribution of land
would put no such resource of land in the hands of Indian farmers as were available to
even the least privileged landlords in the United States.‖(Schramm, 1979, p.4)
Western models custom made according to their own sociological and political
priorities, overpowered the native thinking and instead of making our own base
stronger, India and other developing nations were in a pursuit for something even
bigger. Without making our agricultural basis stronger, we were desperately
attempting to make our industries grow even larger. Forgetting the local, we were
trying to reach global. Such signs of vague development could be witnessed even
today. Western technologies still try to dominate a developing market that is still far
behind them. At one side we are overwhelmed with the launch of iphones in a country
like India and many young ones among us dreaming and saving hard earned money to
own it and finally a few Indians become proud owners. While in the same country on
the other side we talk about digital divide and making Indian people computer literate
and our villages technology friendly.
39
‘Development’ during the Dominant era
Development was measured in terms of dollars and cents, huge capital invested for
industrialization and technological advancement which in turn provided profit again
in dollars and cents thus quantifying economic growth. Expressions like quality of life
rarely existed, no industrialization equalled to no development and no economic
growth. Industrially advanced nations decided the rules in the game of development.
Western economists and theorists worked together to come up with a development
plan for the world. This was development during dominant paradigm. Peeping into the
background of Schramm‘s thoughtful revelation to UNESCO (United Nation
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) in 1979, it all started during 60s
and 70s when development was considered something which is planned, decided and
delivered by the government to the public. Public was merely taker and not decision
maker. Media acted as a transformation and propaganda machine. It was there to
inform what was already decided for the people. ―The language reflected the
bureaucratic approach—‗objectives‘, ‗targets‘, ‗strategies‘, ‗beneficiary‘ and
‗capability‘. There was little involvement of those undergoing this makeover termed
as ‗modernisation‘ or ‗development‘. Vertical decision-making, little involvement of
communities and a lack of understanding of local cultures were among the causes of
failure of such ‗development‘ in combating poverty or in improving the standards of
living of the people in Third World Countries.‖ (Pavrala and Malik, 2007, p.145)
―This dominant paradigm, promoted a top-down approach and the ‗one size fits all‘
policy prescriptions by the World Bank, IMF and WTO for development. Nations
started imagining their underdevelopment. Their physical and social realities were
produced and reproduced in the dialectic of development and underdevelopment,
‗marginalizing and precluding other ways of seeing things. The Third world was
invented through this discourse. (Escobar, 1995 in Pavrala and Malik, 2007, p.147)
Communication research during the 50s amidst the old paradigm witnessed significant
work in the path of development by many theorists. Daniel Lerner believed the way to
transit from a traditional to a modernized society is through development of
communication means and infrastructure. According to him development was
essentially a communication process and investment in large scale production and use
of modern technologies could transfer a traditional society into a modern one. He
40
focused on Middle East, studying Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Turkey and
discussed the role of mass media in providing experiences of modern western lifestyle
to the less developed nations. Lerner identified mass media with spread of education
that would further lead to shift in behaviour, habits, lifestyle and acts of people. This
change in public attitude would lead to socio-economic and political mellowness.
―People in the Western culture have become habituated to the sense of change and
attuned to its various rhythms…We are interested in empathy as the inner mechanism
which enables newly mobile persons to operate efficiently in a changing world.
Empathy, to simplify the matter, is the capacity to see oneself in the other fellow‘s
situation. This is an indispensible skill for people moving out of traditional
settings…it is a major hypothesis of this study that high empathetic capacity is the
predominant personal style only in modern society which is distinctively industrial,
urban, literate and participant… Social change happens through persons and
places…If new institutions of political, economic, cultural behaviour are to change in
compatible ways, then inner coherence must be provided by the personality matrix
which governs individual behaviour. We conceive modernity as a participant style of
life; we identify its distinctive personality mechanisms as empathy.‖ (Lerner &
Pervsner, 1958, p.47)
According to Lerner and Pervsner, the empathetic style in the personality of a
traditional society doesn‘t exist. Thoughts of traditional societies are limited to what
they see and they don‘t have the will to look beyond. They are narrow- minded when
change needs to be accepted. Here they talk about the changes that the western society
thinks is apt for them and expects the less developed society to ape it in order to
become a modernized one. With this thought it seems traditional societies were not
expected to think rather act as per the instructions and when they refuted they were
considered insular. In the similar vein for Hagen, development comes through social
change and change starts within. ―The inter relationship between personality and
social structure are such as to make it clear that social change will not occur without
changes in personalities.‖(Hagen, 1962, p.86) According to him people in developed
societies have innovative personalities that adjust with change. They welcome change
and development unlike their counterparts who are afraid of it. They are more
practical and creative in dealing with problems and finding their solutions. He
41
compares the people in a modern society with those of under developed ones whose
personalities are authoritative. Their personalities overpower and rule them. This
makes them rigid and unable to accept any change. Their personalities do not allow
them to accept challenges. Regarding the traditional societies, Hagen states, ―He
perceives the world as an arbitrary place rather than an orderly one amenable to
analysis and responsive to his initiative. His unconscious processes are both
inaccessible and uncreative. He resolves his relationships with his fellows primarily
on the basis of ascriptive authority. He avoids the anxiety caused by facing unresolved
situations in the physical world by reliance on the judgement of authority.‖ (Hagen,
1962) Regarding the creative modern people he states, ― If any anxiety exists among
this personality type it is the gnawing feeling that they are not doing enough, or not
well enough.‖ (Hagen, 1962) 50s and 60s was an era when in a way traditional
societies were looked down upon. They were considered aimless people on whom all
kinds of judgements were made by the so called modern societies. In a way they were
not among privileged or classes but were considered masses who did not have a mind
of their own and could be dominated to act and ape. This thought of the developed
societies emerged because they were developed with land, money and infrastructure
when compared to their counterparts but still under developed in thoughts and
wisdom and surely they were not so far away from actuality which they were
supposed to witness soon...i.e. the new paradigm.
During the 60s when everybody was studying industrialization, Everett Rogers came
up with an important study in the field of agriculture. Rogers‘s idea of development
(1962) was through social change that requires an innovation or a new idea that
should be diffused. Diffusion is the process by which an innovation is communicated
through certain channels over a period of time to the society members. He also
studied how a particular idea is accepted by the society. New ideas on the other hand
raise the income level and lifestyle of the people, the sooner they accept newness, the
faster the society becomes modern. According to him the elements that popularise a
new idea are innovation, communication channels, time and social system. He stated
that adopter of any new innovations could be categorised into- innovators (2.5%, who
innovated), early adopters (13.5%, who quickly adopt), early majority (34%, who
very carefully think and then adopt), late majority (34%, they will accept when they
see the majority has accepted) and laggards (16%, they are critical towards new ideas
42
and will accept only if the idea has become a tradition). His study claimed that
depending on the innovation people fall into different categories. A farmer could be
an early adopter or innovator of a farming technique and can be a late adopter of a
video game. This way his study was much applicable to different ideas and
innovations.(Rogers, 1962) Taking forward from Rogers‘s study, Wilbur Schramm in
1964 with his book Mass Media and National Development further accentuated the
role of media in development. To Schramm (1964) mass media as an agent of social
change has the capability of being a magic multiplier of development. Mass media if
used effectively in developing nations would definitely enhance growth thereby
bringing social change. Stating the correlation between economic growth and
communication growth, for Schramm agriculture and technology should go hand in
hand. If agriculture is supplemented with technological improvements, apart from
increasing the yield it would use less manpower that would be able to work in
industries. He elaborated the use of communication through media in the field of
agriculture, education, health and literacy campaign substantiating with case studies
from developed and under developed nations. For him enhancing communication
research in any nation would further strengthen the communication agendas by having
full proof communication campaigns that would be away from failures. ―How
fortuitous, how almost miraculous it seems that, at this moment of greatest need for
swift and widespread information in the developing countries, modern mass
communication should be available to multiply informational resources. It is hardly
possible to imagine national economic and social development going at its present
pace without some modern information multiplier; and indeed, without mass
communication probably the great freedom movements and national stirrings of the
last few decades never would have come about at all. But we must remember that the
full power of mass communication has never been used in any developing country, to
push economic and social development forward. How much could we increase the
present rate of development, how much could we smooth out the difficulties of the
‗terrible ascent‘, how much further could we make our resources go, how much more
could we contribute to the growth of informed, participating citizens in the new
nations, If we were to put the resources of modern communication skilfully and fully
behind economic and social development?‖ (Schramm, 1964, p.43-44) Furthering
Schramm‘s view off course media is a magic multiplier of development but no media
could multiply development in the right sense until and unless it utilises its own
43
audience and looks into development from the audience point of view. While talking
about what different media can do, Schramm states about radio, ―When it is
broadcasting to the farmers, it is not serving the city people. When it is broadcasting
to the schools, it is not usually serving the adult population. When it is broadcasting
classical culture of the country, it is likely to lose some or much of its audience to the
commercial station broadcasting light entertainment from across the border. Should
there be special stations for rural regions? Should there be special educational
stations? Should all these functions be combined in a single station or
network?‖(Schramm, 1964, p.47) Probably the answer to all these questions by
Schramm then, lies in the concept of what we know today is community radio.
This communication research paradigm though gave rise to some important theories
and concepts but it was far away from realism and practicality. No doubt numbers of
directed activities in health, education, and agriculture in the third world countries
were advantageous but only to the cream of the society. The people who were poor
and needy still were untouched and in the same situation. There was still no
betterment and growth. Poor was becoming poorer and rich continued to enjoy his
richness. Even for the modern societies, the development was stagnant after a point.
―The strategy was to save capital, invest it in machines, raw materials, and training.
The products would be sold and profits reinvested. Industry would expand. Profits
would grow. This would continue until the economic reaction was self-sustaining.
The process of production and allocation of resources would be kept in balance by
central planning, and profits would diffuse through society and improve the quality
life. A diffusion model of communication was most often combined with this. Just as
the economic benefits of industry were expected to diffuse down through the levels of
society to the poor and the rural landless, so were new knowledge, innovations, and
guidance in improving agriculture supposed to diffuse through the mass media to the
inter-personal channels of society and ultimately to the villagers and farmers, who
would have the aid and guidance of whatever Third world version of a rural extension
service was available. Neither diffusion model worked as well as expected. The
fledgling industry was unable to raise incomes in the agricultural sector in time to
create a market. In a competitive export market, local industries were usually at a
disadvantage. And therefore the dreams of profits and a good life diffusing through all
levels of society receded into the indefinite future.‖(Schramm, 1979, p.4)
44
Resisting a forced development
It was time to realise, finally resist and plan to strongly build nations. It was time to
rubbish the assumptions that traditional societies are traditional because of their
attitude, backwardness, superstition, fatalism etc… Mass media, a powerful tool was
merely used for information transmission and government propaganda rather than
development. It was high time to plan and executive effective use of media. Paul
Baran‘s (1957) thoughts of development and underdevelopment being interrelated
approaches formed the basis of new development approach. According to him both
were sides of the same coin. For him capitalist system was the main reason for
continued under development since the main aim of western monopoly was to hinder
development for developing societies and so for any kind of development, capitalism
should be discontinued. Academicians and theorists tried to understand Baran‘s basis
that under development was due to same reason through which countries became
economically developed. Post this thought many developing nations started to get
away from the powerful nations in an attempt to build up their own association, an
amalgamation of developing countries. New World Information and Communication
order was the result. ―Chronic imbalances in international information flows became
the focus of attention, and a new doctrine concerning ‗the free flow of information‘
emerged. The situation had its roots in the tumultuous process of national liberation
from imperial powers that had swept through Asia and Africa in the preceding decade.
The new states demanded recognition of their sovereignty –in politics, economics and
the cultural sphere. At the same time, the new nations were in need of aid from the
industrialized countries of the North. National and economic development was the
first priority, and the mass media were seen to play key roles in the process.‖
(Carlsson, 2005 in Hermer and Tufte, p.194-195) News networks exclusive for the
Third World was established. People from developing countries started writing and
sending information about them to the world. The theorists arrived at another
impractical solution with the dependency paradigm in 1970s wherein the stress was
on self reliance through industrialisation, investment from foreign countries and
import substitutes. The outcome however was even more dependence on powerful
countries and finally deep in debts. Mc Anany (1983) referred to this paradigm as,
―good on diagnosis of the problem…but poor on prescription of the cure.‖ Looking at
dependency theory, it somehow reflected ideas of Marx. It was a relation between
45
people having resources, the bourgeois class and the other set of people having no
resources, and in terms of the theory; core and the periphery. The core countries were
privileged enough having capital, industries and technology whereas the countries at
the periphery had none of this but the raw material. Periphery provided the raw
material and core developed the finished goods earning a lot more than the periphery.
Core could easily exploit the periphery. There was still no equality. Hence, it did not
provide any solution rather developed was still developing at a faster pace leaving the
under developed behind. Dependency theory criticized by many lead to the discovery
of a new approach based on Freire‘s (1970) ‗pedagogy of the oppressed‘ where he
stated, ―In cultural invasion, the actors draw the thematic content of their action from
their own values and ideology; their starting point is their own world, from which
they enter the world of those they invade. In cultural synthesis, the actors who come
from "another world" to the world of the people do so not as invaders. They do not
come to teach or to transmit or to give anything, but rather to learn, with the people,
about the people‘s world.‖ (Freire, 1970, p.179) In cultural invasion the actors (who
need not even go personally to the invaded culture; increasingly, their action is carried
out by technological instruments) superimpose themselves on the people, who are
assigned the role of spectators of objects. In cultural synthesis, the actors become
integrated with the people, who are coauthors of the action that both perform upon
the world. In cultural invasion, both the spectators and the reality to be preserved are
objects of the actors' action. In cultural synthesis, there are no spectators; the object of
the actors‘ action is the reality to be transformed for the liberation of men.‖ (Freire,
1970, p.180) Culture, localism, identity and tradition became important in this phase.
Development in 1980s was seen through cultural synthesis and not invasion. The need
to develop the world by not alienating but keeping their culture intact was in talks.
This phase was further elaborated on the basis of Schumacher‘s (1973) advocacy of
appropriate technologies wherein technology was supposed to be chosen depending
on the field and application. Schumacher emphasized on technology that is small
scale, decentralized, environment friendly, and most importantly controlled locally.
For developing countries it was an answer to poverty, unemployment and urban
migration. For developed countries it served as a tool for development that is less
harmful for environment and society. During the 1980s debates for social change, all
theorists were of a view for a communication that is bottom up and that creates self
reliance and development. ‗Another Development‘, Identity, Empowerment,
46
Alternative media…such words started to echo all around. ―Several other factors
provided impetus to the emergence of the participatory development approach:
Evidence in World Bank projects in rural and Population/health areas of
positive impact of community participation and bottom-up approach on
project efficiency.
Local and national governments finding it increasingly difficult to manage
adequately the innumerable development projects and programmes thus
paving way for a more prominent role of non-governmental and community
organisations; and
Non-governmental organisations making it their developmental objective to
empower the underprivileged populations by giving them greater control over
resources and decisions in the projects and programmes affecting their
lives.‖(Bamberger,1988 in Pavrala and Malik, 2007, p.150-151)
Another development approach is much participatory, horizontal and bottom up
thereby negating the earlier vertical top down diffusion model. Decentralised,
audience and receiver oriented, culture and region specific, dialogical system started
to emerge that strategized communication as a process for sustainable development. It
focuses on democratisation, information exchange and participation at various levels.
It is characterised as multidimensional (a combination of horizontal, vertical: bottom
up, top down), self realised, self planned and self invented approach that gives the
ownership of message and the media to the people. The audience is not just the
consumer but also the planner and the producers of the media content. This
communication paradigm has encouraged many thought provoking dialogues, studies,
theories in the form of community communication through various media like;
participatory video, community radio, theatre etc….by academicians, theorists,
researchers and industry professionals.
Another Development approaches
Freedom of free and adequate information was declared as one of the basic freedoms
by United Nations in 1948. This kind of freedom is guaranteed by growth in means of
communication. (Valderamma, 1995) India started realising the importance of
47
freedom of information and mass media with the beginning of its five year plan
during 1950s. In view of the United Nation‘s declaration, Indian government in
collaboration with UNESCO launched Radio rural forum in 1956 for around 150
villages in Pune, Maharshtra in India. Inspired by the farm radio forum (1940)
experience in Canada, the Indian government utilised the medium radio to educate its
farmers about various farming techniques for better agricultural production,
cleanliness and health in individual villages. Special listening sessions were
organised, feedback was encouraged and people were involved not only while making
the programmes but also during conceptual planning for the programmes. Being
innovative and interesting for its audience, the approach was very much powerful and
successful and hence was introduced in other areas. Farmers were asked to listen to
the programs and then discuss innovations with experts. Farmers who were willing to
use these innovations discussed them with experts, and under the package programme
farmers were provided with seeds, fertilizers, loans etc…Subsequently there were 0.2
million radio forums running in different parts of India but this approach gradually
declined when transistor technology hit the market. Development communication was
already in the minds since the beginning, but not in its furnished version. Rural radio
forum and Package programme both involved farmers but it was still a top-down
approach, with information coming from and according to experts. Though the choice
of the medium as Radio for this experiment was obvious since it was the only suitable
technology at that particular time but talking about radio in the present times, it still
continues to be a medium much earthy in its accessibility and approach. Another
important experiment in India was that of SITE-Satellite Instructional Television
Experiment in 1975. Just when India was trying to develop its own technology for
communication, India delivered developmental programmes through satellite to local
receivers. These programmes reached many remote villages. The experiment also
included discussion sessions with farmers in the form of feedback and advice.
Communication targeted towards development that time was limited just to feedback
and much more was still left to explore. ―To be fair to SITE we must say that it was
designed by engineers and physicists chiefly to test advanced communication
technology in a non industrialized country, and the Indian scientists performed
brilliantly in demonstrating that a developing country at the level of India can handle
such sophisticated technology and indeed can prove itself ingenious in developing
low cost equipment and in this respect showing the way to more fully industrialized
48
countries. But the Programme strategy of SITE was out of date, surprisingly so, India
had demonstrated both the Radio rural forum and Package Programme along with
more orthodox diffusion models. To expect in one year to achieve much change in
local agricultural practice by means of a few minutes daily of television without any
local support was some decades behind the state of art, and certainly far different
from the local strategy that was already emerging when SITE went on air.‖
(Schramm, 1979, p.11)
Post dominant paradigm, this was the stage when communication horizons were
widened and social scientists and academicians throughout were critically thinking
about communication in fact development through communication. Innovation was
one of the aspects of Rogers‘s diffusion model (1962). In 1970‘s, scholars started
thinking about re-invention…a stage that comes gradually after innovation. Re-
invention is the level to which an innovation is modified in the process of its
implementation. ―Some researchers measured re-invention as the degree to which an
individual's use of a new idea departed from the "mainline" version of the innovation
that was promoted by a change agency.‖(Eveland et al, 1977 in Rogers, 1983).
Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky introduced the propaganda model of media
stating factors that determine news in media. Through the model they talk about
media functioning, how agendas are set by media, how public is manipulated and how
news and information is manufactured in the minds of the people. According to them
the five denominators of news include ownership, funding sources, relationship with
powerful sources of information, flak or negative responses from the public and anti
communism and fear elements. About the last element, Chomsky states, ―So I think
when we talked about the "fifth filter" we should have brought in all this stuff -- the
way artificial fears are created with a dual purpose... partly to get rid of people you
don't like but partly to frighten the rest. Because if people are frightened, they will
accept authority.‖ (Herman & Chomsky, 1988) Elaborating on media functioning, a
social-democratic communication model emphasizing not only grassroot media but
also the usual public sphere was suggested by Sam Mwangi. Information exchange in
this model is treated as an empowering and enlightening process rather than a mere
product. Taking Habermas‘s public sphere (1962) as a base the model makes media
an important part of the sphere that acts as a coordinator for other public spaces in the
sphere. With the popularity of participatory approaches and mushrooming community
49
radio stations in Africa, the model suggests training ideas for journalists keeping in
mind public deliberations especially in a developing state like Africa. The model links
public sphere, democratic governance conditions and grassroot media further reflects
that, ―the process embodied in the social-democratic model would have discernible
societal impact. It would allow a free flow of ideas, enable the inclusion of various
voices in media stories and in decision-making and enhance the democratic culture. It
would also provide a framework for the empowerment and development of
communities. It is important to mention that the various components of the model
feed on each other and are therefore integrated in a two-way relationship.‖ (Mwangi,
2010)
―People are ‗voiceless‘ not because they have nothing to say, but because nobody
cares to listen to them.‖(Servaes and Malikhao, 2005) The authors try to study
participatory paradigm with an entirely different dimension. They consider listening
as much as participation important for communication for development since it
initiates trust between communicators and receivers thereby encouraging a more
justifiable distribution of ideas and opinions. The study explores emergence of
development communication as an idea of post modern society, with a background of
modernization and dependency theory. The authors criticize the modernization stage
as being unilinear that quantifies underdevelopment when third world states are
compared with that of the developed powerful nations and call for a new concept of
development which gives importance to the culture and multidimensionality. The
dependency era marked culture as significant only for the aim of commodification.
For a newer development, culture must be seen from identity and individuality point
of view for another kind of development. Change should occur at all levels-local,
national and international. The authors discuss more on this another kind of
development by being critical about the mass communication trend specifically in
developing countries where participation is merely pseudo in terms of feedback of
audience through sms and emails. The universal formula of this trend is informing the
audience about the project, explaining the advantages and encouraging people to
support it rather than involving the public while deciding the content or designing the
project. The real participation is ―before the resources for development projects are
allocated and distributed, and those suggestions for changes in the policy are taken
into consideration.‖ (Servaes and Malikhao, 2005). The authors talk about cultural
50
identity being an important aspect in encouraging people for participation; however
they don‘t emphasise on an identity that is away from culture, which can be an
adoption from another culture or identity in terms of personality and individuality.
Identity and culture can be two different areas where culture can be one element in
forming the identity. The process of communication should be more emphasized on
and rather than creating a need for the disseminated information, focus should be on
disseminating information that is needed. Communication for development in such a
sense is away from materialistic techniques. Another important change that the
authors suggest is the use of technology for people‘s participation. With technological
advancements, technology becomes easy and people become tech savvy, participation
can‘t be ignored. As an argument this is a wise perspective for developed nations but
not for developing countries like India, where technology acts as a power in hands of
people only in its urban sections while the other rural parts still remain technically
weak. With the perspective change on participatory communication, communication
under this paradigm should be treated as knowledge exchange that involves people
and creates dialogue rather than a mere exchange of information.
Shirley A. White talks about an important tool of participatory communication-
Participatory Video. The publication is an amalgamation of various essays contributed
by different authors emphasising the power of communication when people become
agents of their own development and not merely the beneficiaries. Participatory
communication through video does not suggest that people merely learn how to
handle technology and use it but actually use it to communicate through powerful
images that convey stories, emotions and realities effectively. While doing this
knowledge and trust become essential elements. A participatory video producer and
cameraperson should essentially have knowledge of culture, tradition and language.
The book is divided into four parts and each part is linked in a way that participatory
communication through video seems like a whole process. Part 1 elucidates the power
of participatory communication for development in a sense that video, which is just a
tool becomes more than that when it is used not only to show but to interact and
interpret, to conceptualise and for consensus building. The book portrays experiences
of various authors as a witness and makers of participatory video. ―Fogo Process‖ is
the best example as participatory video finds its roots in it. The Fogo Process made
the Candadian islanders realise through participatory video that their problems are
51
common and a solution for the same can be found out collectively. Part 2 talks about
how video can become a tool to transform. This part not only talks about video
becoming an agent of documentation of reality but also speaks volume of how the
proclaimed tool of participatory communication can become a hindrance in
showcasing reality and enhancing participation. This part simplifies the job of a
participatory video crew in not becoming an intervention in the lives of the
community. Shooting the real as real and not creating an illusion of reality becomes
an important dialogue here. In this sense community should not act just as story teller
but also should involve themselves in shooting with cameras or if its radio then
recording for it. The chapters in this part try to convey how participatory video
enhances relations among community members and is a continuous process that
doesn‘t end with the solution to the problem but persists to build up the individuality
and strength of the community. The third part of the book talks about how video has
empowered individuals, women and society as a whole. The chapters in this part not
only talk about the empowerment of the audience who watch those videos but also
people who are behind the camera and also those who are the story tellers and are
narrating their own experiences. The last part potrays a more action oriented
dimension of the participatory video giving examples of how it is being utilized for
development while giving examples of videos like Springs of life that talks about HIV
and AIDS. (S. A. White (Ed.), 2003)
This publication talks about the not much talked participatory video as another tool of
development communication. This book takes participatory video as a whole process
and is suitable for giving knowledge to those who are unaware of the approach or are
initiating a project in development communication. It portrays video and images as
strong approach to effective communication. The book though gives random
examples of the participatory experiences from the third world, but misses out
specifically talking about how participatory video had been used for development in
the under developed third world states as participatory paradigm is the best suited
approach for growth and progress in such nations.
World Association of community radio broadcasters (AMARC) in an interactive
roundtable conference that was organised along with Swiss agency for development
and cooperation and UNESCO, in Rome during October 2006 came out with a useful
52
publication guiding on the concept of Community Radio and how it is used in some
select parts of the world. It states that community radio accepted as a democratised
form of media has the biggest hurdle in the form of government policies and rules for
its existence and functioning. To substantiate the argument, the chapter, ―Community
media and democracy in the 21st century: Perspectives and Experiences‖, portrays the
role of community media in democratic transition taking up the Nepal‘s case of 2006.
Nepal as a case study is a good sample choice in the sense of the community radio
movement that took place in 2006 along with the progressive growth of community
radio stations in the state. The Nepal experience gives a glimpse of how media
engages itself and functions with the experiences of people living in poverty. The
community radio movement in Nepal at a time when the media was totally stopped by
the king helps explore the struggle of the people to establish a media of its own.
Certain nuances like that of radio hosts in Nepal started singing news on the pretext
that government didn‘t allow them to broadcast news but only music and songs on
radio, suggest that the power of radio in the 21st century though not understood by the
government, is clearly understood by the masses and they are ready to use this
medium to protest and to fulfil their indigenous communication need. Kunda Dixit, a
Journalist from Nepal, documents community radio movement in the country, thereby
examining the principles of democracy and the survival of a democratic media along
with the hegemonic commercial media. (AMARC, SDC, & UNESCO, 2008)
Community media founder in Nepal, Raghu Mainali, through his personal perspective
on the role and growth of community radio in Nepal elaborates a broader perspective
on the importance of the media in developing societies particularly underdeveloped
and developing states. While understanding growth and development of community
media in different parts of the world the book also gives an idea of how the traditional
media- radio is used with the help of and along new technologies like mobiles and
internet. Radio thus is not limited to present but has a creative scope in future as well.
The book though limited to community media experiences from few parts of the
world, not only explains the concept, role and importance of the media but also puts
and analyses the community media in an era when technological advancements are at
a very high pace. It echoes that being local in a global age is as important as being a
media literate society. A society that creates its own media for itself is strong enough
53
to exist at a parallel level with any kind of technological advancements. (AMARC,
SDC, & UNESCO, 2008)
Servaes and Lie (2002) in their research paper analyse development communication
with a background assumption that no state can survive in isolation and at the same
time none can be totally dependent on particular states. Every state whether
developed, developing or under developed seeks interdependency in one sense or the
other. The researchers analyse the development paradigm into three categories:
Globalists- Who can‘t see the world without the elements of globalisation and
resist any human intervention to it whether social or political.
Traditionalists-See the development of the world as a more local issue than a
global one and consider globalisation as an exaggeration.
Transformationalists- Globalisation though marks an important shift but the
developmental impact can‘t be seen without the local or indigenous outlook.
The above analyses puts the globalists and traditionalists into a sense of having
extremely cornered approaches with the globalists looking at the world with a
homogeneous culture and the traditionalists assuming no significant change
happening due to globalisation. However transformationalists view of the situation
seems to be more practical. With an alien culture exposure and adoption happening
with globalisation, the outcome might not be popular and well accepted all over.
Another view that is a result of the above discussion is a combination of global and
local that is being glocal. As the authors have explained that the glocal phenomenon
enables people to have a sense of belonging to a particular society and at the same
time their need to reach out to what they are not exposed to. The authors here by
giving example of the Japanese character Pokemon, try to establish the point that
while catering this character to different parts of the world, the producers are not
entirely exposing the world to the Japanese culture but are using the mix and match
formula. The character is customised to the country specific audience while retaining
its Japanese attributes. The question arises can the world have separate views as
traditionalists and globalists when globalisation and localisation doesn‘t exist in
alienation but combination? (Servaes & Lie, 2002)
54
The first radio transmitter of South India is the Exhibit of Fortnight at the
Government Museum, Egmore. Photo: R. Ragu
Image Courtesy: The Hindu, 26th
November, 2013.
Radio Phenomenon giving rise to Social Change and Empowerment
“Some years ago, a child was asked whether he liked radio or television best. The boy
said radio, because the pictures were better.” (Gilbert, 2012)
The image above shows an eighty nine years old 200 watt radio transmitter. It is the
first radio transmitter of South India which was put on exhibit at the Government
Museum at Egmore in Tamil Nadu, India, during November 2013. This transmitter
was used by the Madras Presidency Radio Club, an amateur group for a daily
broadcast. (Swaminathan, 2013) Since then we have come a long way, completing
somewhat a vicious circle, beginning with ham and underground radio managed by
amateurs, moving on towards public and private radio on one hand and online and
55
specialised radio on the other hand managed by professionals and radio experts and
then back again not to professionals but from where we started that is amateurs,
managing and running community radio stations in various nooks and corners of the
world. ―Radio was the first personal mass communications system. A human voice
simultaneously addressing thousands, perhaps millions … yet each listener hearing
that voice through an electronic box as it if were a personal conversation mere inches
away. Toward the end of the 20th
century, that conversation became a cacophony, as
commercial and non-commercial radio programming fragmented into infinitesimal
niche formats seeking to bring swarms of advertisers to the ears of an infinite number
of niche consumer targets. Some observers warned that radio had become less
personal, less listened to, less relevant to the daily lives of its audience — a fading
dinosaur in the evolutionary parade of communications technology. But as of Dec. 31,
2011, the U.S. Federal Communication Commission tallied a total of 15,790 licensed
broadcast stations operating across America. That‘s a 30% increase from the 11,062
stations on the air at the end of 1991, two decades earlier.‖ (McCullough, 2012) Radio
around the world has tried to free itself from the lashes of authorities and government,
reinvent itself to explore various forms and types during the 21st Century. Community
radio is one such attempt at moving closer and being intimate and personal to its
audience needs. ―Community radio is not just about producing good radio programs.
It is a social process, more than a series of products or programs. Community radio
stations spring up and survive because they can make positive contributions to
societies, often to societies in turmoil or during periods of growth.‖ (Felder in
McCullough, 2012) This type of social change has been brought by a Community
Radio Simli in the northern region of Ghana in Africa. Simli Radio with its effective
literacy programme- School for life has led to increase enrolment in schools and
reduced migration by young girls. The targeted community has become aware in
issues of sanitation and hygiene. (Hassan, Andani & Malik, 2011) Search for common
ground (SFCG), an organisation that supports community outreach and capacity
building through radio content, in one of its study on four community radio stations-
Radio Life, Radio Khergiamahn, Radio Wanjei and Radio Kolenten in Sierra Leone
and Liberia analysed how these stations are acting as agents of development in the
targeted area. ―In all locations, it was noted that radio particularly helps marginalized
people without access to other means of communications (e.g. cell phones). At some
stations, access to public forum programming directly empowers historically
56
marginalized populations. In others, where the poorest residents do not have access to
such programming, it is believed that the sense of connectedness created by local
language, local news, and sensitization programming achieves considerable outcomes
with regard to inclusiveness and community togetherness. In Liberia, for example,
voter education around a complicated run-off vote between President Ellen Johnson-
Sirleaf and George Weah reduced tensions notably, in ways that many believed
warded off potential violence. At all four locations, radio‘s ability to quickly
disseminate election information is believed to have counter-acted the potential for
unfounded rumours to fuel conflict. Though more training specific to election
processes is needed, community radio will be essential to providing for peaceful
elections in the future.‖ (Search for common ground, 2009) Community radio with a
great potential played a significant role in peace building in the specific areas of South
Africa. Improved inclusion of marginalized section of the society-children and
women was an important suggestion provided by this study. (Search for common
ground, 2009) Looking at the origination of community radio, it was formed out of
experiences, circumstances and situations even in developed areas of the world much
similar to the underdeveloped nations ―The experiences of minority groups in Europe,
Australia, North and Latin America showed that community radio has traditionally
grown out of repressive socio-political experiences. Marginalized communities have
typically adopted community radio as a tool for highlighting their fundamental rights.
Such communities have used radio to raise and address issues unique to their
experiences. In particular, minority groups marginalized by the mainstream media
find solace in the capabilities of community radio. In Latin American countries,
community radio, otherwise known as people‘s radio, became the voice of the poor
and the voiceless, the landless peasants, the urban shack dwellers, the impoverished
indigenous nations and the trade unions. Given the kind of populations to whom they
are targeted, community radio outlets have also been used as tools for development.‖
(Wabwire, 2013) This clearly indicates the traces of underdevelopment and
requirement of development in areas that we categorise as developed. A popular
community radio station called Nammadhwani in Budhikote village in Karnataka,
India during its formation stage used to involve community people but with gradual
decrease in participation from people due to lack of interest in radio programming,
they had to develop a new strategy. ―After much deliberation, we came up with a few
ideas:
57
• Programming inspired by popular culture on mainstream radio and television
to increase listenership
• Incentives for listening to radio – games, quizzes and prizes would attract the
audience‘s attention.
• Shorter audio formats for example - we reduced the duration of interviews
from 20 minutes to 5-10 minutes.
Radio dramas that were 30 minutes were reduced to 10-15 minutes.
• Distribution of pamphlets about new programmes with timings among self
help groups (SHG), schools and their display at tea shops, departmental stores,
the Gram Panchayat, etc. so that everyone in the village was aware that a new
series of radio programmes was being designed for them.
We developed another unique programme called ―Nimma Kare, Namma Geeta‖
(Your call, our song), where people would telephone in to request folk and popular
songs and Namma Dhwani would play them in response. Sometimes people would
request songs and the members of the community would sing them. This increased the
level of participation since they could hear their own voices on radio and cable.
