NEW DELHI: The boom in the new age media and its fast speed to get connected with the common man has finally forced the Government of India to adopt it. To create a platform for interaction between the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B) and various stakeholders of Community Radio, the ministry has launched a dedicated page on Facebook- ‘Community Radio India’.

The page, www.facebook.com/communityradioindia, is aimed at disseminating information to a wider public and engage with over 134 operating community radio stations of the country and other stakeholders.

The page will update the stakeholders on status of licences, screening committee meetings, permission agreements, clearances for new CR stations, consultations and events. This platform would also enable community radio stations to share information about their radio programmes, upcoming events, success stories, photographs and their challenges.

‘Community Radio India’ page also aims to encourage new and aspiring stakeholders of community radio by regularly updating them on CR policy, guidelines and by answering their queries. The information shared through ‘Wall’ posts will not only be helpful for them but would also be informative for those interested in community radio.

The Facebook page on community radio not only portrays the vibrant history of community radio movement in the country using ‘Timeline’ feature but also hosts key documents related to policies. The page also carries frequently asked questions (FAQs), relevant documents and photo albums of key events. The ‘Wall’ on the Facebook page would facilitate discussions while enabling participatory communication channel on issues pertaining to community radio stations.

The scheme has been identified as a core intervention during the XII Five Year Plan and it is expected that the plan period would see a quantum jump in the number of CRS in the country.