400 more FM radio channels to come up in India
Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and All India Radio (AIR) are planning to provide 400 more FM (Frequency Modulation) channels. Currently, there are only 30 FM channels in the private sector. Apart from the FM radio expansion, the government is also looking at having roughly 5000 community radio networks through a restructure in policy and simplifying guidelines. At present the FM services of AIR serve 30 percent of the Indian population and it is restricted only to the urban areas. The expansion would bring most of the rural areas into the transmission reach. The target for coverage by the end of the current five-year plan is 50 per cent. This expansion by the Ministry will bring the second radio revolution in India. All India Radio (AIR) in India has also launched an offer of 50 percent discount on its commercial slots for community radio programming. 44 AIR stations have been identified for this. Sixteen educational institutes have been issued letters of intent to set up community radio stations. At present the Anna University in Chennai is the only recently licensed non-profit broadcaster. Vidya Pratisthan’s Institute of Information Technology (VIIT) in Baramati, Maharashtra has also got a license to operate community radio station. All India radio is the only major operator of over 200 radio stations in the country.


Communty radio made legal in United Kingdom
It was a historic day in the long journey of community radio when full time communty radio was made legal in United Kingdom. After over twenty years of campaigning by the Community Media Association and its members, the community radio Order legalised a new tier of not-for-profit radio stations, enabling communities throughout the UK to use the medium of radio to create new opportunities for regeneration, employment, learning, social cohesion and inclusion as well as cultural and creative expression. However, the new Order imposes certain limitations by which a large number of communities will be severely restricted in their ability to achieve financial sustainability and others will not be allowed to have community radio at all.


UGANDA drafts first national broadcasting policy
Following a nation-wide survey to gauge Ugandan’s views on the performance of the broadcast media, a broadcasting policy was drafted to guide operations such as content, ownership, broadcaster obligations, advertising, human resource development, the media and good governance and signal distribution. To elicit comments on the draft, the broadcasting council of Uganda also held a public meeting.


TRAI recommends Unified Licensing Regime in India
Telecom Regulatory of India (TRAI) recommended a Unified Licensing Regime covering from telecom to broadcasting. The recommendations envisaged a two-stage process to introduce a Unified Licensing Regime in the country. The first phase that entails a Unified Access Service License at the circle level has already been implemented. The second phase is on its way where preliminary consultation paper and Open House discussions have already been held. Based on the comments of the two, TRAI finalised the draft recommendations. All the stakeholders are now given the opportunity to offer comments on these draft recommendations to help in the finalisation of final recommendation on Unified Licensing regime to the government of India. The draft recommendations can be read at TRAI website.


MF to launch project with Radio Sagarmatha in Nepal
The Mountain Forum (MF) Secretariat is launching a pilot project in Nepal in association with the Asia Pacific Mountain Network (the Asia-Pacific node of the Mountain Forum) and Radio Sagarmatha, which is the oldest independent community broadcasting station of South Asia. The project aims to form a bridge between the audience (and participants) of the radio programmes and the Mountain Forum community. This would facilitate a dialogue between communities at the grassroots in Nepal and the global and regional communities of the Mountain Forum. Potential issues for discussion will be identified, ideas will be posted on MF online discussion lists and inputs will be provided to Radio Sagarmatha producers to be incorporated into their research. In the first phase, there are plans to produce and broadcast 8 to 10 such programmes in the local language. The Mountain Forum is a network of networks focused on sustainable mountain development issues. It is primarily made of academics, students, experts, professionals and policy makers across the region and the world.