MUMBAI: Community radio in India has taken its time to develop starting at the grass root levels but with the students of Mumbai University now setting up its own community radio station it is bound to get a huge fillip.

With the promised launch of 300 Private radio stations in 2007, the community radio space is also looking to make inroads into broader listenership. As part of this initiative, the students of Mumbai University will have its own community radio station. The station is called Radio Must and will be on air on the frequency 107.8.

The radio broadcast will be available within the range of 15 kilometres and will be available to more than 20 lakh students. It will also be accessed worldwide through the internet. USP of this community service is that the radio station will be managed by the students themselves with the faculty members setting the guide lines.

Speaking on this radio initiative FM community radio Head Pankaj Athwale said, `What we are looking at is a very professional managed non-commercial radio by the students, of the students and for the students. It is truly democratic radio and the program will be absolute infotainment.`

Combining this unique mix of information and entertainment, the station is all set to have on air programmes such as `Paro and Devdas` which will spoof the Bollywood film characters but the purpose is to provide comprehensive information on AIDS albeit in filmy style. Similarly the now famous Munna Bhai character will maintain his swagger and bhaigiri but use the platform to give relevant tips on management studies.

Competing with the private players on the glamour quotient may be tad difficult, but the Mumbai University community radio initiative is all set to take the student community by storm.

The launch of the station is scheduled for (mid-) June. Initially the station will be airing program`s two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening.