Reaching the Unreached through Community Radio (CR)

  • Mr. Soumitra Mondal

Abstract

Community radio has become popular in recent years as the media of root-level individuals in deprived communities, and it has opened a new arena for the involvement of both politicians and grassroots individuals in the growth process of their community. Nevertheless, after liberalisation, privatisation, and globalisation in the 1990s, through its programme material and advertising, the country has witnessed the rise of giant media companies projecting an elitist lifestyle. For most parts of India, radio remains the prime source of news and entertainment. Community radio plays a critical role in a country's communication. It represents a specific community's culture, philosophy and feelings, norms and values. Community radio has become a common and new opportunity for both media professionals and grassroots people as the media of residents of a specific community. This article critically examines various issues of community radio like historical ideology, features and functions, Govt policy for Community Radio Station, Feminist Radio movement, role of UNESCO and AMARC, mechanisms to guarantee participatory aspect, impacts on Social Change. The main objective of the essay is to motivate academics, writers, and educators in a new way of exploration through the Community radio – an important tool of expressing and sharing the world about the viewpoint, feelings, ideas, problems and aspirations of rural, marginalised communities, to impart critical thinking of the paradigm shift in the theoretical, ideological spheres in the light of postmodern, globalised perspectives.

Published
2020-12-30
Section
Articles