Further, it gave people the confidence to sing on the radio.‖ (Nagaraj, p.24-27, 2011)
The beginning and establishment of community radios in India have been full of
challenges and hurdles be it due to policies on part of government and financial
stability on part of those managing it. But realising the potential an effective
community station has, Indians continue to hope for the best. ―If every node and
corner of a vast nation like India is to be covered by community radios, we will need
10000 community radios in India that too without overlap. It is a tough task and
licensing and, monitoring and evaluating are going to be very cumbersome. But that
should not deter us from the goal of establishing community radio for the target
people.‖ (Thangaraj, Asokan, Geetha and Gandhimathi, 2008, pg.36) Experts and
academicians foreseeing changes that a community radio can bring in a developing
society suggested ways how such stations can improve various strategic areas in the
country. ―One of the weakest links in agricultural development process is the poor
linkage between researchers and farmers. The research agenda of scientists in the
universities in most cases do not have any relationship with the production problem at
the field. In several occasions the field level issues are not communicated to the
58
universities. In many cases the performance of these technologies at farmers‘ fields is
also not communicated to the universities. In this context the local communities
through community radio can establish an effective link with the scientist and interact
with them. Involvement of local communities in development and refinement of
message will make it more relevant to local situation. At present agriculture extension
follows a blanket approach in development and dissemination of farm information
where it lacks location specific recommendations. Further, at present farmers are not
involved in the development of contents of the message. Their involvement will make
the content more meaningful and relevant.‖ (Vijayaragavan, 2008, pg.61)
Emphasising on the involvement aspect of community media Kumar points out
about Namma Dhwani community radio station in Karnataka. The villagers were truly
involved since the start of the station. During identity establishment of the station
around 80% of the respondents participated in the station and while designing 50%
participated whereas during production phase the involvement declined to 25% due to
the lack of knowledge in technical knowhow. This indicates that though community
people lack technical expertise but they are excellent content generators. (Kumar,
Yadav, Singh, pg.10-14, 2010) In one of the studies assessing impact of Namma
Dhwani station on villagers, ―It was found that most of the respondents i.e. 80 per
cent accorded that they have started giving importance to family planning after
listening to programmes of Namma Dhwani. They now had clarity about what kinds
of steps have to be taken to maintain family health and the advantages of having a
small family.‖(Kumar, Yadav, Singh, pg.10-14, 2010) Technology is easy to learn
when one possesses the intellect to give structure and meat to the station. Jain stresses
on the importance of community radio even in urban areas. ―Urban area desperately
requires a communication medium for the benefit of the community. A community
radio for residents in large residential block could be used for community interaction,
solve daily problems of mohalla (colonies), encourage urban requirements like
cleanliness, safety, water harvesting, electricity for roads, transportation, education,
security system. With well connected and authentic information community radio can
step into the area of community connectivity and security.‖ (Jain, 2008.pg.135) It is
not easy to involve community with radio. They are too hesitant to come out and
speak for it and too occupied with their work and too much interested in television
that they tend to ignore radio. A community radio station called Kalinjam Samuga
Vanoli was founded by DHAN foundation in the Tsunami affected area of
59
Vizhunthamavadi village in Nagapattinam district in Tamil Nadu in 2005. One of its
listeners Selvi stated, ―Earlier I thought that this radio station is disturbing me and I
thought to complain about it. But one day I heard one programme on education and
felt that this radio station is helping us and our children to get much better education.
Now I am able to understand its importance and able to correlate myself with it.
Earlier I never listened to the programmes carefully and just tried to ignore the
programme and that‘s why I missed many learning from my life, but now I am
concentrating on each and every programme and I am learning new things related
with health, education, livelihood, etc.‖(Krishna murthi, 2008, p.119)
A climate change project initiated by Ghana Community Radio Network enabled a
two way communication between experts and community people, ―Climate Airwaves
is a new and different way of understanding and sharing knowledge. The radio station
is helping local communities in small villages like Ada, which has been hit with
terrible flooding, take the latest climate change research, in an easy-to-understand
format, and translate what it means for them in terms of how they adapt to new
uncertainties and changes.‖ (Institute of Development Studies, 2010) An extension of
this project, understanding Community Radio as a powerful tool of social change in
Africa, Harvey discusses the use of this medium explore, inform and engage in
discussions related to climate change and its effect on Ghanaian communities. Merely
providing information on climate change to audience doesn‘t solve the purpose. This
is a complex topic which has to be dealt in a manner that effectively makes not only
understanding smooth but also working under such circumstances easier and useful.
The article comes at an apt time when the effects of climate change were making the
African communities vulnerable to HIV and poverty. The article while reflecting the
fact that Radio is the most used medium among African communities, and specifically
emphasises Community Radio should be an active participant in action research on
climate change. This ensures information from the experts complementing discussions
with the community people who are the real participants working under conditions as
a result of climate change. Any strategy through a community radio requires
resources, ―initiatives seeking to help broadcasters produce their own reporting on
local dimensions of climate change must invest heavily in ongoing capacity
development and partnerships that can support these efforts. The time and resources
needed for this type of investment present a significant challenge for stations that are
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largely run by volunteers, have limited financial resources to draw upon, and are often
expected to cover the full breadth of issues relevant to community well-being,
including health, governance, and other environmental concerns. Thus, the
prioritization of climate change as an issue to which investments should be directed
must be balanced with the perceived relative importance of the issue in comparison to
the needs for investment in work on good governance, HIV/AIDS, land rights issues,
and so on.‖ (Harvey, 2011) Similar initiatives with climate change were witnessed in
India with Community Radio Stations Radio Bundelkhand, Lalit Lokvani, Radio
Dhadkan and Chanderi ki Awaz. Since Community Radio stations are run by people
from within the community, they are no experts and require training to tackle specific
issues efficiently. Thirdpole.net is a project that provides information on
developmental resources from different region. Training the community radio
journalist on climate change was a challenge for thirdpole journalists, ―It was one of
the toughest media training workshops I had conducted. Usually, I work with
journalist colleagues who cover environmental issues, definitely including climate
change. There we conduct media workshops on specific issues on which the
journalists want more information or better understanding. But here, I was working
with colleagues in community radio stations, journalists who no doubt were regularly
reporting on environmental issues but without any theoretical underpinning, and who
were broadcasting to an audience that consisted mostly of smallholder farmers in one
of the poorest regions of India.‖ (Gupta, 2013) This is the beauty that only a
community media could showcase, taking complex issues from conference rooms and
breaking them into simple chemistries for local people who actually face those issues
understand and practically adopt in their lives. What required here is the support of
expert organisations and people to make it possible.
“The history of community radio in India goes back to British rule. In 1935, the
enormously wealthy Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan Bahadur, built three
radio stations and installed a radio in every village in his domain, at a reported cost
of five hundred thousand dollars, so that his subjects could receive dispatches on
news, the weather, and health. He referred to radio as „the voice from the sky‟.”
(Faleiro, 2013)
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Bangalore, a technology hub, is known as the Silicon Valley of India, yet a third of its
eight and a half million residents live in the slums. For the poor, radio functions
similarly to the way the Internet works for the rich: it is their primary connection to
the rest of the world.” (Faleiro, 2013)
In the two extreme contradicting Indian environments, Singhal and Rogers (2001)
study Informatization….a process through which new communication technologies
are used to contribute in a state‘s development. They study this process in context to
India, analysing the India of bullock carts and cyber marts. ―India is an unusual
setting in which to analyze the communication revolution. While the new
communication technologies of cable television, computers, the Internet, satellites,
and telecommunication are impacting Indian society in dramatic ways, the
subcontinent is still mainly a developing nation in which many citizens depend on the
bullock cart for transformation and on human labour for making a daily living.‖ To
study the developing India, they study the development of various media in the
country-Radio, television, cable, internet and cyber marts. The book is written at an
appropriate time when communication revolution hit the country and India became an
active member in global information technology market. Authors explored various
faces of this revolution by analysing trends of cyber cafes, technology parks,
entrepreneurship, mobile phone technology, BPOs, cyber cities, employment
opportunities and government policies. Authors through this book have not only
explored the global future phenomenon but also have touched the local participatory
communication trend as an important aspect in this ever changing global
communication scenario. (Singhal & Rogers, 2001) Community Development and
Education (2012) is an attempt to lead students, academicians, researchers, policy
makers and widen their horizons towards community education initiatives in India.
Since community education is a significant attempt towards development, the book
discusses various projects under Counselling, Communication and Information
Exchange like nutrition, legal literacy, socio-economic nourishment of HIV/AIDS
affected women etc; Social and Environment Concerns like solid waste management,
corporate social responsibility etc; and Indian Government‘s initiatives in Health;
Education and Promotion of Livelihood with projects like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
(Education for all project), Red Ribbon Express for HIV/AIDS etc. (A. Siddhu, V.
Seth, N. Chaudhary, N. Asthana & N. Kaul (Eds.), 2012)
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Pavarala and Malik, contributed to the participatory paradigm in the developing
nation-India, at a time when privately owned radio in India was struggling and still
continues to struggle for its growth. The book portrays the various efforts done by
people from the civil society for the ‗other voices‘ to be heard. The book is a result of
the research started in the year 2000 after the Pastapur initiative where academicians,
journalists, researchers, students all gathered to discuss the need for giving a voice to
the communities that are alienated and unheard. The study majorly selected four
community radio projects in different Indian states- Gujarat, Jharkhand, Andhra
Pradesh and Karnataka. The project used the case study methodology. The four
grassroots level projects as termed by the authors, analysing the usage of community
radio for development were- Kutch Mahila Vikas Sangathan in Bhuj, Alternative for
India Development (AID) in Datolgunj, Deccan Development Society (DDS) in
Pastapur and VOICES in Budhikote. The data was collected through in-depth
interviews from the programmers, listeners, villagers and policy makers. The aim of
this research was to facilitate and suggest a policy ground for the establishment of
community radio stations in India. In order to find this out the authors analyse
community radio policies and regulations in some select nations, namely- Australia,
Ireland, South Africa, Canada, and United States of America. The sample selection of
such nations is a useful attempt as these are the states where community radio exists
in an organised and developed form comparatively. With the comparative analysis the
authors gain an insight of feasible policy suggestions for community radio in India.
The project investigated how the efforts of the select civil society groups were
chasing the cause of community radio in India. While doing the same the authors have
analysed if community radio in India has the power to be the mouth piece for the
community leading them towards development and can this decentralised approach of
communication modify the existing hegemonic media approach.
The book, with its four case studies gives a wonderful experience of how various
listeners react to the programming content on the station. As mentioned by the
authors, AID‘s community programming project, ―Chala Ho gaon Mein receives 200
to 250 letters every week from a region with low literacy rates.” (Pavrala and Malik,
2007) Kutch Mahila Vikas Sanghathan‘s (KMVS) programme Tu Jiyaro Ain (To be
alive), worked towards the need of its community by addressing and helping people
affected by earthquake in Kutch. KMVS docu drama Kunjal Paanje Kutch Ji was
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exclusively produced in Kutchi language on All India Radio, Bhuj and was the only
programme in Kutchi language. Kutchi language was deliberately selected in order to
make the social communication interesting and to enable a local, information, and
emotional connect with the audience. Namma Dhwani (our voice)- the community
radio project by VOICES produced a chunk of 408 programmes on various issues like
agriculture, health, widow pensions, government schemes etc… affecting the lives of
Budhikote villagers. These programmes were played as listening sessions in village
meetings. The authors stated, ―People identified Nammadhwani as a site ‗where I can
listen to my own voice‘‖. (Pavarala and Malik, 2007) DDS project Sangham radio
which is run and managed by Dalit women in the villages recorded many programmes
relevant to the season like sowing seeds, weeding, and protection of crops from rain
topped up with folk songs that the villagers sing during farming. The women even
developed a signature tune for their station. All the content was produced in a hope
that the government will allow them to be on air and their efforts have resulted the
station to be heard on air on 90.4FM. (Pavarala and Malik, 2007)
The authors, after successful evaluation of the selected community radio projects,
gave policy recommendations for community radio functioning in India. While
selecting samples, the authors have selected projects from villages that could have
been or could not have been community radio stations in future. The authors initiate
the study with an opinion on Indian government‘s policy on campus community radio
stations in urban areas stating, ―It is unrealistic to expect campus radio stations
managed by young students to eschew fun and entertainment. There is no apparent fit
between form and content in this new policy.‖ (Pavrala and Malik, 2007) Looking at
the present growth of community radio stations in India in a situation when the
existing media does not provide an opportunity to its audience to decide its own
content instead follows an agenda setting model, the urban alternative radio should be
programmed in a manner that it powerfully caters to this need.
Development through community radio station in India is still at an expansion stage.
This is the time when the requirements have increased. If media provides us interview
with our finance minister, we also have questions that need to be answered by the
manager of bank in our area, if we are entertained through Bollywood songs we also
require exposure to our own traditional folk songs and to youths having their own
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bands and if we expect answers from our Prime Minister for the Coalgate Scam then
we with all rights expect answers for that broken manhole untreated since months in
our area. Radio Mewat, a community radio station operating from Nuh village in
Haryana, India got a National Community Radio award 2013 for the most creative
content. ―It is the first time that Superintendent of Police (SP), Mewat, himself comes
on air and listens to the problems of the local people. At one such instance, people
complained to him that some criminal elements were engaged in making illicit
country liquor in the area. The SP promised action in 15 days. The locals were
surprised when on the same night a police team swooped down and arrested the
criminals and also seized illicit liquor. This made a long lasting impact on the
relationship that the locals shared with Radio Mewat. The trust they had on the radio
and the local administration also grew manifold. Now they are sure that if they speak
out on this programme, there is no way that their complaints will not be looked into
by the police.‖ (Ek Duniya Anek Awaz, 2013). Indians have started exploring and
taking even more interest in the medium radio. A recent phenomenon is the
subscription radio started by radiowalla.in, India‘s first direct to consumer multi
channel internet radio platform which works on specialized content for special
audience with stations like Q radio for the LGBT (Lesbians, Gays, Bisexual and
Transgender Community), gym radio, women achiever radio, campus radio and other
regional language radio stations. Every station has a subscription amount and the
stations are available online. (Radiowalla) This is a unique concept in the country
though not suitable for grassroot development since its availability is through
subscription and internet. For grassroot development we must adopt grassroot ways.
Radio along with its demassificaion quality has the tendency to reach the remote areas
at a time where no other medium can reach. Radio‘s reach was witnessed by many
during the recent cyclone Phailin in Odisha. ―The National Institute of Amateur Radio
(NIAR) which was set up with the initiative taken by Rajiv Gandhi in 1983 has
trained several ham radio operators so far in the country. In Odisha, as many as 200
trained ham radio operators have been put on alert to rise to the occasion. Ham radio
operators help in rescue operations when other means of communications may or may
not be working.‖ (Rao, 2013) ―The cyclone survivor told IANS while sitting near his
destroyed house less than two km from the coast at the beach town of Puri, about 56
kms from capital Bhubaneswar ‗Our house got damaged which we will re-build, but
thank god we could save our lives. It was the radio which informed us about the
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danger,‘ another survivor, Gajendra Jena, 55, packed essential items such as beaten
rice, sugar, clothes, money and his radio set and went to the nearby cyclone shelter
along with his wife and two small children, immediately after a special radio bulletin
said people needed to evacuate.‖ (F Wire, 2013) ―Arun Kumar Subuddhi, the owner
of Time and Sound that deals in Philips radios in Bhubaneswar, said the demand was
so high that he sold more than 600 sets within hours after the first warning of the
cyclone was sounded. ‗Three days later, people were still looking for radios and we
sold more than 100 sets,‘ he added.‖ (FWire, 2013) Elaborating on the potential of the
medium, ―Anthropologists have said that our seven states of North East comprises of
more than 350 ethnic and social groups. So, it is not possible for a public service radio
like All India Radio to reflect the desires of all the ethnic groups in a region of such
diversity. The concept of community radio service was originated for such a
diversified region. But it is rueful that due to various reasons, the concept of
community radio service is not immensely popular in the North East region unlike the
southern part of India.‖ (Dutta & Ray, 2013) In yet another step in the community
radio sector, Ministry Of Information and Broadcasting is planning around 500 new
community radio stations by 2017 (Times News Network, 2013) Though the country
has got many community radio stations but the need of the hour is to work on policy
framework first. ―While the development mandate helped soften the intransigent
broadcast bureaucracy in the country and made it open the door for community radio,
it has also become a trap for civil society and the community radio sector in the
country. After about a decade of implementation of the policy, we have many
successful community radio stations across the country doing excellent work to
project grassroots development issues and local culture. However, with news not
permitted and politics proscribed (clause 5 (vi) of the Policy Guidelines for
Community Radio clearly blocks news and programmes that are ‗political in nature‘),
many CR stations have had to confine themselves to the developmental agendas of the
NGO concerned or the donor agency. The irony is that while several CR stations have
a model of ‗community radio reporters,‘ they are not expected to produce and
broadcast any news.‖ (Pavrala, 2013) The Supreme Court of India sought response to
a Public Interest Litigation filed by a NGO on the ban of news on private FM
channels and Community Radio Stations. "India is perhaps the lone democracy where
the dissemination of news and current affairs on radio remains a monopoly of the
government-owned broadcaster, Prasar Bharati Corporation, which owns and operates
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the All India Radio/Akashvani. None of the US's 14,000-plus radio stations, the 200-
odd stations in Spain or the 1,000-plus stations each in Italy, France, Greece and
Australia is barred from airing news and related content. In fact, many radio stations
are exclusive news broadcasters," the NGO's petition said. It pointed out that even
neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka and Nepal have edged past India in allowing
private radio stations to air news. (Times News Network, 2013) Reacting to the news,
Radio Mirchi‘s Prashant Panday said, ―At one time, we heard the government had
security concerns, because they couldn‘t monitor us. But today the technology is
readily available. Then we heard that since FM radio reached one and all, even those
who could not afford a TV set or read a newspaper, the government was concerned
about our news content. But this is specious reasoning as we are bound by
programming guidelines, and would be governed by a code similar to the one
followed by TV channels.‖ (Dhawan, 2013) Taran Katial, Chief Executive Officer,
Reliance Broadcast Network said, ― Giving private radio the freedom to air news and
current affairs can bring about a sea change in the way India consumes the medium,
and position radio as a means for information dissemination, beyond pure
entertainment. Inclusion of news will realize information requirements of a large
section of the population while fuelling growth of the sector.‖ (Dhawan, 2013) As I
work on this project, India continues to struggle with policy framework for radio. The
country is divided with a group binding the medium in chains while letting the other
communication mediums relatively free and the other group reacting strongly to this
bond. In between, struggles the third group who are neither corporates pushing
commercial radio nor politicians securing the monopoly of public radio, but are the
ones who are popularly known as the Mango People…the Aam Aadmi demanding
their own right to communication through a more flexible functioning and policy
framework for this third form of radio-community radio. Hope their voices are heard
before another study is added to the participatory paradigm of India.
Theoretical framework for the study
“We all know that distance is dead. What used to be far is near, what is local is
global.” (Sam Pitroda, 2000)
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Development in a multicultural country like India is unique in itself. Development
ideologies in India have travelled through Mahatama Gandhi‘s yarn to Jawaharlal
Nehru‘s industrialization to Rajiv Gandhi‘s informatization. India today is a mix of
bullock carts, modern technology and cyber cities. Cyber cities are too fast and can‘t
even think of utilising bullock carts but often dream of a more peaceful life, villages
using the bullock carts are still not capable enough to develop and use a cyber zone
effectively, villagers attracted by the modern technology and lifestyle of metropolitan
cities often migrate or desire to migrate to the urban areas thus leading to high
population and unemployment conditions in those areas. This is a condition that could
be assumed to continue to prevail. Development in any country could not be alike in
all its parts, rather will continue to be less or more. Giving more money to the already
rich is the tragedy of economy in India. But the question arises when this less
becomes much lesser and more becomes much more. Development in such a scenario
could be achieved through self sufficiency and balance in different parts of a nation.
The job of media in a country like India can‘t be limited to entertainment. A
developing nation requires its media for development communication. ―One solution,
in which India has played a pioneering role, is the strategy of entertainment-
education, the process of purposely designing and implementing media messages to
both entertain and educate, in order to increase audiences‘ knowledge about
educational issues, create favourable attitudes, and change overt behaviour.‖(Singhal
and Rogers, 1999 on utilisation of media) ―Experiences with the entertainment-
education strategy in over 100 countries suggest that such programs can be
commercially viable and socially responsible.‖(Singhal and Brown, 1996) This
information-entertainment or infotainment use of media could be effectively utilised
through alternative mediums. Alternative media provides strategized content targeted
towards a specific audience for particular development. If growth spoils the
environment, it is no growth. If growth couldn‘t ensure security in our own state, it is
no growth. If growth identifies poverty with daily expenditure of Rs.29 then it is no
growth. If growth only ensures big malls and Wal Marts, it is simply no growth. India
is a country where varied development is required. In some parts of the country there
is still no electricity, whereas the other part is dealing with cyber bullying and cyber
crimes, there are areas where sexual crimes are prevalent in an educated society and
gender sensitization is required for that educated lot and on the other hand there exists
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areas where sexual crimes are common among uneducated people and there too there
is requirement of education about gender sensitivity, and there are areas where
campaigns to have a toilet in each house are of utmost importance while in some parts
we campaign on maturely accepting homosexuals, bisexuals and transgender. This is
not the India that existed 50 years back but this is the India of today, the other India
that requires the other media for the other development.
A media which is for the people that is which represents them and which is from the
people that is which allows them to participate is very much visible in Denis Mc
Quail‘s normative media theory-Democratic Participant, which involves the following
characteristics.
―Individual citizens and minority groups have rights of access to media (rights
to communicate) and rights to be served by media according to their own
determination of need.
The organization and content of media should not be subject to centralized
political or state bureaucratic control.
Media should exist primarily for their audiences and not for the media
organizations, professional or the clients of media.
Groups, organizations, and local communities should have their own media.
Small-scale, interactive and participant media forms are better than large-
scale, one-way, professionalized media.
Certain social needs relating to mass media are not adequately expressed
through individual consumer demands, nor through the state and its major
institutions.
Communication is too important to be left to professionals" (McQuail, 1983).
Mc Quail talks about owning the media. The owners of the media are the people for
whom it is established and not any other authority. According to him people have
the right to decide how that particular media should serve them and how they should
be benefitted by that media. He talks about a media that is small scale and is serving
a particular group rather than large number of audiences. Small scale media ensures
effectiveness in its performance with focused strategies for particular audience as
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compared to a large scale mainstream media. Mainstream media is an excellent
information and entertainment source. The job of media however doesn‘t suffice
here. After information transmission, sensitization and mobilization is another
important task. Also the mainstream media because of its larger audience base
cannot literally serve all of them. Many a times there are issues when media needs to
create group appeal than mass appeal and here is where the alternative media works
best. Communication is the right of everybody and can‘t be confined only to
professionals. Philosophies like participation and citizen journalism makes
communication available to all whether professionals or amateurs. Mc Quail
discusses a media which is interactive. Radio and internet are the forms of media
that are highly interactive. Marshall Mc Luhan‘s (1964) Technological determinism
relating technology to a state‘s development and change, internet with its highly
interactive approach can be an effective agent of growth but virtual space is not
available to all. A country like India that has witnessed digital divide with its urban
and rural population, internet here is a privilege to some. Radio on the other hand
seems to be a good friend reaching urban, rural, literates, illiterates and remote
populace. Mc Quail also talks about the participatory approach of media. This
approach as one of the qualities and in an elaborative sense a model proposed by
Paulo freire (1983) becomes another basis for my research.
―The struggle for democracy is the centrepiece for the struggle for liberation. Yet
it is also clear that democracy has different meanings for different people throughout
the world. For some, it is synonymous with capitalism, the propagation of
acquisitiveness and greed, the barbaric practices of colonialism, and conceptually
opposed to socialism. For others, it is a process of achieving equality of social
justice for all people through popular sovereignty.‖ (Freire, 1993) Freire‘s idea of
participatory communication is about the cultural identities of the involved
community and democratisation and participation at all levels whether international,
national or local and individual. His idea doesn‘t talk about participation in between
or when the communication process has already begun but at the starting level. His
participatory and dialogical communication approach as prescribed by him for
education can be applied to any field and even in communication for development in
developing societies. This in a way acts as a basis and complimentary to Mc Quail‘s
idea of democratic participation. Focussing on cultural identity Pedagogy of the
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Oppressed gives meaning to a lost, fearful, underestimated, overpowered, aped
colonized identity, an identity that seems to be confused in a fusion, where inherited
one playing hide and seek with that of the original. Regarding the importance of
communication for any individual, Freire points out, ―This is not the privilege of
some few men (and women), but the right of every (wo)man. Consequently, no one
can say a true word alone- nor can he (or she) say it for another, in a prescriptive act
which robs others of their words". (Freire, 1993)
This model stresses a bottom up and horizontal approach to communication. Forming
the conceptual basis with this model, oppressed in the study are the audience in the
radius of community radio stations under study whose needs as citizens of a
developing nation that were ignored by the existing mainstream media have got a new
hope with an opportunity of community communication in their areas. Freire believed
that individuals have the ability to think, conceptualise, make decisions for growth
and development. According to him it is not just the information and awareness that is
important but also the involvement in the process of social change and development.
It is this relation of humans with their task for development that actually develops a
society. However Freire‘s concept of dialogical communication and action is based on
group communication. It doesn‘t talk about any kind of media communication.
Talking about alternative media or community communication, they are very much a
form of group communication and not mass communication as community radio or
any other form of third tier media targets a particular group and not the mass. Based
on Freire‘s participatory approach, Jan Servaes states features of a participatory
communication:
―Collective definition and investigation of a problem by a group of people
struggling to deal with it. This involves the social investigation which determines
the concrete condition existing within the community under study, by those
embedded in the social context;
Group analysis of the underlying causes of their problems, which is similar to the
conscientization and pedagogical processes addressed by Freire.
Group action to attempt to solve the problem. Therefore, the process of
participatory research is cyclical, continuous, local, and accessible.‖ (Servaes,
1996)
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Kronenburg (1986) gives the following characteristics of participatory research:
―It rests on the assumption that human beings have an innate ability to create
knowledge. It rejects the notion that knowledge production is a monopoly of
"professionals"; it is seen as an educational process for the participants ... as well
as the researcher; It involves the identification of community needs, augmented
awareness about obstacles to need fulfilment, an analysis of the causes of the
problems and the formulation and implementation of relevant solutions; The
researcher is consciously committed to the cause of the community involved in
the research. This challenges the traditional principle of scientific neutrality and
rejects the position of the scientist as a social engineer. Dialogue provides for a
framework which guards against manipulative scientific interference and serves as
a means of control by the community.‖ (Kronenburg, 1986 in Servaes, 1996)
Freire gave the base for participatory communication and theorists like Mc Quail
further developed it. Studying the recent literature and going with the current
wave Servaes and Malikhao futher characterisied Participatory communication
while keeping Freire as their basis:
―A new understanding of communication as a two way process- Communication
is seen fundamentally as two way rather than one way, interactive and
participatory rather than linear. With this shift in focus, one is no longer
attempting to create a need for the information one is disseminating, but one is
rather disseminating information for which there is a need.‖ (Servaes & Malikhao,
2005, p.101)
―A new understanding of culture- One has moved away from a traditional
mechanistic approach that emphasized economic and materialistic criteria to a
more multiple appreciation of holistic and complex perspectives.‖ (Servaes &
Malikhao, 2005, p.101)
―The trend towards participatory democracy trend- More and more people can use
communication media and can no longer be denied access to participation in
communication processes for the lack of communication and technical skills.‖
(Servaes & Malikhao, 2005, p.101)
Servaes and Malikhao understand the participatory communication as a paradigm
where information production and transmission depends on the need of the
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society. Information which is not required is not produced. They emphasize on
local identities and culture of the targeted communities and consider the
communication process under this model as more democratic, allowing one and
all to participate. The democratization extends from individual to local to national
to international level while keeping the departure point as communities.
Keeping Denis Mc Quail‘s democratic participant media theory and Paulo Freire‘s
Participatory model as a conceptual framework for the thesis, complementing with
the updated aspects given by Servaes and Malikhao the study finds out from the
audience perspective, how the community radio stations under study
Are democratic and reject the process of imposed information by providing what
the audiences want.
Communicate what is needed rather creating the need.
Consider the target audience their owners
Are participatory and interactive in their approach
Are primarily for their audience
Are considerate of audience‘s cultural identity
Give importance to audience‘s right to communicate
With the bottom up approach work for the long term development of its audience
Significance of the study
While developing communication processes through modernization, dependency and
development approaches, the value of identity and individualism remains a core
aspect in all. Participatory paradigm still remains a developing thought throughout the
world with debates, theories, struggles and dialogues to understand and develop this
further. There isn‘t any state that has yet fully adopted it. In developed states like US,
UK and Germany, still the hegemonic commercial media has a powerful impact when
compared to alternative media that though exists but somehow continues to struggle
in terms of its very existence and regularisation. Talking about the developing Indian
society, the concept of alternative media is still new as compared to other states and a
further analysis of the participatory paradigm is required. My study on community
radio and social change in India is one such attempt to understand the relevance of
alternative media approach which is significant in terms of not only the current media
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scenario but also to understand the scope of communication paradigm in the
technology oriented future media. The deductive approach of the study with
conceptual frameworks from Mc Quail‘s Democratic Participant theory and Paulo
Freire‘s approach and updated participatory aspects from Servaes and Malikhao
would help in examining whether participatory radio in India allows democratic
communication to its target audience.
The background study and review of literature highlights the significance that the
participatory media is attaining now days and various studies in other countries
showcasing stress on localism in this global scenario. In India most of the research
studies have given importance to policy framework for community radio existence
while some of them focussed on the functionality and content of community radio
stations in rural areas, the community radio stations in urban India have been
somehow alienated. There is a trend of associating community radio with
development and development with rural area and villages; however another kind of
development is of utmost requirement even in urban areas. Mainstream media can‘t
fulfil all development needs in an urban area. From this point of view the study
analyses the relevance of community radio station, Radio Jamia 90.4 FM situated in
an urban area, in the capital city of India, Delhi. Further the study also provides a
scope to generate relevant data through a comparative analysis of community radio
station in urban and rural settings, the results of which would be generalised to
understand the need of community radio stations in the developing country, India. A
lot has already been discussed about the rules and policies governing community
radio stations; this study is different in the sense that it aims to understand alternative
radio from audience point of view thereby finding out their suggestions for any
development in functional framework. Most of the studies under participatory
paradigm are inductive and based on case studies; however this research is based on a
deductive and interpretive approach, studying how these stations are contributing to
social change in their very own communities. This would help in directly
understanding audience behaviour towards their stations and would be beneficial in
giving practical suggestions.
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Development of Radio in India continues to be an issue in national debates and
dialogues with government‘s monopolistic regime of withholding private FM stations
and community radio stations from broadcasting news and current affairs
programmes. This is quiet contradicting to Supreme Court of India‘s declaration in
1995 that airwaves are a public property. If airwaves are a public property and
community radio stations are the stations for the people then such an act of dominance
is a hindrance to the freedom and democratic nature of the state. This study is very
much relevant at a time when radio enthusiasts, researchers, academicians, NGOs and
radio professionals throughout the nation after the set up of community radio stations,
now want to move ahead and demand a free voice on air. While understanding if
community radio station contributes to empowerment and social change and what
people want from their own stations, the study significantly contributes specifically to
the improvement of alternative radio in India and in general participatory
communication research paradigm.
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“Radio is the theatre of the mind; television is the theatre of the mindless” (Steve
Allen in Madden, 2012)
Whether it is reinvigorating nationalism through Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru‘s
memorable speech Tryst with destiny among the millions of Indian‘s glued to the
medium radio to listen to the most important broadcast of 1947 or it is igniting the
spark of patriotism among young ones in reel through the climax of movie Rang De
Basanti (Bollywood Movie), the power of the medium Radio has been echoed again
and again. The fascination about the medium radio comes from the intensity and
power of imagination it generates in its audience. No image, just sound, creating one‘s
own picture fascinates and hooks one up to the medium. Once hooked, the attraction
promises to stay and not fade away due to its extremely earthy and informal way of
audience engagement. For any medium to engage its audience is the most challenging
job. This act of involvement of audience with radio when used creatively and
powerfully, raises many voices, reaches many ears, boggles various minds and
changes many acts.
Community Radio is one such creative clone of the medium radio that entered India
during 2004. It largely started with a proliferation mostly in urban areas, managed and
run by educational institutions and subsequently in 2006, a policy that extended the
stations to civil societies and non profit organisations with community radio stations
being set up in rural India. This medium thus extended to rural India mostly through
civil societies and not for profit organisations and to urban Indian through educational
institutions. So, India has campus community radio stations run by educational
institutions and community radio station run by other organisation. The underlying
definitions and characteristics for both the kinds of radio stations remain same without
any difference except its management. Even the rules and regulations governing the
Indian community radio stations as discussed in chapter I remain same for both.
Indian Ministry of Information and broadcasting treats both the kinds of stations alike
and even identifies them with the same nomenclature ‗community radio stations’. It
is for the convenience and for the purpose of demarcating on the basis of management
of such stations that some experts and radio enthusiasts call them with such different
names otherwise keeping the functionality, definition and purpose of such stations
alike.
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The purpose of this research thus is to understand community radio stations from the
perspective of its proliferation thereby extending it to two different kinds of audience
one belonging to rural India and the other one to urban India. The spread of this new
form of medium raised vital questions of significance to society. What is the
relevance of this medium? Do people listen, get involved and depend on such a
medium in presence of the mainstream media? How do the people living in rural and
urban settings perceive and get involved with the station? Does this kind of radio has
any role in social change and development? With such questions agitating the mind
this exercise to study and understand the role of rural and urban community radio
stations in India is development in a participatory paradigm, has been undertaken.
Research Design
In order to understand the role of community radio in social empowerment and social
change interpretive approach is used, giving importance to audience and
understanding community radio station from their point of view. Every community
radio has an aim to develop its respective community that is the reason the best way to
understand its effectiveness is through audience by understanding their
interpretations, perceptions and their confidence on the community radio as an
instrument of change and development. As such the audiences form the best source to
know the effectiveness of community radio station. With the interpretive approach
used in this study the data gathered gives experiences straight from the horse‘s mouth
that is how people interpret and understand the existence and functioning of
community radio stations in their respective areas.
