Third International Conference on Communication & Media Studies

Abstract

India witnessed the first Community Radio Station (CRS) in the year 2004 after the airwaves were made public property following a verdict by the Supreme Court of India in 1995. Shri S. K. Arora, the then Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of India in 2007 said that in the next few years 4000 community radio stations will be established across the country. But after a great struggle and relentless journey, there are only a meager 179 odd stations at present. Though the main reasons being the stringent procedure for getting a license to run the station and issues with financial sustainability and technological sustainability, community radio as a concept is not very successful in India. The objective of this research paper is to study in depth the major problems and challenges faced by two such community radio stations in Madurai District run by NGOs. This paper argues that development is desirable and that community media can, indeed, contribute towards development. But generally the role of media is over-emphasized and it claims a priority of importance. There are little media can do in isolation. A minimal, pre-existing level of Social Capital i.e., the ability of people to work together for common purposes in groups and organizations is necessary for community development to work. The success of a Community Radio station will be ensured only by exhaustive participation from the community members and not by financial sustainability which can be guaranteed by institutional funds or sponsors.