The study is not limited to usage of single method but uses a variety of them. With a
mixed approach it is a qualitative and a quantitative study exploring experiences,
interpretations, and perceptions of community radio audience, likes, dislikes,
listenership and frequency of listening, giving an in depth insight into the functioning
of community radio station gained through narratives, statements and comments of
the respondents who were the target audience of community radio station. The
quantitative technique acted as a complimentary to qualitative. For the study
quantitative technique (Survey analysis) churned out numbers and figures and
qualitative approach (Indepth interviews, Observation and Interaction analysis)
explored reasons, elaborations and interpretations adding substance to the data
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gathered through quantitative. The data analysis delved deep into meanings and texts
offering a lot of space and dimensions to the researcher to think. It is not just findings
with data but interpretations and reading between the lines. The data collection
methods were used simultaneously and not one after the other. ―Qualitative analysis
transforms data into findings. No formula exists for that transformation. Guidance,
yes. But no recipe. Direction can and will be offered, but the final destination remains
unique for each inquirer, known only when and if arrived at.‖ (Patton, 2002, p.432)
―Mixed methods can be used to enhance our understanding of a topic typically studied
from just a qualitative or quantitative perspective. Alongside social scientists‘
increasing shift toward thinking that qualitative and quantitative orientations are
complimentary rather than competing perspectives, there has been interest in
developing strategies to combine quantitative and qualitative data collection and
analytical approaches. Triangulation of methods provides a richer understanding of
an issue and helps overcome the limitation of any one data collection strategy. Mixed
methods can also give us greater confidence in our findings as it increases the validity
of the results.‖ (Kalof, Dan & Dietz, 2010)
The study with an interpretive approach follows a descriptive and analytical research
design in order to understand the current phenomenon of community radio in rural
and urban settings. The study does not involve change of any variable or existing
environment rather through observation and analytical approach tries to understand
the relation between the variables that is for the study correlation between
independent variable community radio station and dependent variables empowerment
and social change. This causal design for the study helped in understanding
audience‘s attitude towards the participatory medium in rural and urban settings in
India.
After formulating research questions as detailed in chapter 1, a theoretical framework
from the participatory communication paradigm was included in the study. Keeping
Denis Mc Quail‘s democratic participant media theory and Paulo Freire‘s
Participatory model along with participatory media aspects given by Servaes and
Malikhao, specific characteristics of the ‗other media‘ were taken into consideration.
These participatory media characteristics became the underlying basis giving a
deductive dimension to the study and helped to determine how much the community
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radio stations under the study show those basic participatory attributes or whether
they reflect any or not.
After an individual analysis of the community radio stations with data collected
through survey questionnaire, observation, interaction analysis and in depth
interviews keeping participatory characteristics as base derived theoretically from the
participatory paradigm helped in answering the research questions as set in chapter 1 ,
later a qualitative-cum- comparative analysis of the individual findings of the
respective stations, facilitated in not only taking adaptable functioning lessons from
the one for the other but also generalizing results and providing suggestions for a
better functionality and enhancing the role of community radio in rural and urban
India in the direction of empowerment and social change.
Defining Variables
The study does not include variables that are quantified but the ones that are more
descriptive in nature. Variables as a part of such a research study help in explanation
building. The relation between variables is reflected in narratives and comments
provided by respondents during various interactions, survey answers and observation.
The study involved an independent variable that is the community radio and variable
those are dependent on it that is empowerment and social change. Since it‘s a non
experimental study per se (though independent and dependent variables are in
analytical background), it does not quantify the variables but defines, broadens and
explains them. It does not show cause and effect rather points out and explains the
relationship between the variables community radio and empowerment and social
change.
Defining the independent variable- Community Radio
Two kinds of community radio stations are taken into consideration for the study, one
in the rural setting and the other in urban setting. Community Radio station is an
independent variable that is affecting the lives of its target audience through its
functioning and programming targeted towards them, thereby bringing a change in
their lives in terms of behaviour, attitude, perception and reaction. Since community
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radio aims to bring development for any society, the change here is in the form of
empowerment and social change. Community radio is an independent variable
because it is not affected by variation in empowerment and social change in its
respective community rather affects and plays a role in empowering its audience and
bringing a change in the community. Being an independent variable and the study
involving an interpretive approach from the point of view of audience, the dependent
variables are analysed through observation, interaction analysis, in depth interviews
and survey answers examining whether the occurrence of dependent variables
(empowerment and social change) in particular communities is due to the respective
community radio stations or not.
Defining dependent variables empowerment and social change
The aim of the study is to examine the role of community radio in developing and
transforming the respective communities. Development for the study is considered in
the form of empowerment and social change. Reason being, a community radio in any
case does not provide development directly, rather facilitates development for its
audience. In the process of such a facilitation of development, the station tends to
empower them initiating self development. This empowerment tends to bring a
positive and progressive change in the acts and functions of the community that
eventually ensures social change. Hence, with empowerment and social change, the
community develops.
The study explored such instances of empowerment and social change through survey
analysis, observation, interaction analysis and in depth interviews indicating the role
of community radio in its occurrence in the community. The questionnaires were
developed in the form so that it gathers answers from the respondents about the
functioning of the respective community radio stations. The techniques were used in a
manner so as to examine the on air station programming and off air developmental
campaigns if any from the point of view of its audience. Here are the factors taken
into consideration for understanding the relation between community radio and
empowerment and social change:
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Station programming and content:
Understanding if the station content includes developmental programming and
content specific to bringing change in the community.
How station provides information that is extremely relevant locally and
different from that of other kind of media.
Audience dependence on the station:
Is there any kind of dependence on community radio station? If there is, then,
for what kind of specific information do audience depend?
Empowerment: Empowerment for the study is used in the sense of capacity
building, raising confidence, realising capacities and capabilities and developing self
reliance. Talking specifically about the study, such attributes of empowerment are
searched among the respondents as a result of on air and off air strategies of
individual stations for its target audience who are also the respondents. The study tries
to analyse from the perspective of its audience, how well the individual stations
through information transmission are:
Promoting freedom of thoughts, speech and expressions.
Improving their work and personal lives.
Improving the area they live in.
Building confidence and identity among the respondents.
Helping in closely associating with their culture and background.
Encouraging and preparing respondents for self sufficiency and self
development.
Social Change: Social change for the study is defined as an act resulting in
development of individual, community and social lives of the people. It is not merely
a change but a change marking sustainable development and progression. Talking
specifically about the study, Community Radio acts as a facilitator and an agent of
change and development. Rather than bringing a change for its audience, it provides
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them with the kind of information, that when used by its audience in their lives
practically it results in change and development in their behaviour, attitude,
perceptions Vis a Vis fellow individuals and the community in their day to day social
actions and interactions. The study traces how these individual Community Radio
stations with their information transmission empower its target audience who are also
the respondents, builds capacities and encourages them to use such information for
self development, sustainability and social change. For this, the study finds out:
Whether and how the information gathered through station programming and
other off air campaigns of community radio station is self used by the
audience in their practical lives and how it gradually leads to a positive change
if any.
How these practical changes gradually lead to sustainable development rather
than just immediate gratifications.
Whether and how the audience relate to community radio with change and
development.
Selection of Community Radio Stations
Since the study involved analysis of two radio stations, one situated in a rural setting
and the other one broadcasting from an urban setting, before any selection of radio
stations, certain features of rural and urban settings were determined. Based on the
below mentioned characteristics of areas, radio stations in rural and urban area
respectively were determined:
Rural settings
Presence of limited or negligible media in the area. Even if there is a variety of
media, people have limited access.
Information source for the people majorly include own people, neighbours,
village body, word of mouth etc...
The population is more homogeneous than heterogeneous with similar kinds
of cultural background, profession, habits, language etc...
Most of the population belonging to low or middle level financial class.
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Development is extremely limited. Lack of proper Infrastructure and basic
facilities for the public.
Identical work culture and most of the people belonging or related to same
occupation.
Largely uneducated people or people with limited education.
Direct interaction with nature. Much dependence on region‘s environment for
various necessities of life.
Much requirement of basic development like proper roads, transportation,
medical, drinking water etc.
Urban Settings
Availability of information resources in abundance. People have access to a
variety of mainstream and other kinds of media.
Less or no dependence on neighbours, local body or word of mouth for
information. Mainstream and popular media is most important source.
The population is more heterogeneous than homogeneous. People belonging to
various classes, cultures, backgrounds, habits may reside in the same area.
There exist all kinds of financial classes-low, mid and high.
Development in the form of infrastructure and public life facilities in
abundance, still people many a times demanding basic facilities due to scarcity
and wastage.
Highly differentiated work life even within the same household and presence
of people engaged in a number of professions at the same time.
Largely educated people or access to education facilities is easy and abundant.
Necessities of life fulfilled by manmade facilities. Dependence on
environment or nature is limited or negligible.
Developmental requirements are as heterogeneous as the population itself,
ranging from basic to complex.
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Selection of radio stations for the study
Keeping in mind the rural and urban characteristics discussed above as well as the
background of stations and their functionality, the two radio stations were considered
as the subjects for analysis among other stations after a pilot study. In depth
interviews with station representatives from the respective managing organisations
not only revealed the station aims as a part of their existence but also its programming
targeted towards the audience.
Sangham Radio 90.4 FM
Sangham Radio indeed had an interesting start. It was already functional off air and
active on ground before it went on air. The station is a brain child of Deccan
Development Society (DDS), a not for profit organisation working with women‘s
Sanghams (Voluntary village level associations of the poor) in various villages around
Zaheerabad block in Medak district in Telangana. DDS caters to various villages in
the district, working on independence for villagers over food production, their local
natural resources, having their own media with Documentary films and Radio
production, schools for kids and Balwadis (Child care centre for women labourers).
Sangham Radio 90.4 FM is a part of Community Media Trust developed by the
organisation in 2001. It was developed with an aim to represent and recognise the
unheard voices in Telangana-the least developed and once extremely ignored and
unheard area, now one of the popular areas due to recent political interests and state
division policies in the Andhra Pradesh. ―In Machnoor village of Zaheerabad mandal
(block) in the Medak district in Telangana, a UNESCO (United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organisation)supported community FM radio centre was set
up in 1998 with a recording studio, control room, two transmitters, one transmitting
tower and all other related facilities to function as a radio station. This station
managed and run by rural Dalit (marginalized section of society) women, who are
members of DDS, is waiting license to broadcast. For the women who are equipped
with remarkable oral narrative skills, radio is a natural medium. The women feel that
the rich cultural traditions of the Telangana region could be better sustained through a
radio station that caters specifically to the needs of the region. The women record
85
programmes on numerous issues related to women‘s empowerment and regional
problems and those that promote indigenous knowledge and local culture through the
folk traditions of song and drama. These programmes are then edited on their editing
equipment in the studio, and played back on tape recorders at village sangams.‖
(Pavrala and Malik, 2007, p.136) This was a time when after much debates and
deliberations about recognising the indigenous voices for capacity building was
realised, and with an aspiration and desire to have radio station of their own with the
help of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation)
narrowcasting was started in the name of Sangham Radio in the four mandals (blocks)
of Medak districts- Zaheerabad, Jharasangam, Raikode and Nyalkal with a number of
villages in each block. With a clear broadcast within 15 -20 kilometres of radius, it
spreads to around 50 kilometres. Sangham had already started working on ground
reaching people with their developmental programmes while waiting for the
government to accept proposal for Community Radio Stations in India and grant them
license to be on air and reach more people. They had hopes which were shattered
when the government in 2002 allowed licenses to educational institutions in urban
areas. ―The long standing demands for a third tier of independent, not for profit
broadcasting in the country yielded a confined ‗campus‘ avatar of community radio in
the form of ‗Guidelines‘ issued in the first quarter of 2003 that allow ‗well-
established‘ educational institutions to set up FM transmitters and run radio stations
on their campuses. This decision diluted somewhat the hegemony of the state and
market over radio, but to open the broadcasting sector for an urban, educated, elite
coterie in areas that are already well served by media violates the fundamental
philosophy behind community radio. Labelled as community radio, the norms laid for
obtaining licenses include, as a mere tokenism, content guidelines that suggest these
campus radio stations air programmes on agriculture, environment, health and other
development related information. There is no apparent fit between form and content
in this new policy, even as marginalised rural communities continue to be denied the
right to produce, own and operate real community radio.‖ (Pavrala and Malik, 2007,
p.27-28) A large number of media enthusiasts, activists, academicians, Radio
programmers were lobbying and struggling for development of such stations with
86
developmental goals in under developed regions realising the need for such a media
for rural areas. After continuous struggle and some rejections and with 700 hours of
audio production in its stock already, Sangham Radio was established on air on 15th
October, 2008. Being nostalgic about their Journey to be on air, General Narsamma, a
Dalit (marginalized section of the society) woman belonging to the same region and
producer of Sangham Radio stated, ―We waited for so many years as we didn‘t have a
license. People in big cities got licenses so fast. Don‘t we have the right to speak?‖
(Personal interview, January 2014) Commenting on the present functioning of the
station General Narsamma said, ―There are currently four fixed women in the team.
Out of the four there are two of us Algole Narsamma and I who are majorly
responsible for recording and operating the studio for broadcast regularly. People
from various villages come to participate on a regular basis. Monthly once there is a
planning committee meeting. Anybody can join as a committee member. Every
member contributes Rs.50 yearly. With 3400 members we collect Rs. 1,70,000 yearly
which is used for station functioning. Some monthly expenditure like electricity,
maintenance etc... is borne by DDS. In the monthly meeting, committee members,
reporters, workers are called and we discuss about upcoming crops and festivals. For
sowing seeds we discuss places to get good seeds from and when it should be sown.
We gather all such information from people who practice it and then broadcast it. We
again go to them and ask them about the growth of the crop which is again
broadcasted. All such information is collected from local people.‖ (Personal
Interview, January 2014)
With its studio in Machnoor village, Sangham Radio broadcasts content ranging from
regional agriculture information, health and hygiene, women health, food security,
biodiversity, environment, preserving local culture through agricultural folk songs,
Burrakatha (traditional story telling techniques) etc… the station uses the local Telugu
language and the Telangana slang specific to the region. Some of the most popular
programmes as stated by Narsamma include Veeranna Stories, Jayraj‟s Burrakathas,
Old Agricultural songs, folk Songs sung by villagers etc... Narsamma boasted of
having around 400-500 songs on nature, farmers and agriculture recorded and saved
that revives the aboriginal culture for the new generation. Deccan Development
87
society with its specific strategies and goals for the region uses Sangham Radio as one
of the techniques to achieve development in this under developed region of
marginalized people. The station having its unique identity works for capacity
building of low income people mostly agricultural labours with no land of their own.
The station operated by two Dalit women from the region, Algole Narsamma and
General Narsamma gives special content for women. Understanding the station
content, though it is operated by women but the programming caters to everybody
including men, women and kids in various villages of the region and anybody is free
to participate. Commenting about station‘s developmental goals, Narsamma further
adds, ―We can‘t say that all development and every benefit are given by this radio
station. There are other factors as well like government and other agencies, but this
station also works for the benefit of villages in the vicinity. People do not have
information about their older generation, but radio provides them with such
information. We provide them agricultural songs and village songs and give
information about such things. We give the historical background of various festivals
and information about festival songs which were sung earlier but now people do not
know about it. The enjoyment of festival which is lost is now being refreshed. This
way we are preserving and reviving our culture. This way apart from information, we
also provide them entertainment. All of them celebrate festivals together. Earlier they
considered festivals as a part of religion but now they consider it enjoyment.‖
(Personal Interview, 2014) Going back to from where they started, she further adds,
―Developing local agriculture and self reliance was the main agenda when we thought
of building this station. That was the time when farmer‘s suicide was common. We
wanted to build sustainability and confidence among people in our village.‖ (Personal
Interview, 2014) With 11 reporters belonging to various villages General Narsamma
stated that the station does on air discussions about issues in various villages,
problems of school going kids and also there are certain lessons which teachers
hesitate in teaching to girls in the schools so we broadcast such matters through radio.
These reporters not only collect content but also involve people from various villages
and take their feedback about the content.
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A month long annual biodiversity festival organised by DDS is magnetism in the
village which is broadcasted live as well as recorded. The festival promoting
agriculture, regional people‘s autonomy over food, crop and environment includes
daily attractions like participation of schools from every mandal (block) in agriculture
quiz programmes, display of organic food and crops, burrakathas (traditional story
telling techniques) on agriculture and promotion of organic crops and yields on a
bullock cart moving around various villages. According to P.V Satheesh, ―The people
themselves do it all; in terms of their capability to use their language- It‘s a very, very
strong oral culture-they can express themselves brilliantly. Bare minimum formal
training, radio technology enables people to articulate themselves without having to
look for outside mediators. Algole, (station programmer) was a part of DDS as a small
child studying in Balwadi (Child care centre for women labourers). She was selected
to work in radio as she was articulate, while ‗General‘ was chosen for her ability to
think and analyse issues deeply. I don‘t think, in all their career in radio, last five-six
years, they have had more than ten days of training, in all spaced over the first year or
two and some specialised sessions later. I think the whole character of community
radio is that, it‘s a very different kind of articulation, it‘s a different kind of oral
culture, and it‘s a different kind of expression. And if you curb that, then you have
completely contained that culture.‖ (Satheesh, 2007 in Pavrala and Malik, 2007,
p.201-202) Sangham radio survives on a very raw, indigenous, and local flavour and
texture where participants are not expected to be trained in the medium instead what
is expected out of them is their own voices, issues, sorrows, solutions, laughter,
stories and smiles coming out of their cocoons, riding on air and buzzing in the ears of
many more. This very character is the trademark of the other media which is for its
own people. Run by women, catering to all and calling all kinds of people in its
radius to get involved, it is on air everyday between 7 pm and 9 pm when its audience
is free and all set to listen and request, share, advice, and talk on its hotline number
08451201234.
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Why Sangham Radio 90.4 FM?
Sangham Radio located and serving in Telangana, an under developed region once a
part of Andhra Pradesh but now separated, sharing its border with less developed
states of Karnataka, fell into the category of a station in the rural setting. With the
main occupation of people being agriculture, mostly working as agricultural labours,
only few having land of their own with majority belonging to low income groups
show homogeneity in sense of habits and their traditional Telangana culture. Though
there is presence of mainstream media but it‘s limited due to poor economic
background and illiteracy. Their developmental requirements range from agriculture
facilities, proper roads, illiteracy, unemployment, lack of drinking water etc..
Sangham Radio aptly reflects elements of a community radio station in the rural
setting.
During the pilot study, I found other community radio stations belonging to the rural
India but Sangham Radio was chosen as the subject, most importantly because of its
long experience and rich background of being a community radio station much before
community radio stations were permitted to function in India. Way back in 1998
when the Dalit (marginalized section of society) women from the region working with
Deccan Development Society, learning from the examples of other countries, realising
the necessity of having radio station of their own, gave a proposal to the government
for having a radio station of their own, the authorities gave them a simple one line
reply stating that the country has no policy or provision for community radio stations.
This didn‘t let the women stop, and they functioned in their own way, recorded
relevant content on cassettes, collected the people and played the programmes through
tape recorders. They functioned on narrowcasting for almost a decade before actually
getting license and going on air. Sangham Radio developed a familiarity with its
audience even before it was declared a community radio station on papers. The efforts
on part of the station and their long experience in creating content for the community
people, identifies the station with a strong base and makes it an appropriate subject to
be compared with its counterpart in an urban setting and to analyse the relevance and
role of community radio stations in India in empowerment and social change.
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Algole Narsamma, Sangham Radio 90.4 FM producer at the station‘s studio in
Machnoor, Andhra Pradesh. (Personal Click, Jan 2012)
Kids at Deccan Development society school in the vicinity of Sangham Radio studio
in Machnoor, Andhra Pradesh. (Personal click, Jan 2012)
91
Deccan development society women making baskets for their annual biodiversity
festival in the vicinity of Sangham Radio studio in Machnoor, Andhra Pradesh.
(Personal click, Jan 2012)
General Narsamma, Sangham Radio 90.4 FM producer at the station‘s studio in
Machnoor, Andhra Pradesh. (Personal Click, Jan 2014)
92
Organic foods supply van with the produce of villagers at Deccan Development
Society office at Pastapur, Andhra Pradesh. (Personal Click, Jan 2014)
93
Radio Jamia 90.4FM transmitter located at Anwar Jamal Kidwai Mass
Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia University.
Image Source
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_2fPzgBCcMfI/SXHCCa1VZQI/AAAAAAAAAw8/_AR6k
as8S14/s1600-h/csr-2.jpg
94
Radio Jamia 90.4 FM
When Ministry of Information and Broadcasting permitted community radio licences
to educational institutions during 2002, Anwar Jamal Kidwai Mass Communication
Research Centre (AJK MCRC) of Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi grabbed
this opportunity and applied for running a non commercial station on 12th
May 2003.
After the clearance of the documents and technical set up, a live test transmission
began on 15th
March 2005. It was a one hour transmission that involved Ghazals
(Urdu and Hindi poetry). Afterwards, the trial transmissions continued for half hour
every day until May, however, the regular transmission commenced from 26th
May
2005 for one hour on all working days of the University. According to AJK MCRC,
the initiative to start a community radio station was backed up by the resources they
possess. ―Fortunately Jamia Millia Islamia has the necessary infrastructure and human
resources to set up a community radio. Mass Communication Research Centre and the
department of Social Work can play a pivotal role in running the proposed community
radio. Besides technical staff and professionals, MCRC has studios and other essential
equipment necessary for running a small radio station. The proposed community radio
will also provide a very good training ground for the students of MCRC and Social
Work Department. They can produce and present programmes to gain insight into the
worlds of broadcasting, social work and the development of human resources. In
order to set up such a radio station Jamia Millia Islamia will need to have a studio
equipped for live broadcast. MCRC has already got one radio studio suitable for
spoken word and music recordings. The existing studio could be modified for other
requirements.‖ (AJK MCRC, 2003) The Mass Communication Research Institute
well known for its technical and academic resources was perhaps apt to run a
community radio station. Adding on, its students who already had radio as a subject in
their curriculum could have practical experience and an exposure to the nitty -gritties
of running a small scale radio station before they face the real world. About the
feasibility of a community radio station in view of the area, according to the institute,
―Situated in South Delhi Jamia Millia Islamia is the most ideal place for setting up a
community radio. Jamia Nagar is a Muslim dominated area surrounded by localities
and slums where the Muslims live in sizable numbers. It is also an area where people
belonging to various social and economic backgrounds live side by side. Setting up a
community radio in this area will not only benefit the poor and underdeveloped
95
population of a large part of the capital but will also be useful for the students and
unemployed youth living in a radius of ten to fifteen kilometres.‖ (AJK MCRC, 2003)
With its radius ranging between 10-15 kilometres it covers various localities like
Jamia Nagar, Sukhdev Vihar, Julena, Masihgarh, New Friends colony, Jasola, Sarita
Vihar, Taimoor Nagar, Bahart Nagar etc. According to J.P Nathani, Manager,
Broadcast Engineering Consultant India Limited, ―The test run for Radio Jamia 90.4
FM transmitter and its subjective reception revealed that the coverage clearly extends
to about 8 Kilometres in the front direction and 4.5-5 Kilometres on the sides and in
the rear direction.‖ (Nathani, 2005) The then Director of AJK Mass Communication
Research Centre, Iftekhar Ahmad,ambitious about the radio station when it initially
started, said, ―The concept behind the evolution of Radio Jamia is to involve the
community members in the process of broadcasting and to bridge the gap of
communication between the elite, the people of friends‘ Colony living on one side and
middle class people of Jamia Nagar and the poorer community of rickshaw-pullers
living in the marshy area of the river Yamuna on the other side. However, the station
is bound by the programme code of All India Radio and cannot broadcast news and
other commercial entertainment programmes as that would defeat the very purpose
for which it was set up.‖(Akhtar, 2006)
According to Station Producer, Shakeel Akhtar, ―Radio Jamia 90.4 FM started with
many developmental programmes, like on consumer rights and fair trade, health based
magazine format called Safina and career guidance. Jamia Millia Islamia teachers
from various departments got involved in the career guidance programme and
discussed prospects of various courses on the station. In order to involve the students
of the university campus based news and information programme called Jamia Nama
was started. Gradually the transmission was increased to two hours and then during
April 2007, the time was further increased to three hours. In order to keep the
community engaged Radio Jamia 90.4 has content on environment, hygiene,
education and community development, and for entertainment Qawalli and Ghazals.
Currently Radio Jamia 90.4 FM is broadcasted live from 2pm to 5pm and a repeat
broadcast from 10am to 1pm all days except Sundays and National Holidays.‖
(Personal Interview, 2013)
96
With a command over transmission, Radio Jamia 90.4 FM widened its programming
horizons with various programming formats like Radio dramas, documentaries,
features, interviews and discussions. ―Some of it‘s programmes included Dhrupad
recital by Ustad Wasifuddin Dagar, Bhakti Music by Vidya Shah, yearly Talimi Mela
report (University fair), Water Harvesting, Juvenile Justice and Role of Media,
Education of Children with special needs, Muslim Ladkiyon me Zehni Tanav kyon
(Why muslim girls are depressed)‖ (AJK MCRC, 2010) Most of the station
programming is not regular, many of them being one episode programme and there is
no set schedule for the content. Dr G.R Syed, Station In charge, further added, ―The
station collaborated with Non Governmental Organisations like One World South
Asia, Pratham and Butterfly in order to produce various programmes on social
awareness and development. The station collaborated with National Consumer
helpline in 2012 and aired programmes on electricity complaints, medical negligence,
Education, Banking and insurance sector complaints. We also acquired some health
programmes from an audio pool called Ek Duniya Anek Awaz and Prince of Wales
Health Education and Media Centre and broadcasted Leprosy and malaria awareness
programmes. (Personal interview, 2013) Being managed in a university set up, it has
the advantage of associating with different departments within the University for
Content. Parwaz (flying high like a bird), a programme on women issues in
collaboration with Sarojini Naidu Centre for Women Studies has been running on the
station every third Thursday of the month. It engages women from the neighbourhood
by raising issues like domestic violence, women and HIV, Women and education etc.
(Sarojini Naidu Centre for Women's studies, JMI, 2013) Water scarcity, illegal
construction, civic amenities, migration are some of the local issues that have been
taken up involving the community people in various programmes. According to the
data provided by Radio Jamia 90.4 FM to Ministry of Information and Broadcasting,
number of volunteers who participate in a normal week, involves 50 students, 4 staff
members, 6 Non Government Organization members and 30 community
members/listeners. (AJK MCRC, 2009) The participation figures were also confirmed
by the station in charge Dr. G.R Syed during the in depth interview conducted for the
study. The centre manages to run the radio station on its own through a portion in
students‘ fee. Like every new radio station, even Radio Jamia 90.4 FM had its days of
financial crunch and instability. ―The radio station currently airing for three hours a
day on 90.4FM, however is already in the throes of a fund crunch, eating into the
97
budget of AJK MCRC, where it is housed. Meanwhile, even as there are plans to up
transmission time further to at least 12 hours a day, MCRC authorities are pinning
their hopes on a permission from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to air
advertisements at the rate of five minutes every hour of transmission‖ (Ghosh/TNN,
2006) Though advertisements are still not a part of the station even when the Indian
government has allowed to broadcast up to five minutes of advertisement in one hour,
they depend on the fund coming through students. Initially Rs.50 was levied as
community radio charges, which gradually increased and now each student studying
in the centre pays Rs.160 as a part of fees annually towards community radio charges.
Apart from the regular staff, all other participants voluntarily associate themselves
with the station. (Personal Interview with Dr.Syed and Mr.Akhtar, 2013) Radio Jamia
90.4 FM had its proud community moment when it encouraged the people to maintain
calm and restraint during the Batla House, Delhi encounter episode in September
2008. Batla house is one of the most populated and Muslim dominated areas falling in
the radius of Radio Jamia. ―Immediately after the news broke about the encounter, the
radio station which was playing recorded programmes and was about to shut shop for
Friday Namaz (Muslim prayers), came alive with its volunteers, taking stock of
ground zero and going live on air.‖ (Gohain & TNN, 2008) This is the beauty and
strength of a community radio, with its inherent nature of being flexible, local and
instantly changing content according to situation. The Batla House incident was a
challenging experience for the station, G.R Syed, reader and in-charge of Radio
Jamia, said, ―Being a community radio we have social responsibility. We keep airing
programmes on dengue, malaria, AIDS and even of probable disasters like
earthquake. But this is a new situation and in such a scenario rumours can create
tension. If anything happens within the 10km radius we flash public messages urging
people to keep their calm, think sensibly and also provide them with information if
possible so as to avoid any deterioration of the situation.‖ (Gohain & TNN, 2008)
Earlier the station content included only spoken word and very few musical
programmes. Music was in the form of royalty free content and self created songs and
composition. The station after attaining stability in production, entered with an
agreement with The Indian Performing Right Society Limited during April, 2010
which allowed them to broadcast even some of the film songs. The station in charge
Dr.G.R Syed stated, ―We don‘t just call listeners to our studio, but also take the studio
to them. The students go out to slum areas, find people, talk to them and involve them
98
in programming through on the spot as well as studio recording.‖ (Personal Interview,
2013) Catering to a varied audience on 90.4 FM engaging them through its phone line
011 26986644, providing live programming for three hours, it always ends its
broadcast with Jamia Tarana everyday (Jamia Millia Islamia University‘s anthem).
Why Radio Jamia 90.4 FM?
Radio Jamia 90.4 FM located in the Indian metropolitan and capital city, Delhi, one of
the highly developed cities of India fell into the category of a community radio station
in an urban setting. It has got similar attributes of an urban area having heterogeneous
population residing within its radius with people belonging to various cultures,
backgrounds, religions, professions and habits. Delhi itself is a city having no culture
of its own instead exhibits a cosmopolitan way of life. People residing within the
radius of Radio Jamia with Hindus, Muslims, Christians, North Indians, and South
Indians etc...show this multi ethnic background. People belonging to various financial
classes reside within vicinities, having availability of mainstream media in abundance
and the usage of a variety of media in any household is a common trend. Radio Jamia
thus reflects elements of a radio station in an urban set up.
Though there were other radio stations fulfilling the urban setting criterion but Radio
Jamia was chosen as the subject of analysis due to its wide experience and a stronger
base. Anwar Jamal Kidwai Mass Communication Research Centre is a centre of
repute, specializing in training students specifically in electronic media. The
organisation already had a command in imparting training with the availability of
experienced academicians, technical personnel and accessibility to equipment in its
readily available good radio studio. Adding to the advantage was its inception in
2005, which happened in the beginning during the very first phase of community
radio licensing in India. Being a community radio station in an urban setting, the
credibility of the organisation in understanding and running a media like community
radio and its long experience of being in business, makes it a community radio worth
analysing and appropriate to be compared with its rural counterpart to understand the
relevance of community radio in urban area and its role in empowerment and social
change.
99
Dr.Shakeel Akhtar, Radio Jamia 90.4FM Producer working on station content.
Image source-http://radioduniya.eletsonline.com/?p=129
Image source-http://radioduniya.eletsonline.com/?p=129
Radio Jamia volunteers presenting a live show
100
Sampling Technique
A community radio station has a specific target area which is its radius where the
station is heard. This is the only area which decides its listenership and how popular
the station is. Any community radio station exists and functions for the development
of that particular area and its people. Hence, the sample was selected from within the
radius of the respective stations. In order to conduct the study simple random
sampling technique was used. Simple random sampling enables an equal chance for
each unit in the population to get selected. Since the aim of the study was to
understand how the respective stations are perceived by its target audience and how
the stations are contributing in empowerment and social change in their respective
areas, it was hence essential to consider both listeners and non listeners working or
residing within the radius of the station while the station could be heard on air. Target
audience for any station is not just its listeners but also non listeners who are its
probable listeners as well. Inclusion of listeners as well as non listeners for the
respective station and giving a fair chance to include each unit of its target audience
within its radius promoted to use simple random sampling technique. Also, this
technique is a fit when the requirement of stratifying or sub dividing the population on
some basis is not required. Since these are community radio stations and their
audience could be heterogeneous or homogeneous, heterogeneous in some aspects
and homogeneous in other aspects then simple random sampling is the best choice.
Defining target audience for the study, any person male or female who is at least 18
years and above residing or working in the radius area of the stations at the time of the
day when the station is broadcasted (since community radio stations in India are
broadcasted for a limited time) irrespective for the fact he or she is a listener is
regarded as sampling unit for the study.
For both the community radio stations a sample each of 350 including listeners as
well as non listeners were considered. For Sangham Radio 90.4 FM simple random
sampling gave 195 listeners and 155 non listeners from the three mandals (Block) -
Zaheerabad, Jharasangam and Raikode in Telangana region including men and
women majorly belonging to agricultural work since the area has mostly
homogeneous population reflecting the rural settings characteristics. Radio Jamia 90.4
101
FM simple random sampling gave 108 listeners and 242 non listeners from Jamia
Nagar, Sukhdev Vihar, New Friends Colony and Jullena area in the capital city of
India, Delhi including men and women coming from various professions and
backgrounds with heterogeneous characteristics reflecting the urban settings. Below
tables give a detailed view of respondents profile for both the stations.
Table 3.1:Sangham Radio 90.4 FM
Sangham Radio
Audience/Respondents
(350)
Age/No of
respondents
Profession/No of
respondents
Gender/No
of
respondents
Total Listeners:
195
18-30 Years: 25
31-45 Years: 71
46-60 Years: 75
60 and above: 24
Agriculture labour: 120
Homemakers: 31
Students: 22
School Teachers: 10
Jobless:08
Land owners: 04
Male: 105
Female: 90
Total Non Listeners
155
18-30 Years: 46
31-45 Years: 40
46-60 Years: 35
60 and above: 34
Agriculture labour: 98
Homemakers: 15
Jobless:13
School Teachers: 12
Students: 10
Land owners:05
School Principal: 02
Male:
84
Female:
71
102
Table-3.2:Radio Jamia 90.4 FM
Radio Jamia
Audience/Respondents
(350)
Age/No of
respondents
Profession/No of
respondents
Gender/No of
respondents
Total Listeners:
108
18-30 Years:12
31-45 Years:55
46-60 Years: 30
60 and above: 11
Administration: 39
Homemakers: 28
Medical/Health: 08
Business:07
Media: 05
Sales/Marketing:05
Students:05
School/College
Teachers: 04
No answer:04
Daily wage earners
/Labour: 03
Female:
60
Male: 48
Total Non Listeners
242
18-30 Years: 48
31-45 Years: 125
46-60 Years: 44
60 and above:25
Administration: 50
Homemakers: 45
Business:38
Sales/Marketing:26
Medical/Health:17
Students:14
School/College
Teachers: 13
Media: 12
Hospitality: 09
No answer:09
Domestic helps:05
Daily wage
earners/Labours:04
Male:
135
Female:
107
103
Data collection tools
A pilot study within the radius of Sangham Radio and Radio Jamia lead to the
development of questionnaire, one of the data collection tools for the study. The pilot
study among 30 respondents taken for each station involved a preliminary
questionnaire including open ended questions on the listening habits, dependence on
the station and station‘s involvement with its audience. . ―Open ended questions are
particularly useful in a pilot test of a study. Researcher may not know what types of
responses to expect from subjects, so open ended questions are used to allow subjects
to answer in any way they wish.‖ (Wimmer & Dominick, 2003, p.170) The pilot study
however revealed the requirement of many more questions and a separate
questionnaire for listeners as well as non listeners. The questionnaire for Sangham
Radio and Radio Jamia demanded a little variation due to the difference in kind of
audience for the respective stations, one being a part of rural area and the other being
a part of urban. Pilot test also necessitated the use of other data collection methods
that included Observation, Interaction analysis and in depth interviews.
Two separate questionnaires were prepared for listeners and non listeners of the
respective stations. Since the perception of the station and its involvement in its target
area is important information to be evaluated, questionnaire had to be prepared
separately. For Radio Jamia, 90.4 FM questionnaires were prepared in English and in
only few cases translation was provided to respondents wherever required. Radio
Jamia questionnaire for listeners is attached as Annexure A and for non listeners
attached as Annexure B. For Sangham Radio, listeners questionnaire is attached as
Annexure C in English and its Telugu version as Annexure C 1 and for non listeners
Annexure D and its Telugu version as Annexure D 1. For Sangham Radio, since the
audience is largely a Telugu speaking group, questionnaire first prepared in English
was translated to Telugu. Hence, in total there were four questionnaires- two of them
for listeners and non listeners of Sangham Radio and the other two for listeners and
non listeners of Radio Jamia. The questionnaire largely consisted of open ended
questions with only a few closed ended questions. ―Open ended questions allow for
answers that researcher did not foresee in designing the questionnaire, answers that
may suggest possible relationship with other answers or variables.‖ (Wimmer &
Dominick, 2003, p.169-170) In case of this study with defined variables in mind,
104
answers to open ended questions indeed helped in connecting one answer to other and
arrive at effective analysis of narratives. Questionnaires were personally given to the
respondents. Majority of questionnaires given to Sangham Radio respondents, were
filled by the researcher with the information given by respondents since there were
many uneducated respondents in the Telangana region.
In depth interviews were used to extract information related to the station from the
perspective of the station management. The main aim of interviews was to collect
detailed information about the existence, purpose, functionality, audience
involvement and programming of individual radio stations. In depth interview helped
to gather background information about stations and provide explanations and
interpretations at relevant points to data derived through other tools like questionnaire,
observation and interaction analysis.
Uncontrolled and unstructured Observation was another data collection method used
simultaneously while the questionnaires were being filled up. This kind of observation
along with its advantage of spontaneity gives much scope for reality and less of
subjectivity. With no interaction of any sort with the respondents, it provides various
descriptions that a survey or a conversation fails to do. Observation of the respondents
as well as the respective radio stations was done with the following set questions in
mind:
How station is placed among its target audience in terms of its identity?
How relevant is the station sound and content according to its audience?
Reactions of respondents while providing information about the respective
stations.
What a survey or observation fails to do, this is where interaction analysis fills the
gap. With naturally occurring conversation it captures moods, intentions, feelings and
many silent talks resulting in meaningful interpretations. Interaction analysis was
done with the following set points in mind:
Instant reactions of respondents when they hear the names of their respective
stations.
How well do listeners connect with their respective stations, their listening
habits and recall value of the respective stations.
105
How much are the respondents aware about the concept and utility of a
community radio.
Survey, observation and interaction analysis were simultaneously carried out. The
data collected through all these methods was analysed and findings are discussed in
the subsequent chapters (IV, V and VI)
Method for analysis
The data collected for respective stations was first analysed individually and later a
comparative analysis of both the stations was done to fulfil the research objectives.
Data was first coded specifically and then was presented in the form of tables and
graphical representation while doing the analysis. A descriptive survey analysis
facilitated in understanding the perception of community radio stations in urban and
rural settings. Survey analysis is one of the best methods to understand an existing
phenomenon, relate situations, and from the findings come to suggestions or foresee
situations of future. Survey analysis also leads not only to examine but also relate to
many variables and as far as media industry is concerned, in order to understand
audience behaviour they largely depend upon survey analysis. ―They can be used to
investigate problems in realistic settings. Newspaper reading, television viewing,
radio listening, and consumer behaviour pattern can be examined where they happen
rather than in a laboratory or screening room under artificial conditions.‖ (Wimmer
and Dominick, 2003, p.167) Observation, interaction analysis, in depth interviews
together with survey analysis acted as complimentary to each other in facilitating the
analysis process.
Qualitative comparative analysis in the end with the findings of individual analysis
helped in connecting narratives and comments made by the respondents for both the
stations. It lead to develop an understanding of how effectively the stations are
responding to the demands for their individual audiences. It not only helped in
understanding audience perception of their community radio stations but also their
aspirations for development and change. An in depth analysis of answers to questions
with similar objective for both stations and a comparison of respondents‘ narratives
106
helped in understanding the relationship between variables, that is relation between
community radio and development. This correlation of variables and lessons learnt
from the audience of both the stations thereby fulfilling research objectives lead to
generalization of results and suggestions of some meaningful changes in functioning
of community radio stations in Indian and urban rural setting to carve a stronger
image and build a powerful role of community radio in empowerment and social
change.
Research design is illustrated diagrammatically in the next page.
Ethical considerations
Men and Women of 18 years and above were taken as respondents. This was
not only done for reliable and dependable answers of respondents as listeners
or non listeners of a radio station but also from the ethical point of view. Since
this was a study that was not dependent on choosing children as samples and
as per international standards interviewing anybody less than 18 years requires
prior permission from their parents.
Questionnaires for Sangham Radio 90.4 FM was first prepared in English and
then translated to Telugu. Respondents were free to respond in any language
they were comfortable with. Hindi, English, Hinglish, Urdu or Telugu. Telugu
answers of respondents were translated to English with the help of a translator.
All translations were checked by two different translators to ensure reliability.
All kinds of men and women whether educated or uneducated were a part of
the study. Since community radio station is a station for one and all in the
community irrespective of any differences, it was important to include all
kinds of respondents within the radius of respective stations. Questions were
read out to people who could not read or write and their answers were
recorded with their due permission.
107
Diagram: Research Design for the study
Theoretical framework from
Participatory paradigm
Hypothesis
Community Radio has the potential to
emerge as an instrument of
sensitization about issues of vital importance
Rural and urban settings defined and pre research done for radio
station selection
Sangham Radio 90.4 FM and
Radio Jamia 90.4 FM selected
Sample for the respective stations
defined using random sampling technique.
Preliminary questionnaire prepared and pilot study
conducted
Final questionnaire prepared based on the findings of the
pilot study
Survey conducted for community radio stations individually.Simultaneously data colected through
observation, interaction analysis and in depth interviews
Coding done for listeners and non listeners responses for Radio Jamia
and Sangham Radio
Tabulation and graphical analysis
Data Analysis, Findings and Discussions
underpinned conceptual framework:
Friere,Quail, Servaes and Malikhao.
Correlating variables, findings and discussions for both the stations
individually Revisiting research questions and conceptual framework
Reconsideration of variable relation and graphical representation of relevant
data
Comparative Analysis
Drawing conclusions
Generalizing results
Providing suggestions for improvement of community radio functioning in India.
Revisting research objectives and concluding.
108
Chapter IV
Participatory trend in rural settings
Sangham Radio 90.4 FM: Findings, analysis and
discussion
109
27th
Jan, 2014 as I sit down in nostalgia with my experiences that I gathered while
collecting data for Sangham Radio in Andhra Pradesh, I got to know another news
story, pushing ahead the development of radio in India. Fauji Radio, an online radio
station dedicated to men and women in uniform featuring glimpses of their lives,
stories from army men at the border and tales of their wives away from the border
coupled with music, is what this station promises. This is a station for not only army
personnel but also for people who are interested in armed forces. (Srivatsa, 2014)
Radio has always been a medium also for people having their lives in remote
locations. Coupled with technology, it is yet to be seen how this earthy medium works
for our faujis. Another story doing rounds these days at the beginning of the year in
community radio arena is the experimentation of community radio Radio Mewat, in
Mewat, a district in Haryana, India, on broadcasting a consumer helpline. This
helpline seeks to help the listeners in this backward district by leaving their consumer
complaints on the station‘s helpline which is further directed towards appropriate
officials. According to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, India, ―Over five lakh
people will be able to take advantage of the helpline by calling the number
8685904904.‖ (Dash, 2014) The station promises a dedicated 30 minutes slot on
consumer rights taking up issues like expired medicines, sale of goods without bill,
misleading advertisements etc. ―The radio-mode to address consumers' issues has
huge significance since literacy rate in this region is low and there is no mechanism
that illiterate consumers can use to address their grievances.‖ (Dash, 2014) Parallel
characteristics could be drawn looking at the functioning of Community Radio, Radio
Sangham in Telangana which enables farmers to have a conversation with experts for
growing crops, the crops are sown with the knowledge and tips gathered in the
conversation, and after 4-5 months when the crop finally grows, their experience of
way the agricultural formula worked is again shared with all other farmers. While all
this happens, villagers in and around Machnoor in Telangana where the station is
located, listen to all the information on Sangham Radio and follow the same in their
farms too. Media here truly acts as what Wilbur Schramm termed it as a magic
multiplier of development. (Schramm, 1964)
Driving towards the radio studio on narrow road with forests and farms on both sides
and some small villages here and there in between, we notice no sign board telling us
if we are on the right way. But the villagers have all information and most of the
people know where the station exists and show the way with a smiling face. Since I
have been there earlier many times I know that I need to turn right when a realisation
110
hits looking at the way that this is the dead end and no way ahead. But as soon as I
turn right, from far I could see a transmitter and a red building. As I enter the building
I could see some lively women making baskets and some kids running out of their
adjacent school. Covering a clear radius of 10kms I did a random sampling for its
target audience residing and working in its nearby villages within the three mandals
(blocks)-Zaheerabad, Jharasangam and Raikode and selected a sample of men and
women 18 years and above. I followed the same strategy as I did with Radio Jamia
90.4 FM, Delhi. Sample was picked up irrespective of the fact whether they listen to
Sangham Radio or not. Two different types of questionnaires, one for listeners and the
other one for non listeners were distributed among them. Non listeners comprised of
people who never ever heard Sangham 90.4 FM or heard it just once and then never
heard it ever or listen to it once a month or even less than that. Listeners comprised of
people who are regular listeners who listen to it every day or at least every week in a
month. 350 questionnaires were distributed among listeners and non listeners within
Sangham Radio radius, and all the 350 respondents filled and submitted the
questionnaires. Before giving questionnaires, the first question that was asked to
respondents was if they listen to Sangham Radio or not. In case they said that they
listen to it, they were asked how often they listen to it. Depending on their answers
they were placed in the defined categories of listeners or non listeners. In cases where
they said they do not listen to Sangham Radio, they were again asked if they heard it
even once and if they did; their listening habits were reconfirmed in order to place
them in the defined categories of listeners or non listeners. These 350 respondents
comprised of 195 listeners and 155 non listeners. While distributing questionnaires
among respondents, I got some interesting reactions from them.
―Oh I have sung songs there!!‖
―I have been with them from the very beginning‖
―What Radio? This village has got no proper roads.‖
―They have a café as well.‖
―Ask them to give us radio sets.‖
―I am very busy in my fields. Why will I have time to listen to radio?‖
―Why will I listen to radio? Can radio give me food to eat?‖
111
Sangham Radio 90.4 FM listeners’ trend
In order to understand the listenership of Sangham Radio and how many people
associate the station with development and relate a community radio station with
change, the following questions were asked. Randomly selected 195 listeners filled
questionnaires. The questionnaire consisted of open ended as well as close ended
questions. (Detailed questionnaire has been attached as Annexure C in the end)
Questions for Listeners of Sangham Radio 90.4 FM.
How often do you listen to Sangham Radio 90.4FM?
How you got to know about Sangham Radio?
Is Sangham Radio different from other Radio Stations that you have heard?
What Programmes do you like on Sangham Radio?
Rate your preference for the source of information.
Do you depend on Sangham radio for your information need?
Do you think Sangham Radio provides you information that the other kind of
media doesn‘t provide?
Apart from listening, have you ever participated in making or hosting
programmes for Sangham Radio?
Have you ever been involved in decision making for Sangham Radio‘s
content?
Has Sangham Radio through its programmes ever contributed towards any
change or development of your area or its residents?
Is there any improvement or development you have seen in yourself or your
family that can be associated with listening to Sangham Radio?
Do you think Sangham Radio could be actively involved in development of
your area and its residents?
What do you think about the information or entertainment provided by
Sangham Radio?
How popular is Sangham Radio in your area?
How important is Sangham Radio for your village?
Please provide suggestions if any for Sangham Radio.
112
Do you think people who are not listening to Sangham Radio are losing
anything?
Is Sangham Radio benefitting you in your agricultural work?
Is Sangham Radio developing and preserving your regional culture?
Do you think having a community‘s own radio station can bring development
and social change?
Table 4.1: Listeners’ understanding of Sangham Radio.
Listening habits Information
Source
Dependence on
Sangham Radio for
information need.
Does Sangham
Radio provide
any information
that popular
media doesn’t?
Is Sangham
Radio
different from
other popular
radio stations
in your area?
Daily
102 Respondents Tv
80 Respondents Yes
190 Respondents Yes
186 Respondents Yes
182
Respondents
Once a week
51 Respondents Sangham and
Tv
52
No
04 Respondents No
07 Respondents No
13 Respondents
More than once
a week
39 Respondents
Sangham
28 Respondents No Answer
01 Respondent No Answer
02 Respondents N/A
No Answer
03 Respondents Sangham,Tv,
Newspaper
13 Respondents
N/A N/A N/A
N/A Sangham &
Newspaper
9 Respondents
N/A N/A N/A
N/A Newspaper
5 Respondents N/A N/A N/A
N/A Sangham &
Internet
3 Respondents
N/A N/A N/A
N/A Newspaper &
Tv
2 Respondents
N/A N/A N/A
N/A None
2 Respondents N/A N/A N/A
N/A Internet
1 Respondent N/A N/A N/A
113
Table 4.2: Sangham Radio’s involvement with listeners.
Information
about Sangham
Radio’s
existence.*
Respondents
Participation in
programming.
Respondent’s
involvement in
decision making
for the station.
Popularity
Sangham People
73 Respondents
Yes
131
Respondents
Yes
111 Respondents
Many
158 Respondents
Somebody Told
68 Respondents
No
63 Respondents
No
82 Respondents
Few
35 Respondents
Sangham’s Ad
28 Respondents
No Answer
01 Respondent
No Answer
02 Respondents
No Answer
01 Respondent
Tuned by Chance
26 Respondents
N/A N/A Very Few
01 Respondent
Information
about Sangham
Radio’s
existence.*
Respondents
Participation in
programming.
Respondent’s
involvement in
decision making
for the station.
Popularity
Sangham People
73 Respondents
Yes
131
Respondents
Yes
111 Respondents
Many
158 Respondents
Somebody Told
68 Respondents
No
63 Respondents
No
82 Respondents
Few
35 Respondents
Sangham’s Ad
28 Respondents
No Answer
01 Respondent
No Answer
02 Respondents
No Answer
01 Respondent
Tuned by Chance
26 Respondents
N/A N/A Very Few
01 Respondent
Table 4.3: Listeners’ view on Sangham Radio’s content
Rating
information/ente
rtainment on
Sangham Radio.
Importance of
Sangham in
village
People not
listening to it
are they at a
loss?
Can Sangham Radio be
involved in development of
your area
Excellent
109 Respondents
Very
Important
120
Respondents
Yes
174
Respondents
Yes
190 Respondents
Good
81 Respondents
Important
72 Respondents
No
20
Respondents
No Answer
04 Respondents
Average
04 Respondents
Least
Important
01 Resopondent
No Answer
01 Respondent
No
01 Respondent
No Answer
01 Respondent
No Answer
02 Respondents
N/A N/A
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Table 4.4: Association of Community radio with development
Sangham
Radio
benefit in
agriculture
Sangham
Radio
contributing in
developing
regional
culture
Has Sangham
radio
developed
your area?
Has
Sangham
radio
developed
you or your
family?
Can
community
radio bring
development
and social
change?
Yes
188
Respondents
Yes
191
Respondents
Yes
189
Respondents
Yes
176
Respondents
Yes
175
Respondents
No Answer
07
Respondents
No Answer
04 Respondents
No
04 Respondents
No Answer
19
Respondents
No
19 Respondents
N/A N/A No Answer
02 Respondents
N/A No Answer
01 Respondent
Out of the 350 respondents 195 comprised listeners of Sangham Radio i.e.55.7%
giving an indication that Sangham has more listeners than non listeners in the areas
under study, though there isn‘t a wide difference in the number of people listening to
Sangham and those not listening to it. In order to understand the dependence on a
community radio in an under developed area, it is indeed important to know the
number of information sources available to the people. The study revealed that
television is the most preferred information source and internet the least preferred. 80
Respondents preferred only television, 28 preferred only Sangham Radio, 5 preferred
only Newspaper, 1 preferred only internet and 2 didn‘t prefer any media. There were
many respondents who preferred a combination of media as their information source.
52 respondents stated Sangham Radio and Television, 9 stated Sangham Radio, TV
and Newspaper, for 3 of them it was Sangham Radio and Internet while 2 preferred
Newspaper and Television. In total maximum respondents that is 143 preferred
television and 72 preferred Sangham Radio, making television the most preferred and
Sangham Radio the next preferred media. The questionnaire also provided the option
for radio station other than Sangham but none of the respondents selected it. In fact
there were five respondents, all of them commenting that they have not heard any
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radio except Sangham Radio. Looking at this media preference trend, it is indeed
important to understand listening habits of these 195 Sangham Radio listeners. 102
respondents stated that they listen to the station everyday, 51 said that they listen to it
once a week, 39 stated of listening to it more than once a week while 3 of them gave
no answer. Hence, a majority of listeners listen to the station daily and Sangham
Radio is one of the preferred information sources for them complementing this fact,
190 listeners agreed that they depend on the station for their information need, 4
stated that they do not depend on Sangham for information need, while 1 of them
gave no answer. Listeners elaborated on the kind of information on Sangham Radio
for which they depend on it citing health and cooking tips, agricultural information,
agricultural songs, stories, expert knowledge on various issues specially agriculture.
Many listeners even stated that they depend on the station for announcements when
their animals are lost and that no other media provides this kind of information.
Listeners are always a good source of information about a station‘s content and none
but they know if the station provides information which is different from that of other
media. 186 listeners stated that the information provided on Sangham is different
from what the other media provides, 7 listeners disagreed while 2 of them gave no
answer. Many respondents cited kinds of content that makes Sangham different from
other media that included agriculture information, information on seasonal crops,
animal husbandry programmes, village news, issues and stories presented in an
innovative manner, village people participation, listening to familiar voices from
village on air, information on preserving extinct crops, usage of local dialect, taking
care of content requests from people, information on climate change and development
of self reliance. The content that the respondents feel makes Sangham radio different
from other media, points towards the characteristics that make it a radio for the
community. Talking specifically about the medium radio, 182 listeners agreed that the
station is different from other popular radio stations that they have heard while 13
listeners disagreed and regarded the station as any other radio station. 12 out of the
182 listeners who though agreed that the station is different from other radio stations,
they also mentioned that they have heard just Sangham Radio and not any other radio.
In order to understand more from Sangham‘s listeners‘ about the station content, they
were asked to rate the information or entertainment provided by the station. 109
respondents rated the station as excellent, 81 termed it as good, 4 average and 1
respondent gave no answer. When asked about their favourite programs there were
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many specific program mentions as well examples of general content. The most
popular among specific programmes included Suguna Lakshmi mimicry, Jayraj
stories, one song, Burrakatha (traditional story telling approach), Veeranna stories,
Ramachandrah astrology, Ramappa songs, Aunt and Daughter in law discussions.
About general content the most favourite among listeners included agriculture
information, agricultural songs, friendly and informal talks, organic fertilizer
information, developing local culture, handmade fertilizers, extinct crop information,
nutritional cooking tips and healthy tips and women rights. Terming it as a station
providing content different than that of other media which is of use to the villagers,
the station qualifies itself for the community. In order to understand if the station is of
the community, respondents were asked how they got to know about the station‘s
existence. A majority of them that is 73 respondents stated that they got to know
about the station from Sangham People, 68 said that somebody told, 28 said
Sangham‘s advertisement while remaining 26 respondents tuned by chance. This
clearly states that the station people have made an attempt to reach the villagers to
make the station‘s existence known among them. Also, an interesting point to note
here is that 28 respondents said they got to know through Sangham‘s advertisement.
Travelling in various parts of the area for the study, I witnessed that there is no direct
advertisement in the form of banner or poster for Sangham radio but there exists
banner for Deccan development Society‘s organic café and their van that moves
around with organic products grown by the villagers. This coupled with word of
mouth gives a lot of publicity for the Radio station. Around 6 respondents among the
ones who stated that they got to know through Sangham people commented that they
regularly participate in Sangham Radio‘s content production. The true essence of a
Community Radio is established when a station involves its listeners in not only
listening but also in programming. When asked if the listeners were ever involved in
participation in Sangham Radio‘s programming, around 67% that is 131 respondents
stated that they participated in station‘s programming and mentioned various
programmes like agriculture discussion, which crop to be sown when, damage caused
to crop by mechanisation, discussion on seed conservation, women issues, organising
village meetings for content, roaming in various villages for content recording, and
festival fairs. 63 respondents stated that they never participated while 1 of them gave
no answer. Around 56.9% that is 111 respondents stated that they were involved in
decision making for the content. Elaborating on what decisions they took for the
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station many among them stated they were involved in strategising how to promote
participation among people, discussions on organising fests and village meetings,
promoting more agriculture, village and women issues, station promotion among
others, decisions regarding stopping usual songs and promoting agriculture songs and
how to make programmes interesting. Around 42% that is 82 respondents stated that
they were never involved in decision making for the station while 2 of the listeners
gave no answer. Since listeners are involved actors in Sangham‘s programming, it
qualifies as a station by the people.
One of the important aspects of a community radio is development in the society
where it exists. This developmental aspect could be achieved when people get
involved with the station and accept it as one of the important members in their
family. When respondents were asked about the importance of the station in their
village 120 respondents regarded it as very important, 72 considered it important, 1
regarded it as least important while 2 respondents gave no answer. 174 of these
listeners stated that people not listening to Sangham Radio are losing out on many
things like village information, crop use and earning profit in agriculture, knowledge
on traditions, health and culture, information on various issues and social
development and information about their own village and other nearby villages. Some
of the interesting statements made by some respondents regarding this question:
“They go by trend and use complex fertilizers which are unhealthy for their crops in
the long run.”
“Farmers incur huge losses by modern agriculture practices.”
“Cultivation practices of old generation remain unknown.”
“They are unaware of old unheard songs, village values and culture.”
Statements made above give an indication that there existed certain practices specific
to agriculture that are replaced by better things but same earlier practices are followed
by people not listening to the station. When asked about the popularity of Sangham
radio in their village, around 81% respondents that is 158 stated many people in their
village know about Sangham Radio, 17.9% that is only 35 respondents stated that
only few know about the station, 1 said very few people know while 1 gave no
answer. Popularity of the station was even visible while I was distributing
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questionnaires in various villages. Many of the villagers I met knew about the
existence of Sangham Radio.
In order to understand if respondents can relate development with Sangham Radio,
listeners were asked if the station could be involved in development of their area or
community, 190 Listeners agreed, 4 gave no answer while 1 said no. Among the
listeners who agreed many popularly stated it could be involved in development of the
area through agriculture information, programmes on traditional agriculture methods,
discouraging mechanisation and promoting cattle use, local information, domestic
issues, health information, and discussions on developmental issues. Some of the
interesting statements made by respondents in this regard:
―The station is already very active.‖
―The station is useful for all.‖
―It is working effectively and developing all of us.‖
―Actively works for agriculture and culture.‖
Developing an area is not a day‘s task. It‘s a job that requires many small jobs done
over a period of time. An area is said to be developed when its people are empowered.
In terms of the area studied empowerment could be defined in terms of their
knowledge about various issues concerning their lives, information and knowledge
about their occupations, belonging to their own dwelling and region, and
understanding what is right and what is wrong for their families and themselves in
their personal lives. The kind of development pushed by Sangham Radio was
understood when 188 listeners stated that the station benefitted in agriculture, 191
listeners agreed about it contributed in preserving regional culture while 176 stated
that it has developed them and their families. None of the listeners disagreed
regarding the development done by Sangham in areas of agriculture, culture and
individual and family development though there were 07, 04 and 19 no answers
respectively. Regarding Sangham‘s benefit in agriculture listeners popularly stated
that the station talks about various issues including development of traditional
manures to reduce pesticides usage, information on seasonal crops, knowledge on
sowing seeds, information on ayurvedic medicines, seasonal jobs, preserving old and
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extinct crops, domestic measures for pest control, promotes cereal cultivation,
information on cropping cycles and organic seeds. One of the respondents stated,
―Earlier Deccan Development society members used to come with all such
information, now same is being broadcasted to many more people in no time.‖
Listeners cited various ways that Sangham uses to promote regional culture that
includes discussions on pongal (South Indian festival) and other traditional fests,
information on festival stories, encourages collective fests, uses local language and
dialect, promotes village history and its culture, Burrakatha (Traditional story telling
technique) programmes, folk stories and agricultural songs. Some of the interesting
statements made by the respondents:
―With village development by the station, regional culture is getting developed.‖
―They are developing regional culture. When we are improving scientifically they tell
us how earlier people used to irrigate.‖
―The station seems purely for our region.‖
―It‘s good to listen to familiar village voices. They get involved and relate to our
problems, providing a practical solution. This can‘t be done by an outsider.‖
On a personal level listeners cited some examples of how the station has developed
their families and them individually. Information on family welfare measures, moral
stories for kids, information on education, promoting collaborative agriculture and the
idea of not leaving the agricultural field idle in any season, process of making own
fertilizers, places to get good seeds from, cooking tips, information on nutritional
food, health tips specifically women health issues all of which combine to uplift
Sangham Listeners overall development. Some of the interesting statements made by
listeners:
―My son got to know about locally available cereal food through the station.‖
―It promotes nutritional value with available cereals.‖
―It encourages adopting locally available food items that are reasonable not only for
buyers but also a profit to sellers in the village.‖
―It revives old dietary habits.‖
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In the background of Sangham Radio‘s attempt in empowering people at work, in
their fields, in their own village and in their own homes, it was important to
understand whether listeners feel developed or not in any sense. When asked if
Sangham Radio has developed their areas, 189 listeners agreed, 04 listeners disagreed
while 2 gave no answer. They stated that Sangham Radio has developed their area by
providing agricultural information, family welfare measures, education development,
animal husbandry and cultural preservation. Hence, indicating the fact that they do
associate development with Sangham Radio. It‘s not important to know the
terminology rather it is important to know the use and the concept behind.
Respondents might be unaware about Sangham Radio being a community radio,
though they do understand Sangham Radio as their own station. When asked their
views if a station representing an area or community could bring change 175 listeners
agreed and stated with such a radio station area could be developed through local
information, promoting domestic and professional issues, improving work and
personal lives providing unknown information to all, and by encouraging
communication for all, 19 listeners disagreed while 01 of them gave no answer.
Respondents who disagreed gave no specific reason. While answering this question
many respondents understood that Sangham is the station representing their area or
community and gave some specific comments:
―Farmers are adopting traditional agriculture methods after knowing through
Sangham Radio and this is very good.‖
―Changes have taken place in our village.‖
―Sangham Radio is very useful. It gets broadcasted for really less time.‖
―Sangham Radio has helped us in increasing our earnings.‖
―With one small change we get many changes.‖
When asked about suggestions for Sangham Radio, the most popular ones provided
by listeners included:
―They should distribute radio sets.‖
―Increase songs, conversation, stories.‖
―We don‘t get proper signals. Increase signal strength.‖
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―Give information about cattle rearing through songs and burrakatha.‖
―Increase time.‖
―Broadcast both at morning as well as evening.‖
―More radio stations like Sangham required.‖
―Need more radio sets in villages.‖
In the backdrop of the above discussions, it could be stated that Sangham Radio 90.4
is looked at as a station representing the area and its people by its listeners. Listeners
of Sangham do feel that their issues are being considered and discussed and that its
content is different from that of other media. They do feel that the station has a role in
development of their village. The survey reveals that there is an access to other kinds
of media as well, though it might be quiet limited, but dependence on a particular
media could be assessed by understanding if the media caters to the need of that
particular audience. The findings about Sangham Radio‘s listeners present it as a
station for the people of the people and by the people, hence tagging it as a
community radio station would be justified. The figure 195 that is approximately
55.7% reveals that it has just a little more listeners than non listeners and that there is
no wide difference. In order to understand this mixed trend, it is indeed essential to
look at Sangham Radio from its non listeners‘ point of view.
Sangham Radio 90.4FM Non Listeners’ trend
Out of the 350 respondents, 155 that is approximately 44.3% comprised non listeners
of Sangham Radio 90.4 FM. The questionnaire consisted of following questions for
non listeners. The questionnaire included open as well as close ended questions
(Detailed questionnaire has been attached as Annexure D)
Do you know the existence of a radio station called Sangham Radio 90.4 FM
in or around your area?
How often do you listen to Sangham Radio?
Why don‘t you listen to Sangham Radio quiet often?
How you got to know about Sangham Radio?
How popular is Sangham Radio in your area?
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Have you ever been invited by Sangham Radio people to contribute in
programming?
Rate your preference for the source of information.
Do you have any kind of information need that is not fulfilled by the popular
media? If yes what kind of information need?
Do you think area or community or its people require any kind of development
or change? What kind of development?
Do you think Sangham Radio could help in achieving development expected
by you?
Do you prefer a radio station that represents your area or your community‘s
voice?
Do you think having a community specific or area specific radio station could
bring development and social change?
If you have a radio station that belongs to your community/area would you
like to actively get involved in it?
Please provide suggestions if any for Sangham Radio.
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Table 4.5: Sangham Radio Knowledge
Information source Existence
Knowledge
Information about Sangham
Radio’s existence
Listening Habit
Reason for not
listening/not
listening often.
Sangham’s
Popularity
Participation in
Sangham
Tv
82 Respondents Know
95
Respondents
Sangham’s Ad
44 Respondents Never
60 Respondents
Don’t know
frequency
63 Respondents
Many
59 Respondents No
97 Respondents
Sangham,Tv
20 Respondents Don’t Know
60
Respondents
Questionnaire
37 Respondents Heard just once
57 Respondents Never Knew
49 Respondents Very Few
46 Respondents Yes
57 Respondents
Newspaper
18 Respondents
N/A Somebody Told
36 Respondents Once a month or
less than that
36 Respondents
No Answer
25 Respondents Few
43 Respondents No Answer
01 Respondent
Sangham
09 Respondents N/A Tuned by chance
33 Respondents No Answer
02 Respondents Boring/not useful
17 Respondents Nobody Knows 04 Respondents
N/A
Tv,Newspaper
09 Respondents N/A No Answer
04 Respondents N/A Listen when free
01 Respondent No Answer
03 Respondents N/A
Inetrnet,Tv
08 Respondents N/A Discussion among ourselves
01 Respondent N/A N/A N/A N/A
No answer
03 Respondents N/A Sangham People
0 Respondents N/A N/A N/A N/A
Tv,Newspaper,Sangham
02 Respondents N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Newspaper,Sangham
02 Respondents N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Internet,Tv,Newspaper,Sangham
01 Respondent N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
From People
01 Respondent N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
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Table 4.6: Respondents’ idea of development
Any development required in
respective communities
Can Sangham Radio help in
development of
community/area
Yes
134 Respondents
No
78 Respondents
No Answer
16 Respondents
Yes
65 Respondents
Don’t Know
05 Respondents
No Answer
11 Respondents
N/A Don’t Know
01 Respondent
Table 4.7: Associating Community radio with development
Preference for a
radio representing
area/community
Can Community Radio
bring
change/development
Involvement with
Community Radio
Yes
145 Respondents
Yes
125 Respondents
Yes
106 Respondents
No Answer
07 Respondents
No
17 Respondents
No
47 Respondents
Other Answers
03 Respondents
No Answer
11 Respondents
No Answer
02 Respondents
N/A Don’t Know
02 Respondents
N/A
Radio is a medium that blends too well and adapts really well to any kind of
environment. A metropolitan city where the day of a working professional starts with
his struggle with the traffic to reach his workplace and ends again with juggling with
125
the traffic during the evening to reach back home. Where is the time to get engaged
with a media? That is where radio barges in offering one with best morning drive
times and evening drive hours. Similarly in a non metropolitan set up in small villages
and towns where the life is less of a struggle, there is calmness in air, but the work is
hard whether grinding masalas (spice paste) for cooking lunch at home or working in
the fields. Here comes radio again buzzing in the background while one is engaged in
his or her regular chores. Such flexibility is offered by no other media but radio.
Radio does its work while you do your own. This is how radio engages us. It involves
us even more when it is a community radio by engaging and involving us and
showcasing what we stand for. Community Radio‘s concept in a way imbibes citizen
journalism, where citizens become the collector and presenter of news and
information. With such a freedom to express why this medium is still not accepted,
heard and used by many? With this question buzzing in my mind I study Sangham
Radio 90.4 FM non listeners‘ trend.
Out of the 350 respondents, 155 are non listeners of Sangham Radio 90.4 FM.
Studying the information sources of these 155 non listeners revealed a mix including
only one kind of media being the source and also a combination of various media. 82
respondents preferred only television as their information source, 18 preferred only
Newspaper, 9 preferred Sangham, 3 gave no answer while 1 didn‘t prefer any media
but mentioned people around as information source. A combination included 20
respondents stating Sangham Radio and Television, 9 preferred Television and
Newspaper, 8 opted for Internet and Television, 2 stated Television, Newspaper and
Sangham, 2 preferred Newspaper and Sangham and 1 mentioned Internet, television,
Newspaper and Sangham as information source. In total television is the most
preferred medium with 122 respondents, Sangham preferred by 34, Newspaper by 32
and Internet is the least preferred by only 9 respondents. None of them preferred a
radio station other than Sangham Radio though an option was provided to them in the
questionnaire. One of the respondents stated, ―I can‘t read but wish to listen. I don‘t
have a radio set.‖ When respondents were asked if they know about the existence of a
station called Sangham Radio in or around their area 95 respondents stated that they
know about it while 60 respondents stated that they didn‘t know. In order to
understand why Sangham radio was not heard by these 155 respondents, it was
important to comprehend the involvement of Sangham radio people in various
126
villages. When asked how they got to know about the existence of Sangham Radio in
their village 44 respondents stated that they got to know through Sangham‘s
advertisement, 37 stated that they got to know about the station only through this
questionnaire, 36 stated that somebody told about it, 33 tuned by chance, 4 gave no
answer while 1 said discussion among ourselves. Talking about Sangham‘s
advertisement as mentioned earlier as well there is no direct promotion of the station
but it relies on indirect promotion and word of mouth, still a majority that is
approximately 28% of respondents got to know about the station through this. 33
respondents mentioned about tuning by chance that means they have heard the station
at least once but the station couldn‘t retain them as listeners. None of them mentioned
that Sangham people came and told about the station. These are non listeners from the
same villages from where listeners were picked up as a part of sample. Many of the
listeners got to know through Sangham people but same approach was found missing
with the non listeners. One of the respondents specially mentioned that he/she got to
know about the station through discussion among villagers though this was not given
as an option to choose from in the questionnaire. When asked about their listening
habits 60 respondents stated that they never ever heard the station, 57 stated that they
heard just once, 36 stated they heard it once a month or even less that while the
remaining 2 gave no answer. Since 57 respondents heard it once and never ever heard
it, it can be said in a way that they do not listen to station. Hence 117 respondents i.e.
approximately 75% do not listen to the station at all while the remaining listen to it
rarely. When the respondents were asked about the reason for not listening to the
station quiet often around 45.8% that is 71 respondents said that they never knew
about it, 41 said they didn‘t know the frequency, 21 gave no answer, 17 found it
boring and not useful and 1 mentioned that he/she listens to it when free. Looking at
the figure it seemed that there is lack of promotion from the side of the station since a
majority of them stated that they never knew about it and also approximately 26.4%
respondents stated they do not know the frequency which again points out the need
for publicity. Only a few that is approximately 10.9% found it boring and not useful
which means only a few heard it at least once. When asked if they ever have been
invited to participate in programming by Sangham people a majority of them 62.5%
that is 97 respondents refused while 57 of them that is approximately 36.7% stated
that they were invited while 1 of them gave no answer. The most popular examples of
participation given by those who participated included agriculture songs, contest
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participation, health and cleanliness tips, agriculture information and discussion on
women issues. This reveals that Sangham Radio approached these people to
participate and in a way their station was promoted even among non listeners. Even
non listeners who do not at all listen to the station or listen rarely have participated in
Sangham Radio‘s programming. Some of the most popular statements made by the
respondents who refused of any participation in Sangham‘s programming:
―They did not invite us.‖
―They invite only few people.‖
―Only selected people go.‖
These statements however indicate that there is a notion among people that they could
participate only when invited and hence stay away from approaching and participating
in station‘s programming. Also, being a radio station and having a job of regular
programming a station often relies on selected people to carry on their customary
content production which leads to a feeling among members that only those selected
people participate, however it is the station‘s job to even invite anybody and
everybody to participate in programming apart from their own selected group. A
community station is a station for one and all in the community. When asked what the
respondents think about the popularity of the station in their village majority of them
that is 59 respondents stated that many knew about the station, 46 said very few
people knew about the station, 43 said few people knew about it, 4 stated nobody
knew while 3 of them gave no answer. Though the respondents do not listen to the
station or rarely listen to it, they do think that the station is known in their individual
villages.
In order to understand respondents‘ idea of development, they were asked if they
required any kind of development in their area or community, none of the respondents
said no. 134 respondents stated that their community or area needed development.
Some of the most popular areas where they mentioned development is required
included education for all, collaborative agriculture instead of divided, agricultural
information, self reliance and development, clean drinking water, regional
development, water problem, jobs for educated people, hospitals, schools, information
on government schemes, houses for all, proper roads and progress for women. When
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asked if Sangham Radio could help in development expected by you, a majority of
them that is 78 non listeners (50.3% approx) said no, 65 non listeners (41.9%) said
yes, 11 gave no answer while 1 said he/she doesn‘t know. Respondents who agreed
that Sangham Radio could help in development majorly suggested progress through
agricultural information, agriculture orientation among farmers, revolutionary
programmes and encouragement of education among all. Respondents who disagreed
gave reasons like the station is unknown among many, improper signals, and
unavailability of radio sets among people. Out of the 78 who stated that the Radio
can‘t be involved in development 58 (74.3% approx) non listeners stated that they
don‘t have radio sets,12 respondents complained of improper signals while the
remaining 8 respondents gave the reason of station being unknown among people.
Respondents were asked if they have any information need that is not fulfilled by the
popular media, majority of them approximately 77% respondents mentioned
agricultural information. Other answers included information on government
schemes, women security, job opportunities, education information and self
development.
Respondents do feel that their area or community requires development and also
related Sangham Radio with development. A major hindrance lies in unavailability of
radio sets among them. Since a lot of them work as farmers and agricultural labours
and are financially weak, they do not have radio sets or facility to listen to radio.
Since they are so engaged in earning their livelihoods their considerations become
different and listening to radio becomes far behind their agenda. When asked if they
prefer a station representing their area or community none of them disagreed, 145
respondents agreed, 7 gave no answer. Respondents who agreed on such a station
mentioned programmes on agricultural development, women rights, entertainment,
information about government schemes, local culture promotion and health
information could be included on such a station. Content mentioned by these non
listeners of Sangham Radio already exists on the station as mentioned by listeners
during the survey. While remaining 3 respondents gave following comments:
―It is Sangham Radio.‖
―Never Thought about it.‖
―We do not have radio sets.‖
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When asked if such a radio could bring change or development 125 respondents
agreed stating popular reasons like if it could give agriculture information, timely
agriculture information, knowledge on regional importance, creates employment in
village and promotes education in the area, it could bring change. When respondents
were asked if they would like to actively get involved with such a station 106
respondents that is approximately 68.3% said yes, 47 respondents said no, and 2
respondents gave no answer. 10 out of the 47 respondents who said no stated they are
busy with their work and have no time. Among the respondents who agreed on getting
involved 5 of them stated that they will sing agricultural songs for the station. One of
the respondents who agreed commented, ―I attend their meetings yearly twice.‖ This
reveals that even non listeners do have an idea what happens on Sangham Radio and
that the station is no alien to them. When asked for suggestions for Sangham Radio 40
respondents mentioned that they need radio sets to listen to the station, 25 stated that
signals should be improved, 20 stated that broadcast time should increase from the
current two hours. Other popular suggestions included increase time for agriculture
information, information on government schemes, information about women
employment, education for all, create employment opportunities for all and
information on self employment is required. Some of the comments made by
respondents included:
―Find out unemployment in village and give them employment.‖
―Sangham Radio is in our village but its employees coming from different village.
Employ people from our own village.‖
―Give radio set to each house.‖
―If we have a radio set we can listen to it any time.‖
Understanding Sangham Radio 90.4FM as a participatory media for the
community
In order to understand Sangham Radio 90.4FM‘s persona as a participatory Radio for
community, there is a need to evaluate it from the perspective of its target group. For
this study I examine the station from its Listeners‘ and Non Listeners‘ point of view
while also revisiting the conceptual framework and research questions set for the
study.
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Keeping Paulo Freire‘s Participatory Model and Denis Mc Quail‘s Democratic
Participant Media Theory with the upgraded characteristic of Servaes and Malikaho
as a conceptual framework for the thesis, the study finds out from the audience
perspective, how the radio station Sangham Radio 90.4 FM inherits the characteristics
of a participatory media that it is supposed to be and contributes towards
empowerment and social change for its targeted community. Mc Quail, Freire and
Servaes and Malikhao in this study provide the theoretical background to draw
parallel links between Sangham Radio and their own image of a participatory media.
Therefore with this background, I further discuss Sangham Radio with the below
mentioned perspectives which have already been mentioned in Chapter 2 of the study.
a. Is Sangham Radio democratic and rejects the process of imposed information
by providing what the audience want?
b. Does Sangham Radio communicate what is needed rather creating the need?
c. Does it consider the target audience their owners?
d. Is it participatory and interactive in its approach?
e. Is primarily for its audience?
f. Is considerate of audience‘s cultural identity?
g. Does it give importance to audience‘s right to communicate?
h. With the bottom up approach does it work for the long term development of its
audience?
Research Questions
The following research questions would also be taken into consideration for
understanding Sangham Radio90.4 FM‘s functionality specifically. These questions
are also mentioned earlier in chapter 1.
1. Do respondents depend on Sangham Radio for their communication need at a
time when other media is available in abundance?
2. How respondents engage themselves with Sangham Radio? Do they engage at
all?
3. How popular is Sangham Radio among its target audience?
4. What do the respondents want? Do they require a community radio
specifically for their area or community?
131
5. Based on the responses of the audience, what kind of community radio do the
audience want?
6. What kind of development do the audience think their station could contribute
to?
7. Is Sangham Radio contributing anything to empowerment of the targeted
community?
8. Is Sangham Radio contributing anything to development?
9. Does Sangham Radio bring any kind of social change in the areas that it
serves?
Graph 1 indicates a mixed trend with not a much difference between listeners 55.7%
and non listeners 44.3% of Sangham Radio within the area studied. This figure makes
it even more appealing to understand how it is being perceived by these two groups in
its radius. The most important aspect of any participatory media which makes it stand
out from others is its democratic functioning. Such a media exhibits content which is
required by its target audience rather than just catering or creating a need of what it
think is suitable. Here the audiences become the master of the play. Looking at the
pattern of Sangham Radio‘s listeners‘ (Graph 2) it has got 52.3% loyal listeners
listening to the station daily, 20% listening to it more than once a week while 26.1%
listen to it at least once a week. These listeners are not just listening but also
participating and getting involved in decision making for the station‘s programming.
132
Graph 1
Description
X Axis- Sangham Radio Listeners/Non Listeners, Y Axis-No of Respondents.
Graph 2
Description:
X Axis-, No of listeners, Y Axis- Listening Habit
195
155
0
50
100
150
200
250
Listeners Non Listeners
Sangham Radio Target Audience
102
51
39
3
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
Daily
Once a week
More than once a week
No Answer
Listening Habits of Sangham Listeners
Listening Habits of SanghamListeners
133
Graph 3
Description:
X Axis- No of listeners, Y Axis- Participation in Programming
Graph 4
Description:
X Axis- No of listeners, Y Axis- Involvement in Decision making
131
63
1
0 50 100 150
Participated
Never Participated
No Answer
Sangham Radio Listeners' Participation
Sangham Radio Listeners'Participation
111
82
2
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
Involved
Never Involved
No Answer
Sangham Listeners' involvement in decision making
Sangham Listeners'involvement in decisionmaking
134
Graph 3 indicates that 67.2% listeners have participated in station‘s programming
while Graph 4 shows that 56.9% of these listeners were involved in decision making
for the station. The villages that Sangham Radio caters to are mostly agriculture
based. Every other person men or women are agricultural labours. Detailed answers
by respondents revealed that every season many among these listeners roam around
various villages with their recorders recording information about the crops they are
growing and the way these crops are being grown. They also gather some expert
advice on the seasonal growths and play the same in form of a feature. This means
with every season we expect a new radio feature with information on a new crop. The
process doesn‘t stop there, they get back again to the interviewees after the crop has
been grown to understand if the method worked well or something went wrong. This
isn‘t simple recording and broadcasting but something more than that. This is also not
just information transportation but a more practical and sophisticated approach to it.
When these respondents were asked about their participation in station‘s
programming they stated that they get involved in discussions on agricultural matters,
ayurvedic (natural) health tips, preserving old crops, sing agriculture songs, share
their secret recipes and discuss their domestic issues related to women and girl child.
They also mentioned that they take part in the annual jatra, a journey wherein bullock
carts move around 70 nearby villages exhibiting organic crops and old forgotten seeds
and encouraging the people to grow forgotten crops like millets without chemical
fertilizers and pesticides. The events in this agriculture festival are recorded and
played on Sangham Radio for many to listen and to choose a chemical free plantation.
Thus, participation is not just in the form of being a part of on air discussions but also
such campaigns promising a sustainable change. Adding on, programming in charge
of Sangham Radio General Narsamma added, ―Change is not just through Sangham
Radio in this district. Yes, there is improvement through awareness and knowledge in
various villages due to the station. Sangham is a part in developing these villages,
there are other factors prevailing along with the radio station like government and
Deccan Development Society‘s other work that is leading to development.‖ Graph 4
presents the involvement of Sangham Radio listeners in decision making for the
station. 56.9% listeners have stated of getting involved in decision making regarding
135
Sangham Radio programming while around 42% have never been involved in
decision making for the station. The decisions that listeners have mentioned included
pertaining to programming like how to improve station‘s content, making the station
more popular and more stress on women issues and promoting agriculture through
agricultural songs. All of this indicates that Sangham Radio involves its listeners to a
large extent. In any participatory media there would be a leading force that would
ensure organised activities, however this force doesn‘t act as an authority instead
involves its audience. Such a characteristic could be witnessed in Sangham Radio
with two of its main programming incharges General Narsamma and Algole
Narsamma who are responsible to ensure there is proper production and smooth
transmission but in order to do so they involve people from various villages. This
proves that the audience do engage themselves with Sangham Radio and that it is
interactive and participative in its approach, explaining and answering points d,g
and 2.
As stated above that there exists a mix of media in Zaheerabad district and the
audience under study claiming to be dependent on television majorly and Sangham
Radio being the second major choice. The people do have access to Television,
Newspaper and Internet but when asked about Radio they mentioned only Sangham
Radio and no other radio station. Graph 5 indicates around 97.4% of the listeners
stating that they depend on Sangham radio for information need while only 2% state
that they do not depend on the station for their information need and Graph 15
specifies 95.4% listeners think that the information provided by Sangham Radio is
different from that of other media while only 3.6% of them do not find the
information provided by Sangham different from other media. The listeners find this
station unique in the sense that they get agricultural information specific to their
region which includes information about extinct crops, awareness on climate change,
knowledge about extinct crop, crop preservation in a climate specific to their area and
irrigation without pesticides and chemicals. Deccan Development society has helped
people in villages to have their own seed banks ensuring them to be self reliant
without any dependency on outside agents. Such information is also broadcasted
through Sangham Radio. Apart from this, information on village issues is another
136
kind of content that makes this station different from that of other media. Being
specific, local, indigenous are some of the main traits that identifies a participatory
media. Listeners largely depend on Sangham Radio for agricultural information which
none of the media whether television, newspaper or internet provides them. This is the
unique quality of Radio at it has the capacity to be local and become indigenous to
extremes. Listeners also admit that they switch on to the channel for information not
only on their own village‘s issues but also that of other villages. Radio representing a
community or area has the power to go to an extent that it becomes a part and parcel
of audiences daily lives. Many listeners have admitted that they go to the station
whenever they lose their domestic animals. Sangham Radio spreads the information
with characteristics of the lost animal and if one is lucky, the found animal is brought
to Sangham‘s studio. Being a resident of Delhi, I have seen lost and found
information either on Doordarshan (Indian Government‘s channel) or in Newspaper
and that even about humans. It is quite interesting to know that a radio station could
be so specific and relevant to its audience that it provides information that no other
media could ever provide.
137
Graph 5
Description:
X Axis- No of listeners, Y Axis- Involvement in Decision making
Graph 6
Description:
X Axis- No of Non Listeners, Y Axis- Existence Knowledge
190
4
1
0 50 100 150 200
Yes
No
No Answer
Dependence on Sangham Radio for information need
Dependence on SanghamRadio for information need
95
60
0 20 40 60 80 100
Know
Don’t Know
Sangham Radio existence knowledge
Sangham Radio existenceknowledge
138
Listeners do listen to the station quiet attentively because when asked about their
favourite programmes on the station they take specific names like Suguna Lakshmi
mimicry, Jayraj Burrakatha (Traditional story telling), Veeranna stories, Narsamma
discussions, Ramachandrah astrology and Ramappa songs. It is a station providing
information as well as entertainment. Sangham Radio thus proves to be democratic by
involving its audience and providing information which is required by them rather
than imposing the content, it seems to be existing for its listeners involving them in
not only designing the content but also providing them to have a say on what goes on
air, hence affirmatively retorting points a,b,c and 1.
The data provided by listeners‘ places Sangham Radio as one of their favourite
destinations when it is about information or entertainment. A station that provides
information that is very much relevant to its audience has many non listeners as well,
so what is it that is keeping them away or what is it that is keeping Sangham Radio
away from its prospect listeners? 61.3% non listeners stated that they knew about the
existence of Sangham Radio in their village while 38.7% didn‘t know about its
existence (Graph 6). The reasons that they stated for not listening included that a
majority that is 63 respondents didn‘t know the frequency, 49 said they never knew
about it, 17 found it boring or not useful, 25 gave no answer while 1 specifically
mentioned that he/she listens only when free (Graph 7). Out of the 95 non listeners
who knew about the existence of Sangham Radio 60 that is a majority stated that they
didn‘t know the frequency, 13 considered it boring or not useful, 20 gave no answer, 1
said he or she never knew while 1 said he or she listens to it when free. Also, out of
the 95 who knew about the station‘s existence but still didn‘t listen 55 (57.5%
approximately) of them suggested that Sangham Radio should provide them radio sets
since they do not have the facility to listen. This points out that unawareness about the
frequency and not having the facility to listen is one of the major reasons for Sangham
Radio having many non listeners. Nowadays people don‘t really buy a radio set but
prefer listening to it on their mobile phones. Since the district has got many poor
people whose major concern is attaining food at the day‘s end, thinking of a mobile
phone or listening to radio is still far behind their priorities. Comparing how these 350
respondents listeners and non listeners got to know about Sangham Radio in Graph 9
indicates that a major portion of listeners got to know about the radio through
Sangham Radio People while most of the non listeners got to know about the station
through Sangham‘s advertisement and the survey questionnaire.
139
Graph 7
Description:
X Axis- No of Non Listeners, Y Axis- Reasons for not listening Sangham often
Graph 8
Description:
X Axis- No of Non Listeners, Y Axis- Listening pattern
0 20 40 60 80
Never Knew about it
Don’t know frequency
No Answer
Boring/Not useful
Listen when free
Reasons for not listening Sangham often
Reasons for not listeningSangham often
60
57
36
2
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Never Heard
Heard Just Once
Once a month or less than that
No Answer
Non Listeners of Sangham Radio
Non Listeners of SanghamRadio
140
Graph 9
Description:
X Axis- Sangham Radio existence knowledge, Y Axis- No of Listeners/Non Listeners
Graph 10 – Sangham Radio popularity
Description:
X Axis- Sangham Radio popularity, Y Axis- No of Listeners/Non Listeners
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Listeners ofSangham
Radio
Non Listenersof Sangham
Radio
Sangham Radio existence knowledge
Sangham People
Somebody Told
Sangham's Ad
Tuned by Chance
Questionnaire
No answer
158
59
35 43
1
46
0 4 1 3
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
Listeners Non Listeners
Many Know
Few Know
Very Few Know
Nobody Knows
No Answer
141
None among the non listeners stated that they got to know about the station through
Sangham people. The target audience might not be listening to a particular station but
if the station reaches those audiences and convincingly attempt they tend to become
station‘s listeners. Having said that, though Sangham Radio is performing the job of a
participatory media and people are aware of its existence still there is a requirement
for the station to reach out to its audiences off air more often and persuade them
effectively. People do not listen to you until you make them listen. Echoing the same
Graph 10 reveals that maximum numbers of listeners as well as non listeners do think
that Sangham Radio is very popular in their individual villages and that many people
know about it. Among the listeners there is none who believes that Sangham Radio is
unknown while among non listeners only 4 think that nobody knows about the station.
Thereby, answering point no.3 Sangham Radio is extremely popular among its target
group irrespective of their listening habits.
After understanding the content and position of Sangham Radio from the point of
view of listeners and non listeners, it is important to analyse the effects of its
programming. The content of the station is very much participatory, interactive and
most importantly democratic. How this kind of programming affects the respondents?
Graph 11 in a way answers this question with 96.9% listeners stating that Sangham
Radio has contributed in development of their individual villages. The listeners
specify that their agricultural practices have improved after listening to the station,
focus on collective agriculture and not leaving the land idle in any season has
increased, information about animal rearing has resulted in improved health and life
of animals, lifestyle has improved with information in form of cooking and health tips
and how to gain nutrition from the available food. Repeatedly listeners talk about how
regular meetings encourage discussions on agriculture which is broadcasted on
Sangham Radio and also stocking up of seeds has helped them to be self reliant with
provision to have many seeds choices during any season. This development is not
seen in form of power or solution to problems but it is more of enrichment and
enlightenment. Listeners talk about information that they gather through the station,
use them on their own, connect such information with other available resources and
themselves figure out a solution. Here Sangham is just being a mediator and an
initiator. Though the non listeners are not glued to the station‘s programming but
when asked if the station could contribute in development of their area along with
142
97.4% listeners around 41.9% non listeners agreed (Graph12). Only 4 listeners
disagreed without giving any reason while 78 out of 155 non listeners disagreed. Out
of the 78 non listeners who didn‘t think Sangham Radio could contribute to
development expected by them, 40 stated they do not have radio sets and do not listen
and 21 stressed on the problem of network in their areas mostly in Raikode and
Beedekanna. There were some respondents stating that nobody listens to radio these
days.
Graph 11
Description:
X Axis- No of Listeners, Y Axis- Sangham‘s contribution in area development
189
4
2
0 50 100 150 200
Yes
No
No Answer
Sangham's Contribution in area development
Sangham's Contribution in areadevelopment
143
Graph 12 : Perception about Sangham’s involvement in area development
Description:
X Axis- Sangham‘s development perception, Y Axis- No of Listeners/Non Listeners
Graph 13
Description:
X Axis- No of Non Listeners, Y Axis- Preference for a CR
190
65
4
78
1 11
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
Listeners Non Listeners
Yes
No
No Answer
Don’t Know
145
7
3
0 50 100 150 200
Yes
No Answer
Other Answers
Preference for a Radio Station representing community/area
Preference for a Radio Stationrepresenting community/area
144
Graph 14: Relating Community Radio with development
Description:
X Axis- Relating CR with Development, Y Axis- No of Listeners/Non Listeners
Graph 15
Description:
X Axis- No of Listeners, Y Axis- Information provided by Sangham different from
other media
175
125
19 17
111
0 20
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
Listeners Non Listeners
Yes
No
No Answer
Don't Know
186
7
2
0 50 100 150 200
Yes
No
No Answer
Information provided by Sangham different from other media
Information provided bySangham different from othermedia
145
Graph 16: Development through Sangham Radio
Description:
X Axis- Development through Sangham, Y Axis- No of Listeners
With the advent in media technology there has been a tendency of people ignoring the
medium radio without realising its potential. The real prospect of this medium is
realized by people who use it and who relate to it. When Sangham listeners were
asked if the station has in any sense developed their agriculture, preserved their
regional culture and developed them and their individual families, a majority of
listeners that is 96.4%, 97.9%, 90.2% (Graph 16) agreed on the development done by
the station in these fields respectively. Reasons about agriculture remain same as
stated by them in earlier questions. Agriculture development has made them self
reliant and self sustainable. Talking about regional development, the respondents
relate agriculture and regional development very closely. Their answers reveal
development in the region‘s agriculture is a part of regional development and cultural
preservation since many agricultural practices are unique to their region‘s culture and
tradition. They stated that Sangham has revived those old agriculture songs. By
playing these old songs and some new ones that are sung by village people on radio
the new generation gets aware with the tradition that keeps on getting preserved. Also
188 191 176
7 4 19
0
50
100
150
200
250
AgricultureDevelopment
Regional Culture Individual/Family
Yes
No Answer
146
these songs were earlier heard from people singing them, they were the only source
but now Sangham Radio has got them recorded and preserved. Audience are
encouraged to celebrate each and every festival collectively without biases of caste
and religions. Listeners have stated that Sangham Radio promotes various festivals
like Christmas, Muharram, Pongal, Sankuratri by giving information about its
historical background and different celebration ways. One of the listeners stated,
―Earlier we used to celebrate our own festivals but now after listening to the station
we have been celebrating all festivals together.‖ Other examples of regional
development included usage of local language and slang, folk stories, information on
traditional agriculture methods, highlighting local news, and promotion of millets and
other forgotten crop irrigation. This way the station tries not only to preserve their
culture but also strengthen their unique identities. Such acts raise self importance,
pride and confidence among people, hence affirming their cultural identity as
mentioned in point f. Sangham with its moral stories, small features, talk and
discussion on domestic issues, health information, cooking and household tips have
improved their way of living. Regular income through improved agriculture has raised
their incomes improving lifestyle. Their promotion of girl child education, women
rights and information on various government schemes has not only made them aware
but has also made their lives easier and smoother. With information on agriculture,
culture and self development, Sangham is providing a way of life. This is most
important for long term development. Sangham is acting like an initiator whereas by
using the information provided by the station the listeners are developing their own
lives in various fields. This is empowerment, where development is in the hands of
the people only. With such information and awareness in hand they are becoming
empowered to grow in their own lives, thereby developing in their work, culture,
region and lifestyles. Together when these individual and small developments are
gathered it leads to a change and overall development of the region. Instances like
improved agriculture and avoidance of machinery, celebration of festival without any
discrimination, freedom to participate and speak on air, talk about their own issues,
decide what content goes on air, being self reliant by growing a variety of crops and
not leaving the lands idle are instances of change in the region. Sangham by
empowering its listeners is enabling development for them and this individual
development brings change in the region affirming what is mentioned in points 7, 8
and 9. Complementing all this Sangham Radio is thus considered very important by
147
61.5% of its listeners and important by 36.9% listeners (Graph 17). Sangham radio
thus works for its audience, in fact it works for a sustainable and long term
development by making them capable to better their lives and leave development in
their own hands, hence proving points e and h.
Graph 17
X Axis- No of Sangham‘s listeners, Y Axis- Sangham‘s importance trend
Listeners could very well relate Sangham to development and consider it as an
important part in their villages. Maximum non listeners that is around 74.3% (Graph
13) preferred a radio station representing their area and required programmes majorly
on agriculture and regional development. As discussed above the same content is
already available on Sangham Radio, the only thing required is listening to the station.
Answering questions 4, 5 and 6, the station thus need to reach the audience and have
an elaborate conversation with them about what it has in store. Relating community
radio with development around 89.7% listeners and 80.6% non listeners (Graph 14)
agreed that a community radio can bring change and development. Though the
listeners answered this keeping in mind Sangham radio as a community radio but non
listeners gave certain conditions for such a radio to work effectively. Apart from what
is already there on Sangham Radio, some of the new kind of content highlighted by
120
72
1
2
0 50 100 150
Very Important
Important
Least Important
No answer
Listeners' view on importance of Sangham in village
Listeners' view on importanceof Sangham in village
148
the non listeners included employment opportunities for literates and education for all.
Probably Sangham Radio could concentrate on them since further education and
employment for educated are important factors for any region‘s development. Also,
the station needs to increase its base among non listeners which are many. Simply
doing a good job without many listening to what is being done doesn‘t ensure a full
utilisation and a hit deal with Community Radio. A comparative analysis of Sangham
Radio with its urban counterpart Radio Jamia would definitely suggest techniques for
making Sangham an effective participatory campaign and a way forward in chapter
VI.
149
Chapter V
Participatory trend in urban settings
Radio Jamia 90.4 FM: Findings, analysis and
discussion
150
It‘s 8th
of December, 2013 in Delhi. While I analyse the relation between Radio Jamia
and social change, the whole Delhi talks about empowerment and development
through voting. It was the day when Delhi Assembly election results came out with a
sweeping change. Delhi in the chilled out weather was warming up with some serious
introspections of empowerment, change, and involving the common man. These
revolutionary thoughts are being instilled among the people of Delhi by the political
group, the Aam Aadmi Party. Realising the importance of being local and involving
people, accepting their failed strategies and a great loss in Delhi Assembly election
2013, Rahul Gandhi, Vice President of Indian National Congress, stated to the media,
―The Aam Aadmi Party has involved a lot of people. The major parties are thinking
about politics in a traditional way. We are going to learn from them and involve a lot
of people in ways you can‘t even think about. We need to move to a paradigm where
we give adequate space to common man in our processes and systems.‖ (Gandhi in
Dhawan, 2013) Involving the people through media could be the very first step of
change and involving them from every community through community radio could be
an important way forward. Like Aam Aadmi party developing on democratic lines,
we need Aam Aadmi Radio in developed and underdeveloped parts of our country for
a truly modern India.
Existing amidst colonies showing a mixed culture with people from different
economic and religious backgrounds residing in vicinities, Radio Jamia 90.4FM has
the responsibility as a campus community radio to represent not only its campus but
most importantly the community where it exists. Covering a clear radius of 10 Kms, a
random sampling was done among it‘s target audience residing and working in Jamia
Nagar, Sukhdev Vihar, New Friends Colony and Jullena. A sample of 350 people
comprising of Men and Women aged 18 years and above were picked up from the
mentioned areas irrespective of whether they listen to Radio Jamia or not. Two
different types of questionnaires, one for listeners and the other one for non listeners
were distributed among them. Non listeners comprised of people who never ever
heard Radio Jamia 90.4 FM or heard it just once and then never heard it ever or listen
to it once a month or even less than that. Listeners comprised of people who are
regular listeners who listen to it every day or at least every week in a month. 350
questionnaires were distributed among listeners and non listeners within the Radio
Jamia radius. Before giving questionnaires, the first question that was asked to
151
respondents was if they listen to Radio Jamia or not. In case they said that they listen
to it, they were asked how often they listen to it. Depending on their answers they
were placed in the defined categories of listeners or non listeners. In cases where they
said they do not listen to Radio Jamia, they were again asked if they heard it even
once and if they did; their listening habits were reconfirmed in order to place them in
the defined categories of listeners or non listeners. Quiet surprisingly, these 350
respondents comprised of 242 non listeners and 108 listeners, a clear indication that
Radio Jamia 90.4 FM is not heard by many in its target area. While distributing
questionnaires among respondents, I got some very interesting instant reactions from
them.
―Nobody listens to Radio these days‖
―What is Radio Jamia, is it an Islamic Radio?‖
―Radio Jamia wahi na jisme Jamia university ke bare me batate hain‖ (Radio
Jamia, the one that talks about Jamia Millia Islamia University)
―Sab tv dekhte hain. Radio kaun sunta hai?‖ (Everybody watches TV. Who
listens to Radio?)
Radio Jamia 90.4 FM listeners’ trend
In order to understand the listenership of Radio Jamia and how many people associate
the station with development and relate a community radio station with change, the
following questions were asked. Randomly selected 108 listeners filled the
questionnaires. The questionnaire consisted of open ended as well as close ended
questions. (Detailed questionnaire has been attached as Annexure A in the end)
Questions for Listeners of Radio Jamia 90.4 FM.
How often do you listen to Radio Jamia 90.4 FM?
How you got to know about Radio Jamia?
Is Radio Jamia 90.4 FM different from other stations that you have heard?
What programmes do you like on Radio Jamia 90.4 FM?
Do you depend on Radio Jamia for your information need?
152
Do you think Radio Jamia provides you information that other kind of popular
media doesn‘t provide?
Apart from listening, have you ever participated in making or hosting
programmes for Radio Jamia?
Have you ever been involved in decision making for Radio Jamia‘s content?
Has Radio Jamia through its programmes ever contributed towards any change
or development of your area or its residents?
Do you think Radio Jamia can be actively involved in development of your
area and residents?
What do you think about the information or entertainment provided by Radio
Jamia?
How popular is Radio Jamia in your area?
Do you prefer a radio station that represents your area or your community‘s
voice? If yes, what kind of programmes would you like on such a station?
Do you think having a community‘s own radio station can bring development
and social change?
Table 5.1: Listeners’ understanding of Radio Jamia.
Listening habits Dependence on
Radio Jamia
for information
need.
Does Radio
Jamia provide
any
information
that popular
media doesn’t?
Is Radio Jamia
different from
other popular
radio stations
in Delhi?
Radio Jamia
popularity in
your area.
Once a week
62 respondents
No
87 Respondents
No
56 Respondents
Yes
70 Respondents
Very few Know
33 Respondents
Everyday
27 Respondents
Yes
16 Respondents
Yes
37 Respondents
No
25 Respondents
Few Know
39 Respondents
More than once a
week
12 Respondents
No Answer
05 Respondents
No Answer
15 Respondents
No answer
10 Respondents
Many Know
22 Respondents
No answer
07 Respondents
N/A N/A Don’t know
03 Respondents
Nobody knows
10 Respondents
N/A N/A N/A N/A No answer
04 Respondents
153
Table 5.2: Radio Jamia’s involvement with listeners.
Information
about Radio
Jamia’s existence.
Respondents
Participation in
programming.
Respondent’s
involvement in
decision making
for the station.
Has Radio Jamia
contributed to
change/development
of respondents’ area.
Somebody told
44 Respondents
No
Participation
92 Respondents
No Involvement
96 Respondents
No
68 Respondents
Tuned by chance
37 Respondents
Participated
08 Respondents
Involvement
02 Respondent
Yes
20 Respondents
Radio Jamia’s
Advertisement
25 Respondents
No Answer
08 Respondents
No Answer
10 Respondents
No Answer
14 Respondents
No Answer
02 Respondent
N/A N/A Don’t Know
06 Respondents
Radio Jamia
people personal
visit
00 Respondents
N/A N/A N/A
Radio Jamia’s Ad
through other
media
00 Respondents
N/A N/A N/A
154
Table 5.3: Listeners’ view on Radio Jamia’s content
Favourite programme
on Radio Jamia*
Rating
information/entertainment
on Radio Jamia.
Content
different
from other
popular
media
Can Radio
Jamia be
involved in
development
of your area
No Answer
28 Respondents
Average
50 Respondents
Yes
37
Respondents
Yes
52
Respondents
Ghazal
22 Respondents
Good
20 Respondents
No
56
Respondents
No
41
Respondents
Student
information/education
16 Respondents
Excellent
15 Respondents
No Answer
15
Respondents
No Answer
12
Respondents
Health
14 Respondents
No answer
12 Respondents
N/A Don’t know
03
Respondent
Don’t Know
14 Respondents
Poor
11 Respondents
N/A N/A
Request Show
07 Respondents
N/A N/A N/A
Qawalli and Social
Awareness
Each 05 Respondents
N/A N/A N/A
News,Tarana,Urdu
programme
Each 02 respondent
N/A N/A N/A
Note: *Total shows more than 108, as respondents have mentioned more than one
kind of programmes which is included in the count.
155
Table 5.4: Association of Community radio with development
Requirement of a radio
station that represents
your area.
Can community radio bring
development and social change?
Yes
65 Respondents
Yes
81 Respondents
No Answer
32 Respondents
No
17 Respondents
No
10 Respondents
No Answer
10 Respondents
Don’t Know
01 Respondent
N/A
Out of the 350 total respondents, only 108 are Radio Jamia listeners i.e. around
30.85%. Out of these 108, 27 respondents listen to the station everyday, 62 listen to it
once a week and 12 listen to it more than once a week (illustrated in Graph 1, Graph
2). 30.85% listenership out of the studied sample is quiet low emphasizing that a
community‘s own station is not very well accepted by the residents. For any radio,
regular and loyal listeners are good source of information about the station. Analysing
the responses of these 27 respondents who listen to the station everyday, 4 out of them
have participated in programming of the station and that also just once. 1 out of these
4 has also been involved in decision making for the same health based programme
that he/she participated in. One of the main characteristic of a community radio
station is involvement of the community in not only listening but also in programme
production and decision making in the content as well as day to day running of the
station. In total 92 respondents out of the 108 listeners said that they have never
participated in station‘s programming, 8 mentioned to have participated while the
remaining 8 of them gave no answer. As far as decision making for the station is
concerned only 2 have said to be involved in decision making, 96 have totally denied
of any involvement and the rest 10 have not answered the question. Looking at the
responses of other 81 listeners who are not listening to the station every day, only 4
have participated in station programming while none of them have ever been involved
156
in decision making for the station. Out of the 27 regular listeners of the station, only
one feels that the station is not different and is similar to other popular radio stations
of Delhi, while the rest of them feel it is different. Since the station is a campus
community radio, it has the responsibility to talk about community issues but none of
these 26 regular listeners mention the reason of it being different because it talks
about community issues. Rather they have different reasons like Ghazals, educational
information, music, religious content and promotion of Urdu language. None of them
specifically identify and talk about any programming content on community. Rest of
the listeners who are not regular with the station, 44 feel that the station is different as
compared to others in Delhi. Only 2 out of them have mentioned that the station is
community related and is therefore different while the others have stated reasons like
songs, Urdu language, Jamia Millia Islamia information and Ghazals. Out of the total
108 listeners, 70 feel it is different, 25 don‘t find it any different, 10 of them have
given no answer while 3 of them stated that he/she doesn‘t know. A large part of area
under the radius of Radio Jamia is Urdu speaking and there are not many television
and radio channels in Urdu, hence it‘s a good promotion of the language as some of
the respondents have mentioned.25 listeners feel that the station is no different and
have stated that it is similar to other stations. 7 out of them feel that it follows a very
traditional approach as in there is no energy involved and it sounds quiet monotonous.
Other popular stations in Delhi are music based. Any radio station is defined and
could be made interesting only by its sound. Audiences recognise a station with its
sound. Radio Jamia 90.4 FM has started playing a lot of music lately and doesn‘t have
a defined station identity. Also, its station sound is not as energetic as other popular
private FM channels in Delhi. This could be one of the reasons of having a weak and
a confused recall value of station‘s identity among listeners. Talking about Radio
Jamia content, the most favourite programme among the listeners is Ghazals. 22
respondents have stated it as the preferred programme on the station. One out of them
stated that many programmes on Radio Jamia are promoting Urdu language. Ghazals
could be one such factor pushing the language. The main official language for the
station is Hindustani (A combination of Hindi and Urdu) with some English language
programmes as well. People residing in the radius of Radio Jamia station
predominantly speak Hindi, Urdu, and English. In that sense Radio Jamia 90.4 FM is
taking good care of its Urdu speaking lot. 16 respondents have mentioned about
student/education information as their favourite programme. Since it is a campus
157
community radio station situated and run by campus people, many of its listeners do
come from campus. Such kinds of programme are thus very relevant. 14 respondents
have mentioned health issues and 5 have stated social awareness programmes. Since it
is a community radio station, it is extremely important to increase such programmes
relevant to specific communities or areas. Other programmes include song request
show mentioned by 7, Qawalli by 5, News, Tarana and Urdu programme mentioned
by 1 each. 28 respondents have given no response while 14 have stated that they don‘t
know any programme. This clearly indicates that the station‘s listeners have a very
low recall value. None of the listeners have mentioned name of any programme
instead they have talked about the content of the programme. It seems that the
listeners though remember what they have heard but quiet vaguely. This also
highlights that the station identity is not very clear among the listeners. In order to set
an identity and mark in the minds of its audience, the station needs to have a clear
identification and demarcation in its various programmes. Also, it is important to
interestingly relate to audience through not only the content but also programme name
and station sound. Evaluating the Radio Jamia content, a majority of listeners around
50 of them rated it as an average station, 20 stated it is good, 15 referred to it as
excellent, 11 stated that the content is poor while the rest 12 gave no answer.
The relevance of community radio stations in urban areas where information need is
fulfilled by the mainstream media is debated by many. Academicians and experts
have questioned the government‘s decision to set up community radio stations with
campuses in developed cities in India during the initial stages. In spite of all the
arguments, it‘s been around a decade since the inception of such stations. Though it
still remains a question how various communities have accepted and utilised such a
medium, talking about Radio Jamia, 87 listeners said that they don‘t at all depend on
Radio Jamia for any kind of information need, while only 16 respondents stated that
they depend on the station for some kind of information need and 5 listeners gave no
answer. Out of the 16 listeners who depend on the station, 9 said that they tune in for
Jamia Millia Islamia information while the other 7 didn‘t give any reason. One of the
listeners also mentioned that frequency is very weak. Since a majority of listeners,
around 80.5% have no specific information or dependence need on Radio Jamia, it
indicates that the station still needs to create a space for itself in Indian capital city
Delhi where there are a number of information sources already available. Also, being
158
a community radio station in a big city, it has the challenge of making people explore
and understand the other side of the information requirement, the indigenous, and area
specific information and issues which are overpowered and sidelined by mainstream
national and international matters. Reaching the audience with such information not
only on air but also off air is utmost important. Though the station has a reach of up to
12 Kilometres, still it has not reached the people effectively. When asked about how
they got to know about the station‘s existence, none of them mentioned about the
university people visiting their area and informing about the station. 44 listeners
mentioned that somebody told them about the station, 37 stated that they tuned by
chance, 25 have seen its banner in the university, 2 of them gave no answer and none
out of them have seen or heard of it in any kind of advertisement through other media.
People need to be told to tune in and they need to be informed to which frequency
they need to tune into. Whether commercial, non commercial, private or government,
all kinds of stations require promotion for gaining listenership. When asked about the
popularity of the station in the area 39 thought only few know about the station, 33
felt that very few people know, according to 22 respondents many people knew about
the station while 10 listeners thought that nobody knows about it and 4 of them gave
no answer.
Having a number of community radio stations in different communities without
achieving the very purpose for which it has been set up is a total wastage of resources.
The sole purpose of any such station is development through involvement and
communication among the community people. Merely setting up a number of stations
without a feedback on its functionality is no development but pseudo-development.
When listeners were asked if Radio Jamia has ever contributed to change or
development of their area, 68 respondents simply said no, while 20 of them said yes.
14 gave no answer and 6 said that they don‘t know. Respondents who agreed with the
contribution of station in development of their area majorly stated development was
done through cleanliness programmes, participation of people in Shayari (Urdu
Poetry) and promotion of Urdu language. The figures indicate weakness in station‘s
programming and the reasoning of development through the station indicate lack in
programming variety. The development aspect of community radio is not fully
explored by the station neither through its content nor by involving people. When
asked about their thoughts about the potential of Radio Jamia, whether they think that
159
the station could contribute in developing their communities, 52 listeners agreed that
it could be involved in development, 41 denied that the station could do anything, 12
gave no answer while 3 said they don‘t know. 17 out of the 52 listeners who agreed
on involvement of the station in development of their communities stated this could
be done through raising community issues and voices. There were some very
interesting statements like:
―First make it popular, if people know about it they would listen‖.
―The station can play a very proactive role since it‘s in very close proximity of
the area.‖
―Have some social awareness programmes, advise people and make sure it is
implemented.‖
―Increase community involvement, go to people. Give moral and religious
education. Showcase some success stories.‖
The various issues that the people highlighted about their areas and communities
included traffic problems, infrastructure issues, health, hygiene and sanitation. Even
people living in urban or developed areas have their own issues related to
development and they too look forward for them to be solved. No society is ever
satisfied and no society is fully developed but societies could be self reliant. This kind
of capacity building could be achieved by involving the people through community
radio in strategising solutions for building up their own communities. 41 listeners who
disagreed that the station could be involved in development of their area gave reasons
like nobody knows about it, nobody listens to it, weak frequency and limited
programming, there are many other good stations and it is too limited in its range.
There is a need to have a striking effect on the minds of the listeners that could be
done through a promotional and developmental campaign. 37 listeners agreed that the
content on Radio Jamia is different from that of the other popular media, 56 disagreed
and find the content similar, and 15 gave no answer. Some of the reasons given by
listeners for the station being different were Ghazal programmes, promotion of Urdu
language, Jamia Millia Islamia and student information. There was none who related
the station with community voices or community issues as a reason for it being
160
different from other stations. This indicates that the station is perceived as more of a
campus station than community station.
In order to understand if listeners associate a community radio with development and
do they think if a radio could contribute in bringing change in the society, the listeners
were asked if they preferred a radio station that represents their area or community. 65
listeners stated that they prefer such a station, 33 gave no answer while 10 said no. 65
listeners who preferred such a station commented on the kind of content they require
on such a station. 30 out of them stated that they require community and area issues to
be raised through such a station. Under community issues they stated issues
concerning social upliftment of the residents, lifestyle improvement, health and
cleanliness, family issues, religious programmes, infrastructure development, women
and child safety, connection among community members and community
representation. One listener commented, ―No government hospital in the area and no
media specific to the area, a radio station specific for such a need would be ideal.‖
Another commented, ―Such a media should get involved and solve area problems.‖
Other popular answers included student information, career and educational
programmes. When asked if they think that a community radio could bring
development and social change, 81 listeners stated that a community radio could bring
change, 17 disagreed and 10 of them gave no answer. Listeners who agreed stated
below listed reasons that a community radio could bring change.
Community issues and voices would be raised.
Social awareness
Area problems would be solved
It will act as a change agent
Development could be achieved through participation
Information about community would be transmitted
Social development leads to national development
Developed societies create developed nations.
161
Some of the listeners who disagreed gave reasons like:
Nobody will listen
Nobody listens to radio
Other stations are there. Who will listen to it?
A local station in times of globalization is not a good idea.
It will be community focussed and will become limited.
There will be no unity in nation.
In the background of the above discussions, it could be stated that the listeners of
Radio Jamia are quiet confused about the status of the station. They do not consider it
as a community radio. This could be because of its programming which is not very
community specific as stated by listeners. Also, the station has never gone to the
listeners to promote it or encourage people to listen to the station as indicated by
listeners. Though the station fulfils listeners crave for a forgotten language Urdu, but
it still needs to improve its content and be community specific to strike a chord among
listeners. Talking about the concept of community radio, it is not important whether
listeners understand the concept of a community radio or not since it‘s the job of the
radio station to explain it to them. But when asked if they need a station that
represents their area and community, many of them do prefer, many of them suggest
problems that their area has and even advise on the kind of programmes they would
prefer. Comparing the reasons stated by listeners who agree that a community radio
could bring change with those who disagree on it seems people who agree are more
concerned about problems in the area and a medium to solve them. None of the
listeners who agree talk about the power of radio. On the other hand people who
disagree think less about radio as a medium and do not relate to indigenous
information need in the global world. It‘s not the listeners who should be blamed.
They will understand if they are made to. This is the most important job for a
community radio station.
162
Radio Jamia 90.4fm Non listeners’ trend
Out of the total 350 respondents, 242 comprised of non listeners of Radio Jamia. The
questionnaire consisted of following questions for non listeners. (Detailed
questionnaire has been attached as Annexure B.)
Do you know about the existence of a radio station called Radio Jamia 90.4
FM in or around your area?
How often do you listen to Radio Jamia 90.4 FM?
Why don‘t you listen to Radio Jamia quiet often
How you got to know about Radio Jamia?
How popular is Radio Jamia in your area?
Do you have any kind of information need that is not fulfilled by the popular
media? If yes, what kind of information need?
Do you think your area or community or its people require any kind of
development or change? If yes, state what kind of development?
Do you think radio Jamia can help in achieving development expected by you?
Do you prefer a radio station that represents your area or your community‘s
voice? If yes what kind of programmes would you like on such station?
Do you think having a community specific or area specific radio station can
bring development and social change? If yes, state how? If No, state why?
If you have a radio station that belongs to your community/area, would you
like to actively get involved in it?
163
Table 5.5: Radio Jamia Knowledge
Existence
Knowledge
Information about
Radio Jamia’s
existence
Listening Habit
Reason for not
listening/not
listening often.
Radio Jamia
Popularity
Know
179 Respondents
Banner Ad
88 Respondents
Never
131 Respondents
Not any radio
86 Respondents
Very few
69 Respondents
Don’t Know
63 Respondents
Questionnaire
51 Respondents
Once a month or
less than that.
94 Respondents
Boring/Not
Useful
59 Respondents
Few
63 Respondents
N/A Somebody told
48 Respondents
Heard Just Once
13 Respondents
Never Knew
46 Respondents
Many
46 respondents
N/A Tuned by Chance
35 Respondents
No answer
04 Respondents
Don’t know
frequency
40 Respondents
None
46 Respondents
N/A No answer
14 Respondents
N/A No answer
11 Respondents
No answer
17 Respondents
N/A Radio Jamia people
personal visit
06 Respondents
N/A N/A I don’t know
01 Respondent
Table 5.6: Respondents’ idea of development
Information need not
fulfilled by Popular media
Any development required
in respective communities
Can Radio Jamia help in
development of
community/area
No
111 Respondents
Yes
138 Respondents
Yes
118 Respondents
Yes
79 Respondents
No
50 Respondents
No
88 Respondents
No answer
44 Respondents
No answer
48 Respondents
No answer
19 Respondents
Don’t know
08 Respondents
Don’t know
06 Respondents
Don’t know
17 Respondents
164
Table 5.7: Associating Community radio with development
Preference for a
radio representing
area/community
Can Community Radio
bring
change/development
Involvement with
Community Radio
Yes
153 Respondents
Yes
153 Respondents
Yes
128 Respondents
No
55 Respondents
No
48 Respondents
No
84 Respondents
No answer
31 respondents
No answer
31 Respondents
No answer
24 respondents
Don’t know
03 Respondent
Don’t Know
10 Respondents
May be
03 Respondent
N/A N/A Don’t know
03 Respondent
It‘s 15 of December 2013 and today is the day when I am studying the trend among
community people who do not listen to Radio Jamia 90.4 FM. This drift from the
Aam Aadmi Radio is important to understand at a point when the strength of common
man is all over media with news and politics. In the background of a Public Interest
Litigation filed by a Non government organization-Common Cause, going against the
restriction of news on radio, an act that violates the Article 19 of Indian constitution
that claims the right to freedom of speech and expression to all citizens, a panel
discussion on Liberating Radio news from Government, organised by the foundation
for media professionals was held on 14th
December, 2013 at India International
Centre, Delhi. The discussion termed this act of government as colonial and archaic
arising out of insecurities to hold on to its monopolistic attitude towards Radio. ―Can
it (Government) restrict a fundamental right because it is incapable of monitoring
programming content? This absurdity defies laws and logic, stated Kamal Kant
Jaswal, Common Cause NGO Director.‖ (Jaswal in Dhawan, 2013, p.21) ―Laws of
the land continue to be valid. If there is a problem, the community will complain. In
fact the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, had in 2004 recognized the very
purpose of community radio would be defeated if news was not allowed.‖ (Pavrala in
165
Dhawan, 2013, p.21) On monitoring content on radio, Prof.Pavrala, University of
Hyderabad commented, ―That‘s not my problem. Government with all its apparatus
should be able to come with a system to monitor content.‖ (Pavrala in Dhawan 2013,
p.21)
Due to government‘s regulations, it is just Bollywood and music that has been spread
like wild fire on radio. It is a strange phenomenon that for people staying in big cities
and towns in India, Radio is synonymous to music. With such a bizarre background
placing community radio in an urban market and making the people accept such a
medium could be an act of challenge. When the non listeners (People who do not
listen to Radio Jamia) were asked whether they knew about the existence of a radio
station called Radio Jamia 90.4 FM, out of the 242 respondents, 179 knew about its
existence while the remaining 63 didn‘t know about it. Out of these 63 respondents
who didn‘t know about the existence of Radio Jamia, 51 stated that they got to know
about it only while responding to the questionnaire for the study. Talking about all the
242 non listeners, when asked about how they got to know about the station‘s
existence, 88 respondents said through the banner in the University area, 51 got to
know through the questionnaire for the study, 48 stated that somebody told them, 35
tuned by chance, 6 respondents stated that Radio Jamia people told, while the
remaining 14 respondents gave no answer. These 6 respondents who got to know
about the existence of the station in their area through Radio Jamia people, all of them
in one way or the other are related to the University. 3 of them are Jamia Millia
Islamia staff while 3 of them are students in the University. A majority of the non
listeners got to know about the station through the banner in the University. The
University is constructed in a manner that it falls on either side of a busy road
connecting Jamia Nagar to many nearby areas. This road is accessible to all. Radio
Jamia 90.4 FM banner is placed on this strategic location at the entrance of Anwar
Jamal Kidwai Mass Communication Research Centre, making it prominently visible.
This is the only banner in the whole radius of the station that promotes it. Though it is
placed at a prominent location, still in order to capture a large listener base, even a
community radio station which is non-profit requires some promotional strategies at
least within its radius.
166
As mentioned, the category non listeners have been defined for the study
(Respondents who never ever heard the station/those who have heard it just
once/those who listen to it once a month or less than that), and when asked about
their listening habits, a majority of them..i.e. 131 respondents stated that they never
ever heard it. 94 out of the 242 non listeners said they listen to it once a month or less
than that, 13 of them heard it just once while 4 gave no answer. When asked about
reason for such a skewed listening habit, 86 respondents stated that they don‘t listen
to any radio, for 59 respondents the station sounded boring or not useful, 46 never
knew about it that‘s why didn‘t listen, 40 didn‘t know the frequency and 11
respondents gave no answer. Out of the 86 respondents who said they do not listen to
any radio, 48 of them never ever heard Radio Jamia. Radio listening habit in India has
to be improved considerably. People mostly depend on television and listen less of
radio except during the time when they are travelling. In a way we can‘t blame Indian
audience for their poor listening habits since they are cultured by Indian authorities in
a manner that they tend to use less of Radio. In United Kingdom, Radio is still one of
the most preferred mediums. A 2013 survey by RAJAR-Radio Joint Audience
Research, United Kingdom, claims, ―On average, 90% of the United Kingdom
population tuned into Radio each week‖. (Ferrigan, RAJAR, 2013) Listening habits
could be improved among people by providing them variety in programming and
making the medium stand stronger among its other competitor media. Out of the 59
respondents who found the station boring or of no use, 47 of them had either heard the
station just once or listen to it once a month or even less than that. This data indicates
about the group of people who could have become listeners of Radio Jamia if the
station would have been successful in attracting and holding these listeners. Radio is a
medium with no picture; hence the attention span of audience is quiet low for the
medium. In order to attract and make the audience loyal, any radio station needs to
work on its content, find a hook and make it much relevant to the audience with just
its sound. 40 respondents stated that they don‘t listen to the station as they don‘t know
its frequency. It is the job of the station to promote its identity on air and off air. Even
the loyal listeners for any station would not remember a station with its frequency
since frequencies are mere numbers. Frequencies help the listener to locate the station.
But later on when the station attracts and holds them as listeners, they just remember
its name and mostly not its frequency. Such listeners if attracted by the content set the
station on their radio sets with no requirement of further frequency remembering and
167
tuning. When asked about what the respondents think about the popularity of station
in their area, according to 69 respondents very few people in their area know about
the station, 63 felt few people know, 46 felt many know, 46 stated that they think
nobody knows, 1 said he/she doesn‘t know while 8 gave no answer. Only 46
respondents thought that many people in their area know about the station while the
others, a majority of them felt less people or nobody knows. This specifies that the
station is not popular among the people in its radius.
Radio Jamia 90.4 FM with its location in a metropolitan city, Delhi, and being an
alternative medium faces an additional responsibility to exist alongside, sustain and
compete with the already powerful mainstream media. When the respondents were
asked if they have any information need that is not fulfilled by the mainstream media,
111 denied having any information need that isn‘t being fulfilled, 79 agreed to have
information need that is not being fulfilled, 44 gave no answer while 8 said they don‘t
know. Out of the 79 who were not fully satisfied by the information provided by
popular media, 44 pointed out their community or community issues not being
represented by media. The community issues they specified included community
information, health and cleanliness, social awareness, community issues, cultural
knowledge, entrepreneurship, community development, government schemes related
to community, students information, minority information, local area information,
religious knowledge and involvement of people in media. Jamia Millia Islamia
University information was another need cited popularly. There were some interesting
statements made by these respondents:
“Community need is not satisfied at all by any media. Indira Gandhi National
Open University radio is good in this sense.‖ (The respondent who made this
statement knew about the existence of Radio Jamia and claims listening to it
once a month or less than that.)
―Radio is just music. Infotainment required.‖
―Media can‘t work alone, need people. Involve them.‖
―The area has developed a negative image after Batla House encounter. People
are not terrorists here. This image needs to be changed.‖
168
Majority of respondents denied having any information need that is not fulfilled by
popular media. These respondents seem to ignore or don‘t feel the need of community
information. 138 respondents felt that their community or area needs development in
one sense or the other, 50 denied having any area development need, 48 gave no
answer and 6 said that they don‘t know. Respondents who felt the need of
development of the area stated factors of development like broad roads, proper
infrastructure and traffic lights to avoid frequent jams; social awareness; development
of thoughts and sensitivity among people; more radio stations for community
information, waste management; lifestyle improvement and good living conditions;
education; gender sensitivity; religious knowledge; socio economic development and
mental upliftment; connectivity among community members; community awareness
and cultural knowledge; sanitation; hygiene and civic sense; health awareness; clean
drinking water ; and awareness of human rights.
Looking at the figures, it seems listeners do not associate development much with the
medium radio. When asked if they think Radio Jamia could help in bringing the
development mentioned by them, 118 respondents agreed that Radio Jamia could help
in development, 88 disagreed, 19 gave no answer and 17 said they don‘t know.
Respondents who agreed on Radio Jamia‘s involvement in community or area
development most popularly gave answers like it can get involved through
developmental programmes, raising community issues and voices, involving people,
inviting authorities and getting the community problems resolved, social awareness,
lifestyle programmes, health programmes, by popularising itself first, programmes on
civic and moral duties. Other answers included programmes on child labour, raising
Muslim issues, management of resources, religious knowledge programmes etc. Some
of the interesting statements made by respondents:
―Use this good platform and clear Islamic misconceptions.‖
―Teach new domestic techniques.‖
―Radio Jamia can act as a media pressure group.‖
―Repeated stress on community issues by involving community people and
making interactive programmes. Inviting authorities to solve the problems and
issues.‖
―Make Radio Jamia popular first; otherwise it is of no use.‖
169
Even people residing in developed Indian cities have development needs. They might
not understand the concept of a community radio but they do suggest a variety of
ways in how a radio station could develop their areas. The need of the hour thus is to
reach and talk to them. There were 88 respondents who disagreed that the station
could bring development gave reasons like nobody listens to Radio, Radio Jamia is
limited, Radio is one way communication, and no expectations of change from any
media. Speaking specifically about the station many of the disagreeing respondents
gave strong statements and popularly the below reasons.
―Radio Jamia is poor.‖
―It is not popular.‖
―It is boring and people don‘t listen to it.‖
―Very few listen to it.‖
―Radio Jamia does not reach common people.‖
―First make it interesting so that people listen to it.‖
―Doubtful about its capability.‖
The most popular demand by many of the non listener respondents is to make the
station popular. They doubt and disagree that the station could bring change because
the station has never reached them personally. It is easy to pull and switch listeners
from one station to another but it in indeed very difficult to convert non listeners to
listeners. For them off air promotions is the only solution.
Since a lot of non listeners stated that their community needs development in one
sense or the other, a majority of them 153 respondents demanded a radio station
representing their area. 55 respondents did not prefer a radio station for their area, 31
gave no answer while 3 said they don‘t know. Respondents who agreed preferred a
radio station to raise community voice, involve area people, for cultural promotion
through specific programmes and raise social issues and solve area problems.
Respondents who did not prefer a station for their area gave statements like
―A Radio station should be global than local.‖
―One area never develops; it should be the whole nation.‖
―People don‘t listen to radio.‖
170
In general people in India do have doubts about capability of radio as a medium.
Adding on, the concept of community radio is still not very clear among respondents
inspite of having a large number of community radio stations in India. People still
ignore and do not give importance to development at indigenous level. In order to
understand if respondents associate development with community radio, they were
asked if they think having a community or area specific radio station could bring
change/development. 153 respondents agreed that an area specific station could give
rise to development, 48 disagreed, 31 gave no answer while 10 said they don‘t know.
Non listeners who agreed stated below listed reasons for a community radio to bring
change:
Community Issues and Community voices
Community awareness and information
Involving area people and changing community‘s attitude towards various
issues.
Developmental programmes, opinions and community interaction.
Revolutionary programmes
Some interesting statements made by the respondents:
―With such a radio every strata of the society would be targeted.‖
―It will work only if it is popularised.‖
―Changes in communities would bring change at bigger level.‖
―It will be a slow change as people depend on television rather than radio.‖
―Make every listener stakeholder of that radio station. Once they have a voice,
it will give them form and encouragement.‖
Respondents who disagreed on an area specific station bringing change gave reasons
like nobody listens to radio, nation should be developed and not an area, and area
specific development is not important. When asked if they would like to actively get
involved with such a station, 128 respondents said they would actively get involved,
84 refused to get involved, 24 gave no answer, 3 said they don‘t know while 3 were
sceptical and unsure. Most of the respondents who disagreed for an area specific radio
171
station for development also disagreed on getting actively involved with such a
station. However there were 6 respondents who though disagreed for an area specific
station for development, but agreed to get involved actively in case there is a station
for their area. Similar to the listeners of Radio Jamia, the non listeners who prefer a
Radio station for their area development are more concerned about their area
problems and a way to resolve them rather than the strength of the medium Radio and
those who disagree are not able to understand the need of local development and also
don‘t consider Radio as a much powerful medium. It is indeed the job of the
community radio, particularly Radio Jamia 90.4FM to make the area people realise
the importance of not only local development but also community specific Radio.
Understanding Radio Jamia 90.4FM as a participatory media for the community
In order to understand Radio Jamia 90.4FM‘s persona as a participatory Radio for
community, there is a need to evaluate it from the perspective of its target group. For
this study I examine the station from its Listeners‘ and Non Listeners‘ point of view
while also revisiting the theoretical framework and research questions set for the
study.
Keeping Paulo Freire‘s Participatory Model and Denis Mc Quail‘s Democratic
Participant Media Theory with the upgraded characteristic of Servaes and Malikaho
as a conceptual framework for the thesis, the study finds out from the audience
perspective, how the radio station Radio Jamia 90.4 FM inherits the characteristics of
a participatory media that it is supposed to be and contributes towards empowerment
and social change for its targeted community. Mc Quail, Freire and Servaes and
Malikhao in this study provide the conceptual background to draw parallel links
between Radio Jamia and their own image of a participatory media. Therefore with
this background, I further discuss Radio Jamia with the below mentioned perspectives
which have already been mentioned in Chapter 2 of the study.
a. Is Radio Jamia democratic and rejects the process of imposed information by
providing what the audiences want?
b. Does the station communicate what is needed rather creating the need?
c. Does it consider the target audience their owners?
172
d. Is it participatory and interactive in its approach?
e. Is primarily for its audience?
f. Is considerate of audience‘s cultural identity?
g. Does it give importance to audience‘s right to communicate?
h. With the bottom up approach does it work for the long term development of its
audience?
Research Questions
The following research questions would also be taken into consideration for
understanding Radio Jamia‘s functionality specifically. These questions are
also mentioned earlier in chapter 1.
1. Do respondents depend on Radio Jamia for their communication need
at a time when other media is available in abundance?
2. How respondents engage themselves with Radio Jamia? Do they
engage at all?
3. How popular is Radio Jamia among its target audience?
4. What do the respondents want? Do they require a community radio
specifically for their area or community?
5. Based on the responses of the audience, what kind of community radio
do the audiences want?
6. What kind of development do the audiences think their station could
contribute to?
7. Is Radio Jamia contributing anything to empowerment of the targeted
community?
8. Is Radio Jamia contributing anything to development?
9. Does Radio Jamia bring any kind of social change in the areas that it
serves?
173
Graph 1 clearly indicates a huge gap between its listeners and non listeners within the
radius of Radio Jamia 90.4FM. In order to understand Radio Jamia as a participatory
media and answer the questions and points mentioned above, I will first try to explore
it from the point of view of respondents who listen to it. Graph 2 indicates that the
station has got very few loyal listeners who listen to it every day while there are many
listening to it once a week. Since the station is located in one of the biggest cities of
India, Delhi, and there are a number of information and entertainment sources already
available, there is a possibility that listeners contribute less time to a medium. But in
whatever time the listeners have allotted to the station, around 85.1% of them have
never ever participated in its programming and 88.8% claim of never being involved
in its decision making process for content ( as illustrated in Graphs 3 and 4).
174
Graph 1
Description- X Axis- Radio Jamia Listeners/Non Listeners, Y Axis-No of
Respondents.
Graph2
Description: X Axis- No of listeners, Y Axis- Listening habit
108
242
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
Listeners of RadioJamia
Non Listeners of RadioJamia
Radio Jamia target audience
No of Respondents
62
27
12
7
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Once a week
Everyday
More than
once a week
No answer
Listening habit of Radio Jamia listeners
No of Listeners
175
Graph 3
Description:
X Axis- No of Listeners, Y Axis-Listeners‘ Participation
Graph 4
Description:
X Axis- No of Listeners, Y Axis-Listeners‘ involvement in decision making for Radio
Jamia content.
92
8
8
0 20 40 60 80 100
Never Participated
Participated
No answer
Listeners' Participation in Radio Jamia Programming
No of listeners
96
2
10
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
No Involvement
Involvement
No answer
Listeners' involvement in decision making for Radio Jamia content
No of Listeners
176
One of the most important features of a participatory medium is involving its target
group in not only listening but also in participation and decision making for its
content. The idea is to be interactive and participatory both that does not confine a
media in just asking audiences‘ feedback through SMS or letters or by just giving
their opinions in talk shows. A participatory media stretches its arms towards its
audience by making them the master of the content. It establishes for its target group,
survives because of them and gets developed by them. The main motive of such a
medium is its audience. These characteristics are lacking in Radio Jamia 90.4 FM and
thereby it negates point no c and d mentioned above. Elaborating on audience‘s right
to communicate, a Community Radio by involving people at every stage provides the
basis for this right. Right to communicate entitles any citizen the right to free speech,
opinion, and expression. This freedom could be ensured by any alternative media by
designing its content in a manner that entitles full participation and involvement. By
involving very few respondents in decision making and participation in its content,
Radio Jamia limits the audience from becoming its owners thereby even limiting the
right to communicate and hence it seems that it restricts itself from becoming
primarily for them, thereby negating point e and g.
Graph 5 illustrates that a large number of listeners do not depend on the station for
their information need. Being an alternative medium, it is different from the rest, odd
one out in the crowd overpowered by the mainstream. In such a scenario it has to
create a niche and an identity for itself. After an 8 year long successful survival, it
lacks in creating a niche for itself, attracting people through its content which is
supposed to be different and alternative hence falling behind the characteristics
mentioned in points 1 and 2. However, there are a few listeners around 14.8% who
have mentioned that they do depend on Radio Jamia for their information need. These
listeners have repeatedly mentioned that they depend on it because of prevalent usage
of Urdu language and programmes promoting the language. This is a clear indication
that the station though lacks in strong content but successfully strikes with some of its
listeners using their cultural identity. Since the language of the station is Hindustani (a
mix of Hindi and Urdu) which is also the major language of people in its radius, it
does take care of audience‘s cultural identity drawing a parallel link to the feature
mentioned in point f.
177
Graph 5
Description:
X Axis- No of Listeners, Y Axis- Dependence on Radio Jamia for information.
Graph 6
Description:
X Axis- Number of Respondents, Y Axis- Existence knowledge
87
16
5
0 20 40 60 80 100
No
Yes
No answer
Dependence on Radio Jamia for Information need.
No of Listeners
179
63
0 50 100 150 200
Know
Don't Know
Radio Jamia's existence knowledge
No of Respondents
178
Graph 7
Description: X Axis- Number of Respondents, Y Axis- Listening habit
[
Graph 8
Description:
X Axis- Number of Respondents, Y Axis- Listening habit
86
59
46
40
11
0 20 40 60 80 100
Not any Radio
Boring/Not useful
Never Knew
Don't Know Frequency
No answer
Reason for not listening Radio Jamia 90.4 FM
No of Respondents
131
94
13
4
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
Never
Once a month or less than that
Heard just once
No answer
Non Listeners' for Radio Jamia
No of Respondents
179
Graph 6 reveals that a large number of non listeners already knew about the existence
of Radio Jamia 90.4 FM in their area but still they do not listen to it. Graph 7 indicates
a number of reasons for their non listening habit. 35.5% of respondents have
mentioned the reason that they do not listen to any radio while 24.3% have stated that
they do not listen to Radio Jamia because they find it boring and not useful. One of
the major reasons that seem to be common among most of the people not listening to
Radio in India is that Radio lacks variety. Now when this aspect is somehow fulfilled
by the alternative Radio, then it is the medium‘s job to make the content interesting
and attract the people so that the medium is accepted and new dimensions could be
explored. Graph 8 reveals that in spite of the fact that a large number (73.9%) of non
listeners knew about the existence of Radio Jamia, around 54% respondents have
mentioned that they never ever heard it. Trying to explore the ways how these
respondents Listeners and Non Listeners got to know about the station, Graph 9
reveals that out of 350 respondents under the study, a majority of them got to know
about the station‘s existence through the banner advertisement at the Mass
Communication Research Centre entrance gate. There are some non listeners who
also mentioned that questionnaire was their first source of information about the
station. None of the listeners and just 2.5% non listeners got to know about the station
through Radio Jamia people. This indicates that the station rarely approaches its
people. Graph 10 indicates the respondents listeners as well as non listeners both (174
respondents out of 350) stating that few and very few know about the station in their
respective areas, while only some (68 respondents out of 350) felt that many in their
area knew about the station. This indicates that the popularity of the station in its
radius is very meek. People might have the information about the station, but they do
not have the knowledge and understanding of it since they do not listen to it. Also, the
station‘s approach towards its target group seems to be very weak as only 6
respondents out of 350 have revealed that Radio Jamia people told about the station.
These factors contradict point a, h and 3 of it being popular and democratic with a
bottom up approach. Merely having information that there is a station called Radio
Jamia 90.4 FM is not enough but what essentially required is to understand what it
stands for. A clear identity is the root to popularity. Since the station has failed to
approach its audience either personally, through making them participate or involve
them in decision making, the question of it being democratic totally gives a negative
answer. Long term development through alternative media is achievable only by
bottom up approach. This is a possibility only if the University people approach the
audience; ask them what they want, involve them in strategising not only
180
programming but developmental goals to be achieved through such programmes. The
data analysis however indicates that Radio Jamia is still behind in attaining all these
features of a participatory medium.
Graph 9
Description
X Axis Listeners/Non Listeners, Y Axis- Radio Jamia existence knowledge
Graph 10
Description
X Axis- Listeners/Non Listeners, Y Axis- No of respondents
44 48
37 35
25
88
0 6
0
51
2
14
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Listeners ofRadio Jamia
Non Listenersof Radio Jamia
Radio Jamia existence knowledge
Somebody told
Tuned by Chance
Banner Ad in University
Ad through other media
Radio Jamia people told
Questionnaire
No answer
69
33
63
9
46
22
46
10
17
4 1
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Non Listeners ofRadio Jamia
Listeners of RadioJamia
Radio Jamia Popularity in its Radius
Very Few
Few
Many
None
No answer
Don't know
181
Graph 11
Description- X Axis- No of Listeners, Y Axis-Radio Jamia‘s contribution in
Listeners‘ area
Graph 12
Description: X Axis-Listener/Non Listener of Radio Jamia, Y Axis- Respondents‘
perception on Radio Jamia‘s involvement in development of their area.
20
68
14
6
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Contribution in area's development
No contribution in area'sdevelopment
No anwer
Don't Know
Radio Jamia's contribution in Listeners' area development
No of Listeners
52
118
41
88
12 19
3
17
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
Listeners ofRadio Jamia
Non Listenersof Radio
Jamia
Respondents' preception on Radio Jamia's involment in developing their area
Radio Jamia could be involved
Radio Jamia could not beinvolved
No answer
Don't Know
182
The potential of a community radio is utilised not when it is established but when it
actually grows and the fruit is reaped by the community members. Graph 11 indicates
that around 62.9% of the listeners have denied any contribution by Radio Jamia in
development of their areas. Only 18.5% respondents have agreed on its contribution
towards development of their area; however the reasons for development like
promotion of Urdu poetry, Urdu programming and programmes on cleanliness
revealed by them do not indicate strong programming by the station. These vague
replies without any programming identities though indicate that the station is in some
way or the other is touching on issues of importance for audience but this isn‘t
enough. Long term development requires long term strategies through proper identity
and programming variety. Graph 12 shows that maximum number of respondents-
listeners and non listeners agree that Radio Jamia could be involved in developing
their areas. They even suggested ways for development and there was a striking
similarity in suggestions made by listeners and non listeners. They proposed raising
community voices and issues through community involvement, lifestyle
improvement, creating a positive image of Muslims and Muslim localities, local
issues like infrastructure, traffic problems, cleanliness and health were also mentioned
by both the groups. Similarity was even visible in the reasons given by respondents
who disagreed that the station could be involved in development of their area.
Majority of them disagreed stating that the station is not popular and not many listen
to the medium Radio. By involving the people any station could reach their problems
as well as solutions. Radio Jamia seems to be adopting a traditional and more
prevalent approach where the content is decided by the University management,
keeping community involvement low. Had it been involving the community in every
station aspect for these 8 long years, it would have definitely been popular with
community depending on it to a large extent for its indigenous communication needs
since this is the only alternative media available to all irrespective of their education
background apart from a community newspaper called Okhla Times. This means that
the station caters content with its own thinking rather than understanding audience
requirement. The station doesn‘t communicate what is needed by its audience thereby
answering point b. Graph 13 indicates that large number of respondents prefer a radio
station that represents their area while Graph 14 echoes their belief that such a radio
station could bring change and development in their areas. Since the respondents do
feel a need of development in their communities and areas, a majority of them
suggesting ways perceiving Radio Jamia could be involved on one hand and on the
183
other preferring a station that could represent their area and believing that such a
station could bring change, thereby answering points 4, 5 and 6.
Graph 13
Description
X Axis-Listener/Non Listener of Radio Jamia, Y Axis- Respondents‘ preference for a
CR
Graph 14
Description
X Axis- Listeners/Non listeners, Y Axis-Respondents‘ perception on community
radio and development and change.
65
153
10
55
32 31
1 3 0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
Listeners ofRadio Jamia
Non Listeners ofRadio Jamia
Preference for a radio station representing area/community
Preferred
Not Preferred
No Answer
Don't Know
81
153
17
48
10
31
0 10
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
Listeneres ofRadio Jamia
Non Listenersof Radio
Jamia
Respondent's perception about a Community Radio
Community Radio can bringchange/development
Community Radio cannotbring change/develoment
No answer
Don't know
184
The target audience of Radio Jamia 90.4 FM reveal it as a station having very weak
signs of being participatory. The station does not fit into the characteristics of Mc
Quail‘s and Freire‘s participatory communication paradigm and Servaes and
Malikhao‘s upgraded participatory features except for the fact it does take into
account audience‘s cultural identity and to some extent does take up some issues of
relevance for the community. But these relevant issues are sorted by station
management rather than involving it‘s audience. With these qualities, it does not
qualify itself as a strong campus community radio station working for its community.
With negative answers to almost every research question, the campus community
radio station seems to be pseudo participatory and not actually participatory. Campus
Community Radio station, Radio Jamia 90.4 FM is not understood by its listeners as a
station for them and their community. Development could only be done by people
who require it. No radio station or any media could automatically develop a society
but it could only act as an information giver thereby empowering its audience to use
that awareness in various fields and issues in their lives and develop their societies
themselves. This not only improves their individual lives but promotes long term
development. With 62.9% listeners claiming that the station has no contribution in
development of their areas and only 18.5% stating development has been done by the
station and that even only promotion of Urdu language, the station doesn‘t seem to be
contributing in empowerment of its audience. Agreed, that in a metropolitan area
there are a number of information sources which make the audience aware but there
could be number of issues bothering one in the vicinity of his or her own house
requiring attention and representation. This is where such a medium in an urban area
takes charge. Listeners as well as non listeners feel that their area and community
requires development in various fields including local information, hygiene,
sanitation, water scarcity, regularising illegal colonies, social upliftment, traffic
issues, waste management, and proper electricity etc. Such issues are very much
relevant to be taken up. A media like Radio Jamia is not there to solve these issues
neither it should be there to run a mere feature or capsule on such issues rather take
such tasks as a campaign. A campaign should involve the community raising voices
on such issues, asking authorities question on resolution of such issues, and along
with the audience making sure such issues are resolved. Hence, since respondents are
not connected and involved with the station, the station also is not making an attempt
to involve them, empower and develop their societies thereby negating points 7, 8 and
185
9. What is required is information that empowers, and leads to development and
change which in the case of Radio Jamia is missing. It also seems that the audience
consider it as a station of Jamia Millia Islamia University since many of them call it
Jamia ka Radio (Jamia‘s Radio) and have also mentioned that the station gives
information about the university. Giving information about university is a good thing
since the University is a part of its radius. Being a campus community radio, its
campus perspective is very clear but community perspective totally lacks clarity. It
strongly requires a campaign popularising its identity as community radio station as
well.
Radio Jamia audience with access to a number of other mediums in a developed city
are empowered and developed through them and other sources. Still, there is a
different kind of development need as specified by the respondents. This extremely
indigenous and home grown requirement of empowerment and change could be
fulfilled by a medium like Radio Jamia. Radio Jamia lacking connection with its
audience fails to fulfil this need, hence failing to have any role in empowerment of its
audience. Since the station shows no role in empowerment of its audience, it doesn‘t
contribute to any social change. What is strongly recommended for the station is not
to survive just for the heck of it but to survive for the ones it was born for. What is
required is to reach the community off air before it reaches them on air and not only
get proactively involved with them but also encouragingly involve them through
creative and powerful programming. A comparative analysis of Radio Jamia with its
non urban counterpart Sangham Radio would definitely suggest techniques for
making it more participatory and a way forward in chapter VI.
186
Chapter VI
Developmental radio in Indian rural and urban
settings
Comparison, Suggestions and Conclusion
187
“Public Journalism calls for a shift from a „journalism of information‟ to a
„journalism of conversation‟”. (Glasser & Craft, 1997)
Referring to the statement above and looking at how journalism and mass media
shaped itself over the years, giving new meanings to ‗public‘ resulting in evolution of
the public sphere. Habermas‘s public sphere talked about a free space for discussions
and dialogues happening in auditoriums or over coffee. This kind of public sphere
provided a space and opportunity to keep an eye over government‘s functioning by
forming informed public opinion. The basis for the formation of such a sphere
revolved around the ideas of individualism; identity; economic, social and political
freedom; initially started with bourgeois elements and later expanding to all other
classes. Habermas perceived a threat to democracy arising out of corporate interests
manoeuvring the public, its opinion and use of the so called public sphere. (Habermas,
1962 in Mc Quail, 2005, p.181) Probably we were now a step ahead that is from the
journalism of information to conversation. But is this what we require? Can
Journalism of conversation lead us to improvement and development? Probably yes
but a different kind of it. The public is shown a satisfactory way that their opinions
are counted through opinion polls, participation in discussions, feedback on programs
and campaigns like Bhartiya Janta Party‘s Chai pe charcha (discussion over tea). The
state continues to misuse its authority by using it not for the people but at the people.
The corporate continues to govern the government and the government continues to
govern us instead of providing good governance. In between the state and trade exists
media that decides what should be shown to us and sets the public agenda through
publicity. What the public gets in turn is information through journalism of
conversation and what the public requires is journalism of involvement knowledge
and change. What the public gets is illusionary development and what it requires is
sustainable development. What we require is probably something alternative to what
we have.
Terming participatory media alternative sometimes seems a bit nonsensical in the
sense that shouldn‘t this be an essential rather than being alternative? What should be
main has in a way become alternative. Shouldn‘t have been the media‘s aim
democratic since its inception? Shouldn‘t it have been participatory rather than
pseudo participatory? Shouldn‘t it have been for the people following the democratic
lines? Shouldn‘t it have been working for the needs of the people rather creating
188
needs and setting agendas for them? Shouldn‘t it have aimed at sustainable
development rather than development? Moving ahead these should haves and
shouldn‘t haves, the agenda now should be to get this alternative form to the front.
Focus should be to convert this alternative form into a more radical one. Instead of
promising development to people, the aim should be to facilitate development for
them. Aspiration should be to make this alternative form an essential one and make it
powerful and capable enough to run parallel with the mainstream. For the above
stated purpose and to fulfil the main objectives of my research as discussed in chapter
1, I revisit the findings of study thereby analytically comparing the selected urban
alternative radio (Radio Jamia) with that of a rural alternative radio (Sangham Radio)
I suggest ways to improve the functioning of these participatory radio stations
generalising it to the use of community radio in bringing empowerment and social
change in India.
Radio Jamia 90.4 FM v/s Sangham Radio 90.4 FM
“Programmes on Radio Jamia are not really interesting. If it is providing
programmes other than music, there are a number of issues like regularising nearby
area, Jamia Nagar development, Batla House encounter, cleanliness, schools and
health facilities. Who will talk about all this? Since it is in close proximity it should
raise all these issues.” (A listener of Radio Jamia 90.4 FM, comment from the survey
of the study)
“It encouraged us to grow crops after the loss in storms; it informed us how we can
gain health with the available food. I learnt to open and operate bank account from
them. It‟s good to listen to my own voice and neighbours voice. They should increase
their duration because they talk about things that interest us. Other media only talks
about country and big farmers.” (A listener of Sangham Radio 90.4 FM, comment
from the survey of the study)
Comparing two radio stations, one being a community radio run by a Non
Governmental Organisation in one of the under developed parts of India in Medak
district of Telangana and the other one in a metropolitan capital city of India, Delhi,
though gives an idea of the stations being distinctive for comparison but delving deep
gives an understanding that both stations are meant for community. The communities
189
would obviously differ in aspects of region, culture, habits and other background but
the aim of any community radio is to serve its community and facilitate development
for it. The study does not compare two communities but two stations catering to their
respective communities in their own appropriate manner. The study does not compare
the way these stations cater to their respective target audience but most importantly
the outcome of their functioning for their respective communities. Comparing their
functionality from the point of view of its respective audience helps in understanding
how effectively these stations respond to their audience need and how well the
audience accept and depend on them. It will give an understanding of the
appropriateness of their respective strategies. Comparisons shall also help in
borrowing certain ways from each other and learn certain tricks and provide adaptable
suggestions for these stations for performance enhancement.
Both stations in their local language mixing words with music invite listeners to come
and talk on their own station. The findings for both the stations however reveal:
Radio Jamia 90.4 FM is heard by few while Sangham Radio 90.4 FM has got
many listeners. Radio Jamia target audience sample revealed that it consisted
of 30.85% listeners while Sangham Radio had 55.7% listeners (Graph 1).
Radio Jamia has got more non listeners than listeners. Sangham Radio has
though got more listeners than non listeners; the difference in number of
listeners and non listeners is not much.
Graph 2 indicates the participation trend among listeners of both the stations,
with 67.17% of Sangham listeners having participated in its programming
while only 7.4% of Radio Jamia listeners participated in the station‘s content.
What differentiates a community radio station from other stations is its
democratic pattern. A community radio station whether in the urban or
developed area or a non urban under developed area is supposed to involve its
audience in programming. Participation is the key element here. Already
listeners of Radio Jamia are few and the percentage of participation among
these few is again fewer. Agreed that the station is located at a place where
information resources are in abundance but these information sources do not
work on participatory but pseudo participatory lines. This is where the station
could have won the race instead of struggling with number of listeners and
participation. Sangham Radio‘s location provides it the benefit of having a
good
190
Graph 1
Target Audience for Radio Jamia and Sangham Radio
Description: X axis represents the two radio stations, Y represents their
respective target audience.
Graph 2
Listeners’ Participation trend in Radio Jamia and Sangham Radio
Description: X axis represents the two radio stations, Y represents their
respective listeners
108
195
242
155
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
Radio Jamia90.4 FM
Sangham Radio90.4 FM
Non Listeners
Listeners
8
131 92
63
8
1
0
50
100
150
200
250
Radio Jamia SanghamRadio
No Answer
Listeners not participated
Listeners Participated
191
listener base in an area where the access to information sources is though there
(as revealed in the survey) but again it is limited. This provides it a fair chance
to have many listeners but these listeners are comparatively much less
empowered, educated and developed as their urban counterpart which again
puts the station into the challenge of involving them to participate in their
programming. Sangham Radio however is doing this job relatively well with
its 11 reporters going to various villages, organizing regular meetings with
villagers and discussing station content with them. These villagers often come
to the station to sing agricultural songs, design programmes, play characters,
to give health, agriculture and cooking tips, discuss their agricultural crops and
growth, and participate in various other kinds of programming. Sangham
Radio thus is participatory and interactive in nature while Radio Jamia is
weak in characteristics of participation and interaction.
Another important aspect for a participatory media is involvement of its
audience in decision making for the station‘s content and providing according
to the requirement of the audience and the need of the area. Graph 3 indicates
that 56.92% of Sangham listeners were involved in decision making for the
content while only 1.85% of Radio Jamia listeners were involved for the same
task. Radio Jamia positioning itself as a participatory media for the community
shows a negligible figure when decision making from its audience is
concerned. Sangham Radio listeners revealed that they were involved in
deciding while content was being designed, what to include and what not to,
what kind of information is important to be stressed on, strategising to
promote the station, organising their annual agricultural festival and making
plans to increase listener base for the station. Listeners of Sangham Radio also
revealed that reporters go to various houses seeking feedback from people and
asking them what would they like to listen. Nothing like this or anything
indicating listeners‘ involvement in decision making for the station‘s content
was however revealed from Radio Jamia audience.
Graph 4 showcases information need dependence with 97.4% of listeners
depending on Sangham Radio and only 14.8% listeners depending on Radio
Jamia for their information need. As revealed by Sangham Radio audience, the
station gives importance to agriculture providing them a variety of information
192
Graph 3
Listeners’ decision making trend in Radio Jamia and Sangham Radio
Description: X axis represents the two radio stations, Y represents their
respective listeners
Graph 4
Listeners’ dependence for information need on Radio Jamia and
Sangham Radio
Description: X axis represents the two radio stations, Y represents their
respective listeners
2
111 96
82
10
2
0
50
100
150
200
250
Radio Jamia Sanghamradio
No answer
Not involved in decisionmaking
Involved in decision making
16
190
87
4
5
1
0
50
100
150
200
250
Radio Jamia Sangham Radio
No answer
No
Yes
193
including that of seasonal crops which is of great benefit to them, promoting
the self developed seed bank for the people through the station, encouraging
self made manures and fertilizers and increasing nutrient levels in their daily
diets with the locally available food are the kinds of information that the
people depend on the station. Respondents, listeners as well as non listeners do
mention that they announce through Sangham Radio whenever their animals
are lost. Apart from information these listeners depend on Sangham for
entertainment in their own local slang with agriculture songs, dramas,
burrakatha (traditional story telling techniques) and jokes all done by villagers
themselves. Some Radio Jamia listeners revealed that they do depend on the
station for Urdu programmes like ghazals and shayari (Urdu poetry) since
Urdu is not appearing prominently on mainstream media. Radio Jamia thus
take cares of its audiences need for some kind of information and to some
extent even promotes their culture with Urdu language, still the content is
limited. Radio Jamia needs to increase the dependence of its listeners with the
kind of information that the audience require instead of designing their
programming in oblivion. Radio Jamia though takes care of audience need
with the language but fails to cater to their demands through its programmes.
Sangham Radio is a democratic station promoting participation, interactivity
and providing what audience want whereas Radio Jamia’s democratic
pattern is extremely limited.
The basic premises on which any Community Radio is developed is the need
not fulfilled by the mainstream media, the call for the indigenous and native
matters not yet highlighted, and to provide a media that facilitates growth in an
information driven society. Graph 5 indicates listeners‘ perception about their
stations being different from that of other media. 34.25% Radio Jamia
listeners consider that Radio Jamia‘s content is different from that of other
media whereas 95.3% listeners understand that Sangham Radio‘s content is
different from other media. For Radio Jamia listeners the station is different
prominently because it highlights Urdu language and provides Jamia Millia
Islamia information. For Sangham Radio listeners the station is different as no
other media provides them content in their local language, agriculture
knowledge customized according to their own region and information about
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their festivals. The reason that not many Radio Jamia listeners find the station
different from that of other media is the fact that among its listeners only 25%
listen to the station everyday and hence cannot make a good demarcation of it
being a station different from the rest of the media.
Graph 5
Listeners’ perception about their station’s content being different than
other media
Description: X axis represents the two radio stations, Y represents their
respective listeners
37
186
56
7
15
2
0
50
100
150
200
250
Radio Jamia Sangham Radio
No answer
Not different
Different
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Graph6
Information about stations’ existence
Description: X axis represents the two radio stations, Y represents their
respective target audience
Also, Graph 6 reflects that among respondents both listeners and non listeners
of Radio Jamia only 1.7% got to know about the station through station
representatives and a large number of them that is 32.2% got to know about
the station through its advertisement in Jamia Millia Islamia campus. Getting
to know through advertisement is good but talking about Radio Jamia, the ad
in the campus is just a banner reflecting station‘s name and frequency; it does
not say anything about station‘s identity and what it stands for. Also, for a
Community Radio, it is more important to know about the station through its
representative than from any other source as station people are in a better
capacity to convey station‘s persona and persuade people powerfully to
understand and be a part of the station. Talking about Sangham Radio 20.8%
respondents both listeners and non listeners got to know about the station
through its representatives and a maximum that is 29.7% claimed that they got
6
73 92
104
113
72
72
59
51 37
16 4
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
Radio Jamia SanghamRadio
Discussion among ourselves
No answer
Questionnaire
Tuned by chance
Station Ad
Somebody told
Radio representatives
196
to know through somebody. Same is applicable to even Sangham Radio that
more and more people should know about the station through its
representative who could successfully convince the people and promote the
station. Since station representatives‘ role is limited in convincing
respondents, this could be a reason of having many non listeners for Sangham
Radio and even larger number of non listeners for Radio Jamia. Both Radio
Jamia and Sangham Radio require good promotional strategies specifically
through station representatives to increase number of listeners and have a
stronger base.
Graph 7 indicates 96.9% Sangham listeners who stated that the station has
developed their area or community while only 18.5% listeners of Radio Jamia
thought that the station has developed their area or community. Sangham
Radio listeners indicated that the station has played a major role in developing
agriculture by providing information about old and extinct crops, seasonal
crops, fertilizers, harmful effects of mechanisation, contributed in preserving
their culture and tradition by encouraging information on regional festival and
agriculture and that it has improved their lifestyle by providing information on
health, food and lifestyle. While listeners of Radio Jamia indicated that the
station has developed their area by providing content in a forgotten language
Urdu and providing student and campus related information. The kind of
information that Sangham has provided to its listeners seems much relevant
not only from the point of view of their regional and professional requirement
but also the listeners consider it important which is the reason majority of
them stated that the station has developed their area or community.
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Graph 7: Contribution in Listeners’ area development
Description: X axis represents the two radio stations, Y represents their
respective listeners
Graph 8
Respondents’ area/community development perception for their
respective stations
Description: X axis represents the two radio stations, Y represents their
respective target audience
20
189
68
4
14
2
6
0
50
100
150
200
250
Radio Jamia Sangham Radio
Don't Know
No answer
Not Developed
Developed
170
255
129
79 31
15 20
1
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
Radio Jamia Sangham Radio
Don’t know
No answer
Cannot develop
Can develop
198
Whereas the same is not the case with Radio Jamia, not many listeners think
that the kind of content it provides is catering anything to development. Many
of the listeners do speak Urdu language but there are many who do not relate
to it since it is a mixed community with some areas dominated by Muslim,
other areas by Hindus, some with high income groups, other with low and
middle income groups, some areas dominated by South Indians and other
areas by North Indian community. The station needs to cater to this mixed
audience since all of them are in its reach. Sangham Radio listeners are
satisfied with content of the station and relate the station with development
while Radio Jamia listeners are not very satisfied with its content and only
few relate to it with development.
Development is a requirement which is not limited to rural areas but also
urban areas. A community radio station whether representing the urban
domain or rural holds the responsibility to facilitate development for the
concerned community. The notion of development however varies from rural
to urban area. The audience of Sangham Radio representing the rural group
(both listeners and non listeners) stated the requirement of improving
condition of roads in their respective villages, availability of drinking water,
increase in number of schools as the villages are far off from schools,
improvement of agriculture, improvement for working and living conditions of
agricultural labours, good hospitals and medical facilities in the vicinity,
employment for educated people, provision of radio sets as many non listeners
wished to listen to the station and improvement of radio signal. As indicated
in Graph 8 72.8% Sangham respondents (listeners and non listeners) agreed
that the station could be involved in development of their area or community.
95.3% of Sangham listeners apart from the suggestions given however
believed that it is already actively engaged in improving conditions of the
respondents. Respondents who did not think that the station could help in
development majorly indicated reasons like weak radio signals and no radio
sets to listen to the station. Graph 8 also indicates that 48.5% respondents of
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Radio Jamia believed that the station could be involved in development. They
expressed requirement of development in areas like traffic and vehicle parking
problem, provision of clean drinking water, availability of government
hospitals in the area, waste management, raising of community issues and
voice to seek authorities‘ attention, and improving identity of residents after
Batla House encounter. However there were only a few who considered the
station could bring change, respondents who didn‘t agree mentioned reasons
like nobody listens to Radio, nobody knows about Radio Jamia, content of
Radio Jamia is not good, and station is not capable to bring development. The
need of development for the rural audience is extremely basic starting from
improving their working conditions to availability of hospitals whereas the
developmental needs of urban respondents is a level above than basics. They
do not talk about improving their work conditions or requirement of hospitals,
rather talk about requirement of government hospitals and enhancing and
appraising their identities post Batla House encounter (a claimed terrorist
encounter that took place during 2009 in the area posing doubts on Muslims
residing there). They are concerned about raising community voice whereas
their rural counterparts do not mention anything like this. The urban audience
have moved far ahead of the development which is required now by their rural
counterparts. Mainstream media had played a great role in facilitating such a
development for them. The rural group could have been at the same position
provided the mainstream media and other players (private organisation and
government) had played the same significant role as they did in the urban area.
Now the community media is doing what should have been achieved decades
ago and couldn‘t be achieved. Their urban counterparts far ahead but still
demand another kind of development at their local level which could be
achieved by the community media. Sangham Radio is actively working for
development of the community, it still needs to widen its horizons to take
development to the next level, Radio Jamia audience have developmental
needs and expectations that could be fulfilled by the station only if it
strengthens its programming and works towards it. Radio Jamia needs to
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promote itself leaving its comfort zone and Sangham Radio needs to improve
its signals and make listening possible for its target audience.
Developmental needs are thus different with every society. A society
developed to an extent craves for development for the next level and hence
none can be fully developed. This ever existing need for development calls for
sustainable development. This is achievable not through an outside agency but
through the society seeking it. They are the best advisors during their own
crises and none but they themselves could provide finest solutions for their
own problems. This increases self sufficiency, self reliability and leads to
sustainable development. An outside agency in the form of media,
government, private organisation, not for profit organisation are mere
facilitators. They can‘t promise development. A development promised by
them can never be sustainable. Hence they could only initiate the process by
empowering the community. This empowerment leads to social change
resulting in development required by the society. Understanding the
developmental needs of both the communities rural and urban and looking at
how the studied community radio stations bring social change for the sample
community, Graph 9 reveals the perception of these communities about a
community radio station bringing social change. 85.7% of Sangham radio
respondents agree that community radio could bring social change and 66.8%
Radio Jamia respondents think that community radio could lead to social
change.
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Graph 9
Respondents’s perception about community radio and social change
Description: X axis represents the two radio stations; Y represents their respective
target audience
Comparatively more Sangham Radio audience are convinced that a community radio
could bring change in the society as they see Sangham Radio as a community Radio
station representing their community. They have witnessed the kind of development
being facilitated by the station. The development by Sangham is not direct but in the
form of empowerment. 96.4% listeners agreed that the station has developed
agriculture in their villages. Now this doesn‘t mean that the station has provided them
loans for agricultural machinery or provided them with free lands. The station has
merely provided them information about seasonal crops, avoiding use of chemical
fertilizers and developing their own manure, ill effects of excessive use of machinery
in land, encouraging them not to leave the land unutilised and to continue growing
crops during all season, adopting collaborative agriculture rather than divided,
developing their own seed bank instead of relying on outside agency every season,
which crop to be grown when and method to preserve and grow old and extinct crops.
They gather such information in their own local language, adopt and utilise it in their
dominant occupation and improve their agricultural yields. Sangham Radio has just
234
300
65
36 41 12 10 2
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
Radio Jamia targetgroup
Sangham Radiotarget group
Don’t Know
No Answer
No
Yes
202
provided relevant information in an appropriate manner and rest of the work is done
by the listeners. The station thus has empowered them economically and a change
could be seen in their agricultural practices. 97.9% listeners stated that the station has
preserved their regional culture. Listeners have mentioned about programmes on
various festivals, giving historical information about festivals and encouraging them
to celebrate such occasions together, their participation in singing agricultural songs,
information about agriculture specific to their region, broadcast of annual agricultural
festival, Burrakatha (traditional story telling techniques) and usage of local language
and slangs making the content not only interesting but letting the audience relate to it.
Through such information and entertainment programmes, Sangham has developed
the importance of their region and identity marring division and differences on the
basis of religion thereby increasing self confidence and self importance among them
thereby empowering them socially, encouraging them to celebrate all festivals
together and bring a change in the society. Information on improving nutritional
elements in their diets with the available food, cooking tips, health tips, ayurvedic
medicines, discussions on resolving domestic issues, as mentioned by the listeners the
station has contributed in improving their lifestyle. The station encourages them to
participate in not only discussions but also programme production, feedback on
programmes, making strategies to improve the programmes and involve them in
designing content. This gives them a democratic environment, giving them the
freedom to speak and hence empowers them politically. Looking at its urban
counterpart Radio Jamia 90.4 FM, listeners do not look at it as a station representing
the community but rather one station among many others in Delhi. They do not
provide any information that reveals that the station has contributed in social change
and empowerment. When asked about a community radio they seem to understand it
as any radio representing a community but do not take Radio Jamia as one of them.
This is because they do not relate much to the station content and hence they are
conditioned in a manner to take community radio merely as a concept rather than
having Radio Jamia at the back of their minds with such a mention. Most of them do
think a community radio station could bring change and development in the
community as it could help in raising community voices, reach authorities, raise local
issues and improve their lifestyles. Some of them do have doubts about the medium
radio and mention that nobody listens to radio these days. Since the audience do think
that community radio could bring change, Radio Jamia‘s job now is to add practicality
203
to its audience thoughts by providing relevant content rather than running the station
in alienation. Their inhibitions about radio as a medium could also be broken down
with the community radio working for them. There mere thoughts should now be
reshaped into beliefs. Few audiences do think that Radio Jamia has contributed in
development but they only mention about promotion of Urdu language and campus
information. Sangham Radio on the other hand has facilitated development not just
through on air programming but also with regular meetings, off air discussions,
feedback sessions, and involving villagers in conceptualising, recording and editing
programmes. Most importantly the station has tried to find out what bothers its
audience and have developed programming accordingly. Radio Jamia seems to be not
much involved with such procedural work this is the reason it has few listeners and
even fewer regular listeners. It needs to take developmental work as campaigns not as
mere radio programme. A community Radio can‘t work only in studios, the station
has to reach the people on ground before it reaches them on air. Though Radio Jamia
only to some extent preserves their regional culture through Urdu programmes and
provides some relevant programmes for students and residents, they seem to be at a
very basic level and can‘t be attributed to social change and development. Sangham
Radio empowers its audience socially and economically thereby improving their
work lives, personal lives and social lives and bringing a change and development
in the community, but its urban counterpart Radio Jamia doesn’t contribute much
to the lives of its audience and fails to empower them and bring change and
development in its respective community.
The above comparative analysis reveals that Radio Jamia respondents do not depend
much on the station as Sangham Radio respondents depend for their information need
on their station. Radio Jamia located in a metropolitan area coexisting with a large
number of mainstream media obviously got sidelined. Also, the station doesn‘t seem
to be making any attempt to reach its audience with powerful campaigns and distinct
content. On the other hand Sangham Radio is located in an under developed region of
India where access to information sources is limited, leaving space to the audience to
depend on the station. Further the station strives to make an attempt with its content
making it much relevant to its audience and providing what they want.
204
Listeners are not approached by Radio Jamia to understand their need and
requirement and the station designs its content on their own without the engagement
of its listeners. Sangham Radio is much participatory and interactive in its approach
than Radio Jamia. Very few listeners have participated in Radio Jamia‘s
programming. Sangham Radio guarantees its audience freedom to communicate by
regularly involving them and asking what they would like to listen on the station. Pre
production of Sangham Radio programme starts on ground with meetings,
discussions, and conceptualising all done by the villagers. However nothing like this
has been revealed by Radio Jamia listeners. Developmental programmes are thus not
merely programmes but strategies and organised development in case of Sangham
Radio. The station running on democratic lines exists primarily for villagers
considering them their owners.
With extremely less audience involvement and content driven by own choice rather
than audience‘s need Radio Jamia seems to be working just for the heck of it. Radio
Jamia as a campus community radio station is fulfilling the requirement of campus by
providing Jamia Millia Islamia information and other information for students. The
station is still not popular even among students and they hardly listen to it since the
station gets broadcasted during the university hours 10am -1pm (Repeat Broadcast)
and 2pm-5pm (Fresh Broadcast) and there is no broadcast during Sundays and public
holidays, hence leaving no time for students to listen to it. Also, during this broadcast
time a large number of community people have already moved out of their areas for
work. Apart from the campus that is a part of the community, it has an important
responsibility towards the community in which the station is lacking largely.
Involvement of audience with Sangham Radio is more also because it broadcasts at an
appropriate time in the evening between 7 and 9 when villagers are relatively free
from work and are in a relaxed mood to listen to the station.
Radio Jamia however takes care of the cultural identity of some of its audience by
broadcasting programmes in Urdu language and even Sangham Radio with its local
Telangana slang (regional language) attracts its audience thereby preserving its local
culture. Radio Jamia audience in Delhi and Sangham Radio audience in Medak both
of them have their unique developmental needs many of which are being fulfilled by
Sangham Radio whereas Radio Jamia by not giving what the audience want fails to
fulfil their developmental needs. Sangham radio is seen by the target audience as a
205
station representing their area and community, thereby empowering them leading to
development and social change. Radio Jamia on the other hand is not seen as a station
representing their community by its audience. As discussed target audience for
Sangham Radio as well as Radio Jamia still have certain needs for further
development and they do expect those needs to be fulfilled and aspire to have a
community radio station facilitating those growth requirements.
Taking lessons from the comparative analysis for Sangham Radio and Radio Jamia
and generalising the results some characteristics unique to community radio stations
in rural and urban settings respectively could be concluded. These specific attributes
demarcating these two kinds of stations could provide an intellectual basis for
improving the existing stations or planning a new one:
A community Radio in the rural set up:
Developmental needs of the people are usually basic and revolve around
necessities including clean drinking water, proper roads, medical and
educational facilities, electricity etc… the task of a community radio station in
a rural set up is to build capacities among its audience, raise their concern to
authorities, and work for ensuring self reliance and sustainability in achieving
these necessities. Once they are empowered and developed at the basic level,
strategies for the next level could be planned.
There is a scarcity of resources among people. Their lives are spent in earning
bread and butter and they aspire to have a reasonable life. They do not relate
development to radio or participation in radio programming to empowerment
or development. There exist a need to make them realise and believe in the
medium radio, and then only they would engage themselves with a community
radio station.
Since they have fewer resources, there is a possibility of not having radio sets.
Apart from conditioning them to listen, facilities need to be provided for
listening to radio. For them going to their agricultural fields and earning their
wages is more important and listening to radio doesn‘t hold any significance.
206
There is no use of a powerful community radio station when audience have no
facility to listen to it.
The audiences are usually homogeneous having similar interests, habits,
occupations, needs, culture and language.
There could be technical issues of improper radio signals in the remote areas
that might remain unreported, converting listeners into non listeners. These
technical lags need to be corrected at the earliest.
Existence of other media would be less and even negligible.
A community Radio in the urban set up:
Development needs are usually unique, ranging from basic to complex. The
needs of the audience could involve requirement of clean drinking water and a
clean environment to identity crisis, sexual freedom, human rights, and gender
equality.
Mainstream media exists in abundance. People have fixed and consistent
sources of information. A community radio exists like an extra and
complimentary source for them making the nature of dependence limited or
negligible. Need for a community radio in such a scenario should be worked
out in a manner that the media does not turn out to be underutilized and
ignored.
At a time when world has become a product of technology with glamorous
mainstream media hovering around, seeking attention of people towards native
thoughts could be tougher task. People already in the global atmosphere need
to be convinced to participate in a media that accentuates their local
environment.
The audience usually heterogeneous in many aspects shows some signs of
homogeneity. People from different cultural background, traditions, habits,
sexual identities etc often reside in a particular area reflecting a pluralistic
207
texture. Community Radio station‘s identity and content should be designed
keeping in mind such specific traits.
Dependence on the medium Radio in India is considerably limited because of
the growth of other kinds of media on one side and the stagnancy of Radio on
the other. Radio in India remains synonymous with music heard during drive
times on private FM music channels. The monopoly of All India Radio has
limited Indian radio industry to experiment. India has lately seen some
experiments with community radio stations. In such a scenario a community
Radio station in an urban area has got an additional task of convincingly
placing themselves parallel to mainstream media while reviving the old charm
of radio.
An individual analysis of a community radio station in a rural setting (Sangham
Radio) and another in an urban setting (Radio Jamia) and later a comparative analysis
of both the stations lead to generalisation of the results and find some unique traits of
community radio stations in rural and urban areas. Learning some lessons from
ground zero, generalising the results of the findings while keeping my research
objectives in mind and understanding the importance of being local while global,
information through alternative along with mainstream, and attaining sustainable
development while achieving development, I provide some suggestions to gain
popularity and acceptance and improve the functioning of community radio stations in
rural and urban India:
Community Radio stations should be taken as a strategy for facilitating
development and building capacities. It is not just a usual music or
entertainment radio but a radio station with a purpose. This is a reason its
need is realised and lobbying has been done by a number of media enthusiasts,
social workers, and academicians for its set up and growth in a world
dominated by the mainstream. Before setting up a community radio station in
a rural or an urban area it is important to calculate its requirement. Calculating
the need would ensure strategising and designing specific content to achieve
long term goals. These long term developmental goals would be a combination
of various small objectives that would involve speaking with audience,
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involving them to design content, participation of audience in programme
presentation and production, raising their voices, holding regular meetings
with audience and authorities, forming a link between audience and
authorities. A community radio station while putting up a proposal should
have done its ground work and should specify the requirement of such a
station along with its various objectives during at least 5 years of its
functioning.
A community radio station should also function like other radio stations if
not at large scale then at least at small scale. Promotion is an important
aspect for any Radio and it becomes more important when it is a Community
Radio Station. Due to lack of funds, this aspect is often ignored by most of the
community radio stations in India. There is no point existing when audience
don‘t know that you exist. Mainstream media catches the eyes and ears of
audience through innovative promotional gimmicks and glamorous content.
To hook the audience, a community radio station requires even innovative
approach due to it‘s not so glamorous but essential content. Funds should be
set aside for on air as well as on ground promotions for the station. There is no
requirement to spend a huge amount rather intelligent promotion even with
local vendors in radius area is sufficient.
Urban populace in particular often look down upon radio as a medium. Due to
government‘s monopoly on Indian Radio, the stations have been served to
them with just Bollywood music and limited experiments. Community Radio
as a concept serves a unique advantage of making the people realize and
gather their lost belief in radio. Considering the medium their own and
using it themselves for their own issues and problems and to build capacity
and sustainability would definitely strike the audience if the content is made
powerful. Stations especially in the urban areas should not survive just for the
heck of it but understand it as an opportunity to revive their audiences trust in
this earthy medium.
Community Radio is the best medium to promote the idea of citizen
journalism. Gone are the days when few gifted people with a knack to
209
conceptualise, produce and deliver were considered journalists. Barring all
these text book skills and production and editing techniques, a community
radio invites its audience to get involved, interact, conceptualise, participate,
raise their own issues in their own voices, and develop themselves. Who
knows the problem better than a person who actually experiences it? Let the
people who have experienced it speak and solve. Let them be journalists. The
idea of citizen journalism, media ownership, media democracy, participation
and interactivity should not only be advocated but also promoted through
Community Radio.
Narrowcasting should be used as complimentary along with broadcasting.
Narrowcasting has a significant role in the emergence of community radio
stations in India but since community radio stations are allowed to be
broadcasted we have ignored it. Listening pattern in rural areas are affected by
lack of listening environment and unavailability of radio sets. Whereas in
urban areas it is the inhibition about radio and weak content that sets the
people away from community radio. If audience is not reaching on air, off air
listening environment should be created. In rural areas distribution of radio
sets is a must but also creating feasible listening sessions will help. Selecting
interesting programmes, inviting village people and playing the same in tea
shops, panchayats (political body in rural areas), hospitals, religious places
and haat (village market or fairs) and in urban areas playing such
programmes in clubs, local restaurants, malls, hospital lounges, and slums
located within the radius would not only promote the station with no money
but would also increase listenership.
Learning from narrowcasting some informational, educational and
developmental programmes could be used to teach lessons in schools and
universities, prisons, behaviour correcting places and in campaigns and
activities undertaken by social workers. This kind of narrowcasting would
also generate feedback.
210
India though witnessed the growth of community radio stations, it is still in a
way a voluntary work where government either doesn‘t provide any funds or
provides limited funds. Educational institutions and not for profit
organisations are supposed to generate their own funds to run the station. This
is taken as a voluntary work with no gain, much ease and often with not much
responsibility to run it effectively with a purpose. This becomes as a
secondary job where the available resources are not utilized properly but a
feather is added in the cap. In order to assure responsibility government
should allot a limited but fixed yearly amount to all radio stations. A half
yearly report on how the funds are being utilized should be coupled with
timely feedback sessions from the audience about respective community
radio stations. This will definitely ensure proper functioning of the stations
along with reasonable utilization of resources.
Community radio stations should also set up their own feedback techniques.
Regular feedbacks would ensure strong programming, appropriate additions to
the content and loyal listeners.
In United States of America, United Kingdom and Germany, listeners are
made members who contribute a fixed amount regularly and take up onus and
responsibility to run the community radio stations on their own. Sangham
Radio though has got some members contributing Rs.50 annually, this concept
is however not popular among other community radio stations in India. If we
make the concept of our development in our own hands popular among the
audience then such member contribution in terms of fixed amount
periodically could also be included to ensure funds for the station.
A community radio station should not only exist on air but also reach its
audience off air and on ground. Organising on field activities as a part of a
strategy and campaign chasing a developmental goal would not only ensure
increment in listenership but also generation of funds. Such events could be
sponsored by local traders functioning within the station‘s radius. Ministry of
Information and Broadcasting in India though restricts the advertisements on
community radio stations to 5 minutes an hour but allowing getting sponsors
211
for such events would be advantageous to stations who suffer scarcity of
funds. Such an act should be followed by authorities ensuring that the amount
generated through such events is utilised for the station functioning and not
consumed as personal profits.
Station promotion should be limited to making the station known among its
audience and create some funds to be utilised for station functioning.
Promotional strategy should not be used to create the need and persuade the
audience to consume content that the station thinks fit. If agendas are set like
this there would be no difference between the mainstream media and
alternative radio. A community radio station should rather work
democratically by providing what the audience need rather than creating the
need.
Station representatives should regularly meet the audience to ensure that
there are not just selected people who run the station but everybody within
the radius is a part and parcel of the station. Promotion for community
radio stations without its representatives reaching the community people is
like no promotion. Meeting with people gives a better chance for station
representatives to explain about the station‘s concept and that how it is
different from the rest of the media. Also like in the study many Sangham non
listeners stayed away from participating in the station stating that they were
never invited and that only a few people participate. Surely a community radio
station needs to depend on some select people to ensure regular programming,
but spreading the word that the station runs on a democratic line where
anybody and everybody is invited to get engaged and participate could be
done better by none others but station representatives.
Like a proper radio station having regular programmes, it‘s often noticed that
community radio stations do not have regular programming. Their
programming goes haywire with anything being broadcasted any time. This is
due to the fact they do not have regular hosts. A community radio station
might not be able to ensure fixed and regular hosts since it is open to
participation from audience but it could make sure to have defined
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programming slots. Programming slots could be defined according to audience
need and developmental goals like dedicated time for entertainment,
informational programmes, local news, issues based programme, audience
problems and concerns, community centric (good for urban communities
having heterogeneous characteristics) etc…such programmes would continue
for a considerable amount of time as a part of station strategy until the next
change but hosts could obviously change. Regular programming would not
only ensure achieving the target but also loyal listeners.
The broadcast time of the community radio stations run by government
educational institutions in urban areas is dependent on the functioning timing
of such institute with no broadcast during public holidays. Radio Jamia works
on the same concept. Any radio station‘s broadcast hour is decided by
listening habits of its audience. This is the reason radio stations have the
highest RAM (Radio Audience Measurement) ratings during morning and
evening drive time hours as radio in urban areas is heard the most while
driving. Community radio station‘s timing should also be defined depending
on its audience‘s habit staying in the community. The best time is mornings
and evenings when the residents are usually within the radius and have not
moved out for work unless the community radio stations work for longer
durations. Sangham Radio broadcasts itself from 7pm-9pm when its audience
have returned from a hard day‘s work. A radio station does not have public
holidays in fact there exists a tendency to be heard more during such holidays.
A community Radio station should function independently and properly and
not at the mercy of the organisation running it. Proper timing is important
to ensure listenership and utility of the station.
A community understands what it requires more than anyone else, they know
their issues that require priority and very well know the solutions of problems
they are actually facing. Making provisions for identifying capable people
from within the community and giving them licenses to operate community
radio stations could be another step by the government in path of improving
this medium.
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With campus community radio stations run by educational institutions there
exists a tendency of confusion among the audience thereby understanding the
station only for the campus or University‘s station while leaving the
community aspect of it. A similar kind of misunderstanding prevails among
the audience of Radio Jamia. It is extremely important to convey to the
audience that the station is for the community and not just university and
that the university is a part of the community only.
Above all the aim of a community radio station should be far wide and ahead
of just information or entertainment. For this there are other radio stations.
Community Radio stations should be treated functionally different from other
radio stations and should be considered having a responsibility and
accountability of assigned communities. Their purpose should be to build
capacities and self reliance. Ensuring accountability from the community
radio station would not only empower its communities but would also
guarantee that the responsibility of running community radio stations is
taken seriously.
Community radio whether in a developed or under developed area places its listeners
not only at the receiving point but also at the providing point. It very well establishes
communication as a circular process. If somebody‘s animal gets lost, if there is a
traffic jam, if there is an emergency alert, when areas are hit by disasters like tsunami
and Uttrakhand floods, its radio everywhere taking the lead. Radio a humble medium
with its ability to be extremely native, local, and technically easy and to reach those
remote nooks and corners, does powerful communication. Why not use this simple
medium effectively for communication for change? Instead of making the culture,
society and life a product of technology like other mediums radio enhances them with
the help of its technology. Stressing on the need of involving people in decision
making and importance of self governance, Kejriwal cites an example ―The village of
Bhondsi near Delhi had very few trees, so the forest department was given the task of
planting trees. The work was not carried out properly. It was handled by inept and
inefficient employees of the government and the target was nowhere near completion.
To complete target in a short time seeds were sprinkled over large tract of land from
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helicopter. The seeds were of keekar tree that grows very fast. The forest department
had to show that they have been able to plant a forest. The forest department did not
bother that keekar consumes a lot of water which it sucks from its land. The water
table fell drastically in the village disrupting the water management. There was no
participation of people of Bhondsi. No suggestions were taken from the people to find
what kind of trees should be planted.‖(Kejriwal, 2012, p.20)Had there been
involvement of people in such a simple task the village would have been saved by
such big water mismanagement. Had there been involvement of a community radio in
involving villagers and facilitating greenery for them or raising voice of the people
against this haphazard act, the environment and other resources could have been
saved. This is where community radio plays its role. Community radio facilitates
development in hands of people through the much talked about Swaraj or self
governance model.
With the above mentioned recommendations for powerful functioning of community
radio stations in rural and urban India and advocating it as a strong medium for
development for any society, I revisit my research objectives:
To examine the potential of community radio in articulating and
addressing community issues and grievances.
Community Radio is a powerful medium to raise one‘s voice. Working on the
principles of democratic media and freedom of communication and
expression, it exists for its audience and exists because of them. Community is
the owner of community radio. As a medium and as a concept it has the
potential in articulating and addressing issues and grievances. There is a
tendency for Community Radio stations in Indian urban area to assume that
there are no developmental issues and go easy with the station. This is a
concept that is far ahead of providing just entertainment rather provides
empowerment through infotainment. Potential of any community radio station
whether in urban or rural sector would only be realised if it functions as source
of not only information but articulating, conversing and addressing. This kind
of station functions not just on air but also off air.
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To analyze the role of community radio in empowerment and social
change of its target audience.
Analysing the effect of Sangham Radio‘s and Radio Jamia ‗s programming on
its respective audience, it could be stated that community radio if used
effectively could bring change in its target area. There is a relationship
between community radio and social change provided that with its targeted
and strong content if it involves its audience at all stages then it could facilitate
development for them by empowering them. The empowered audience
themselves would bring change in the society. It is a gradual process that does
not guarantee quick fix solutions or instant development but sustainable
development.
Empowerment understood as a term providing power and capacity to bring
self development, a community radio does this job. Empowerment however is
closely related in the present scenario only to people or areas that seem under
developed and others who are visibly developed are assumed to be
empowered. Now this is where the relation between community radio and
empowerment becomes null. Community Radio comes into existence in a
particular area with a purpose that means its audience requires something.
When this ‗something‘ is understood and community radio works for
facilitating this ‗something‘, what it provides in the process is empowerment.
Having said that, there can exist a number of factors and causes of
empowerment of people, among them community Radio is one strong among
many other factors that could empower its audience.
To identify the degree of dependence on this relatively new form of
media- community radio in rural and urban settings, at a time when other
mediums of communication are known and available.
In rural India where under development is readily visible community radio
station aim towards improvement. In urban areas where under development
does not mark its presence instantly this is where community communication
takes a back seat. Urban audience require community communication like
their rural counterparts. Just because they have information sources does not
216
mean community communication is inappropriate. The study reveals the
development needs of Radio Jamia audience which could be facilitated
through a strong community communication. Requirement of community
communication exists, what is required is the realisation that going local is as
important as going global.
The degree of dependence on such a medium is relatively high where there is
less of mainstream media. In the presence of sufficient mainstream
information sources, this media gets ignored not only by the audience but also
by the people running the station. Media that already exists has a strong base
and is large in number; community radio is not there to compete with this
mainstream media. Mainstream media does its own job by connecting
globally, while community radio connects locally. Both are essential.
Dependence on this other medium in the presence of mainstream would only
increase when people are informed about its power and utility.
To examine the prospects of the community radio stations under study in
generating social consciousness and activeness among its community.
Analyses of two functional community radio stations Sangham Radio in rural
setting and Radio Jamia in urban settings revealed that the presence of
Sangham Radio does make a difference in the lives of its audience.
Information given by the station empowers them, brings them closer to their
culture, improves their agriculture yields and builds confidence among the
audience, all this leading to change in their work and personal lives thereby
leading to development. Whereas the analysis revealed that the presence of
Radio Jamia has no significant difference in the lives of its audience. The
station largely remains unheard and unknown about its concept and utility
among its audience. Since Radio Jamia audience seek very less or negligible
information from the station, there is no relation between the station‘s
information and empowerment of its audience and hence does not bring
development and social change in the area concerned.
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Sangham Radio has developed social consciousness and activeness among its
audience and this is visible through instances such as they are aware of
harmful effects of excessive mechanisation and chemical fertilizers, they now
develop their own manures and store their own seeds becoming self reliant,
they celebrate all festivals together without any religion or caste differences,
they work together for Sangham Radio programme production, women
participate and take equal part in discussions along with men, many
respondents stated about realising ill effects of alcoholism and understood the
necessity of sending girl child to school, taking care of expecting mothers and
gaining nutrition from the available food grains. There is a good level of social
consciousness and activeness garnered through the station and now this could
be taken to next level by looking into matters of higher education, jobs for
educated people, proper roads, drinking water facility, provision of more
schools as suggested by the audience. Radio Jamia audience living in an urban
area surrounded by mainstream media could be assumed to be socially
conscious and active as a result of the mainstream functioning and other urban
factors including education, greater exposure, technology, opportunities and
interactivity. There exists no relation of Radio Jamia in this. However there
are certain extremely local needs that require attention most importantly the
identity crisis after Batla House encounter as mentioned by the audience. This
and other issues like government health facilities in the area, regularisation of
colonies, clean drinking water, community voice all such mentioned by the
audience require the attention of a media and Radio Jamia being a community
radio could probably address all these. However the station to an extent
preserves the cultural identity through Urdu language but it needs to first get
itself socially active to develop consciousness and activeness among its
audience.
To evaluate the need and direction in community radio functioning to
develop an empowered and self dependent society.
As revealed in the suggestions provided through a comparative analysis of
both the stations in urban and rural settings, the idea of community
information, community radio, participation and democratic media needs to be
218
highly promoted and develop a greater understanding about it among people.
Community Radio station should not be understood as a mere information or
entertainment source with just local bands singing or talent participating rather
it should be perceived as a strategy and campaign for empowerment and
sustainable development.
To draw general conclusions as a result thereof.
Analysing community radio stations in urban and rural settings, comparing
them, and recommending functional changes, it may be concluded that India
with its urban and rural corners aspires varied development. Community
Radio having a great potential if remodeled functionally could be related and
has a positive effect on development and could play an essential role in
scanning and facilitating sustainable development through empowerment and
social change.
Hypothesis: “Community radio has the potential to emerge as an instrument of
sensitization about issues of vital importance and bring about empowerment and
change for its audience.”
As discussed, community radio with its inherent features and qualities has the
potential and also a relationship with development and change. The potential of this
medium needs to be explored and utilised by the people running it and requiring the
change and development. It is a requirement of people in rural as well as urban areas.
By raising issues of importance for specific communities it does bring about
empowerment and change for its audience. What is essentially required is to think
about the medium with wider horizons than the existing narrower ones and get it into
an effective utilisation.
Technological advancements and globalisation is good until it connects but its ill
effects are realised when it uses media for commodification of culture and democracy.
Being a part of the globalised world and information society mainstream media many
times tends to filter out freedom from information. This is where we require
alternative media. ―Alternative media must be deprofessionalised, decapatalised and
219
deinstitutionalised.‖ (Hamilton, 2001 in Chris, 2003) Hamilton advocates a media not
for professionals but in hands of anybody and everybody and away from the clutches
of profit making organisation. There has been a tremendous growth in the number of
community radio stations in India with presently 163 such stations all over India as on
15th
Feb 2014 as per the data of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and there
are more to go. (Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, 2014 ―Recently,
Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&B) introduced a new scheme which will
provide 50 per cent of the equipment cost to new and established community radio
stations. According to the 11th Five Year Plan, Rs 100 crore was earmarked for
community radio stations. Out of which Rs 90 crore is for building operational
community radio stations, and the remainder Rs 10 crore for the workshops organised
by the Ministry every year.‖ (Ek Duniya Anek Awaz, 2014) Indeed a great news to
have money pouring in the sector of alternative radio. More than this we need
community radio to be a part of the society as we require self reliance to be. More
appropriate than this one time money, the stations require money to exist and uphold.
More than establishment we require sustainability, more than growth and
development we require self development and sustainable development. We have a
number of community radio stations in urban and rural areas doing developmental
work like Radioactive an urban community radio station in Bangalore, South India,
catering to the heterogeneous population in the metropolitan city with its
developmental programming and campaigns including sanitation problems in various
areas of Bangalore, content dedicated to HIV positive people and disability, a show
hosted by a transgender etc..and another one in the rural area of North India in Mewat,
Haryana (Radio Mewat) with its campaign on making the village tuberculosis free,
consumer helpline on radio, registration of FIR(First Information Report) on radio
etc.. Community Radio surely can‘t be the sole factor effecting development but could
be one of the important elements, pushing and facilitating development. Streamlining,
strategising, organising, examining and including a follow up in the functioning is
what we require to utilise the potential of community radio media for building
capacities and contributing significantly in Indian development. This kind of
alternative culture strives to exist and coexist strongly along with the mainstream. It
doesn‘t demand to be oppositional or replace the hegemony that already exists. There
is mainstream to connect us globally, let‘s develop alternative to connect us locally,
let‘s not just think global but glocal!!
220
Contribution to new knowledge while giving scope to
future researchers
Renewable sources of energy are always preferred more than the non renewable ones
because they could be replenished and ensure sustainability. Similarly, Community
Radio stations are like those renewable sources available reasonably and providing
sustainability. A study on Indian community radio stations at a time when the sector is
still in a developing mode and at a time when there is still scope and need for
improvement in these kind of stations in India, definitely adds up to the research pool.
This study contributes to knowledge in the sense that it tries to understand the stations
from the point of view and need of the audience. Instead of analysing station
programming, it analyses audience perception, requirement, dependence and
satisfaction level with these community radio stations. Also, there are studies trying to
understand community radio stations only from programming aspect and that even
limited to rural India. The current study contributing to new knowledge thus analyses
community radio station also in urban India with a strong thought that even the urban
populace requires development and community radio. Pointing towards the radio
industry in India, there is going to be a lot of change with some new policy decisions
and growth of radio stations in various Indian nooks and corners, hence this study
resonating the importance of community radio stations and through suggestions for
community radio functioning could provide the foundation and reasons for relevant
changes.
Talking about participatory paradigm, this study stressing on the importance of self
and sustainable development understands the role of community radio in
empowerment and social change. With a wide technological advancements and
inventions happening swiftly in some countries but hugely affecting the rest of world
and specially the developing parts of the world, this indigenous media need though
realised even in developed world but still is in its nascent stage even there. Adding an
Indian dimension to this paradigm not only contributes to new knowledge but also
gives a scope to other researchers to further undertake studies like alternative media
with respect to technological advancements, Indian community radio station with its
221
counterparts in other parts of developed and under developed regions of the world,
textually analysing community specific programming as development agents,
longitudinal and experimental studies on sustainability and development through
community radio stations, concept of citizen journalism through community radio
stations, case studies across various parts of the world exemplifying the need of
alternative media and comparative analysis of alternative and mainstream media
reflecting parallel coexistence and defining their individual requirement domains.
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Annexure A
Questionnaire for academic research
This questionnaire is related to my PhD thesis on Community Radio. Your
cooperation in filling the questionnaire is solicited. Your observations will be
used only for research purpose and will not be used for any other activity.
The appended questions are meant for the listeners of Radio Jamia 90.4 FM.
Please be honest as your replies will contribute to the improvement of Indian
Radio.
Name:
Age:
Sex:
Profession: (If Housewife, kindly mention)
Area of residence/work:
Phone and email: (Contact details will be kept confidential)
1) How often do you listen to Radio Jamia 90.4 FM? Tick one
Everyday
More than once a week
Once a week
2) How you got to know about Radio Jamia?
o Tuned in by chance
o Somebody told
o Radio Jamia‘s Ad on banner
o Radio Jamia‘s Ad through other media
o Radio Jamia people visited your area and told about the station
3) Is Radio Jamia 90.4 FM different from other stations that you have heard? If
Yes, please state how is it different? If No, please state what makes it like any
other radio station?
Yes
No
4) What programmes do you like on Radio Jamia 90.4 FM?
239
5) Do you depend on Radio Jamia for your information need? Tick One. If yes,
state for what information need do you depend on it?
Yes
No
6) Do you think Radio Jamia provides you information that other kind of popular
media doesn‘t provide? Tick One. If yes, state what kind of information?
Yes
No
7) Apart from listening, have you ever participated in making or hosting
programmes for Radio Jamia? Tick One. If yes, how often and what kind of
programmes?
Yes
No
8) Have you ever been involved in decision making for Radio Jamia‘s content?
Tick One. If Yes, how?
Yes
No
9) Has Radio Jamia through its programmes ever contributed towards any change
or development of your area or it‘s residents? Tick One. If yes, how?
Yes
No
10) Do you think Radio Jamia can be actively involved in development of your
area and residents? Tick One. If Yes, how? If No, why?
Yes
No
240
11) What do you think about the information or entertainment provided by Radio
Jamia. Tick one.
Excellent
Good
Average
Poor
12) How popular is Radio Jamia in your area?
Many people know
Few people know
Very few know
Nobody knows
13) Do you prefer a radio station that represents your area or your community‘s
voice? If yes, what kind of programmes would you like on such station?
14) Do you think having a community‘s own radio station can bring development
and social change? Tick One. If yes, state how? If No, state why?
Yes
No
241
Annexure B
Questionnaire for academic research
This questionnaire is related to my PhD thesis on Community Radio. Your
cooperation in filling the questionnaire is solicited. Your observations will be
used only for research purpose and will not be used for any other activity. Please
be honest as your replies will contribute to the improvement of Indian Radio.
Name (you are free to be anonymous):
Age:
Sex:
Profession: (If Housewife, kindly mention)
Area of residence/work:
Phone/email: (Contact details will be kept confidential)
1) Do you know about the existence of a radio station called Radio Jamia 90.4
FM in or around your area? Tick one
I know
I don‘t know
2) How often do you listen to Radio Jamia 90.4 FM? Tick one
Never
Heard just once and never heard it again
Once a month or even less than that
3) Why don‘t you listen to Radio Jamia quiet often:
Because I never knew about it
I don‘t know it‘s frequency
I heard it and found boring/not useful
I don‘t listen to any kind of Radio.
242
4) How you got to know about Radio Jamia?
o Got to know now through this questionnaire
o Tuned in by chance
o Somebody told
o Radio Jamia‘s Ad on banner
o Radio Jamia‘s Ad through other media
o Radio Jamia people visited my area and told about the station
5) How popular is Radio Jamia in your area? Tick One.
Many people Know
Few people know
Very few people know
Nobody knows
6) Do you have any kind of information need that is not fulfilled by the popular
media? If yes, what kind of information need?
7) Do you think your area or community or its people require any kind of
development or change? If yes, state what kind of development?
8) Do you think radio Jamia can help in achieving development expected by
you? Tick one.
Yes – (State how and through what programs)
No- (State why)
9) Do you prefer a radio station that represents your area or your community‘s
voice? If yes what kind of programmes would you like on such station?
10) Do you think having a community specific or area specific radio station can
bring development and social change? If yes, state how? If No, state why?
11) If you have a radio station that belongs to your community/area, would you
like to actively get involved in it? Tick one.
Yes
No
243
Annexure C
Questionnaire for academic research
This questionnaire is related to my PhD thesis on Community Radio. Your
cooperation in filling the questionnaire is solicited. Your observations will be
used only for research purpose and will not be used for any other activity.
The appended questions are meant for the listeners of Sangham Radio 90.4 FM.
Please be honest as your replies will contribute to the improvement of Indian
Radio.
Name (You are free to be anonymous):
Age:
Sex:
Profession: (If Housewife, kindly mention)
Area of residence/work:
Phone and email: (Contact details will be kept confidential)
1) How often do you listen to Sangham Radio 90.4 FM? Tick one (change the
options below in telugu
Everyday
More than once a week
Once a week
2) How you got to know about Sangham Radio? Please tick one or more than
one options.
Tuned in by chance
Somebody told
Sangham radio‘s Ad on banner or other media
Sangham radio people visited your area and told about
the station
3) Is Sangham radio different from other radio stations that you have heard? If
Yes, please state how is it different? If No, please state what makes it like any
other radio station?
Yes
No
4) What programmes do you like on Sangham radio?
244
5) Rate your preference for the source of information. 1 being the most preferred
and 5 being the least preferred.
Internet
Television
Newspaper
Sangham Radio
Radio station other than Sangham radio (Please mention the name or
names of radio stations)
6) Do you depend on Sangham radio for your information need? Tick One. If
yes, state for what information need do you depend on it?
Yes
No
7) Do you think Sangham radio provides you information that other kind of
media doesn‘t provide? Tick One. If yes, state what kind of information?
Yes
No
8) Apart from listening, have you ever participated in making or hosting
programmes for Sangham radio? Tick One. If yes, how often and what kind of
programmes?
Yes
No
9) Have you ever been involved in decision making for Sangham radio‘s
content? Tick One. If Yes, how?
Yes
No
10) Has Sangham radio through its programmes ever contributed towards any
change or development of your area or its residents? Tick One. If yes, how?
Yes
No
11) Is there any improvement or development you have seen in yourself or your
family that can be associated with listening to Sangham radio? If yes, please
explain.
245
12) Do you think Sangham radio can be actively involved in development of your
area and residents? Tick One. If Yes, how? If No, why?
Yes
No
13) What do you think about the information or entertainment provided by
Sangham radio. Tick one.
Excellent
Good
Average
Poor
14) How popular is Sangham radio in your area?
Many people know
Few people know
Very few know
Nobody knows
15) How important is Sangham radio for your village? Tick one
Very important
Important
Least important
Not important at all.
16) Please provide your suggestions if any for Sangham radio.
17) Do you think people who are not listening to Sangham radio are losing
anything? Tick one. If yes, please state what?
Yes
No
246
18) Do you think having a community‘s own radio station can bring development
and social change? Tick One. If yes, state how? If No, state why?
Yes
No
19) Is Sangham Radio benefitting you in your agricultural work? If yes how?
20) Is Sangham Radio developing and preserving your regional culture. If yes
how?
251
Annexure D
Questionnaire for academic research
This questionnaire is related to my PhD thesis on Community Radio. Your
cooperation in filling the questionnaire is solicited. Your observations will be
used only for research purpose and will not be used for any other activity. Please
be honest as your replies will contribute to the improvement of Indian Radio.
Name (you are free to be anonymous):
Age:
Sex:
Profession: (If Housewife, kindly mention)
Area of residence/work:
Phone/email: (Contact details will be kept confidential)
1) Do you know about the existence of a radio station called Sangham Radio 90.4
FM in or around your area? Tick one
I know
I don‘t know
2) How often do you listen to Sangham Radio 90.4 FM? Tick one include below
options in telugu set
Never
Heard it just once and then never heard it again
Once a month or less than that
3) Why don‘t you listen to Sangham Radio quiet often:
Because I never knew about it
I don‘t know it‘s frequency
I heard it and found boring/not useful
I don‘t listen to any kind of Radio. (include this in telugu set)
4) How you got to know about Sangham Radio?
o Got to know now through this questionnaire
o Tuned in by chance
o Somebody told
o Sangham Radio‘s Ad on banner or other media
o Sangham Radio people visited my area and told about the station
(include in telugu)
252
5) How popular is Sangham Radio in your area? Tick One.
Many people Know
Few people know
Very few people know
Nobody knows
6) Have you ever been invited by Sangham radio people to contribute in
programming? Tick one. If yes, did you participate and how? If no, why didn‘t
you participate?
Yes
No
7) Rate your preference for the source of information. 1 being the most preferred
and 5 being the least preferred.
Internet
Television
Newspaper
Sangham Radio
Radio station other than Sangham radio (Please mention the name or
names of radio stations)
8) Do you have any kind of information need that is not fulfilled by the popular
media? If yes, what kind of information need?
9) Do you think your area or community or its people require any kind of
development or change? If yes, state what kind of development?
10) Do you think Sangham Radio can help in achieving development expected by
you? Tick one.
Yes – (State how and through what programs)
No- (State why)
253
11) Do you prefer a radio station that represents your area or your community‘s
voice? If yes what kind of programmes would you like on such station?
12) Do you think having a community specific or area specific radio station can
bring development and social change? If yes, state how? If No, state why?
13) If you have a radio station that belongs to your community/area, would you
like to actively get involved in it? Tick one.
Yes
No
14) Please provide suggestions if any to Sangham Radio.