NEW DELHI: The last date for receipt of entries for the third Community Radio awards has been extended by twenty days, to the end of this month.

Information and Broadcasting Ministry sources told radioandmusic.com that the date had been changed from 10 to 31 January in view of demands by some operators.

The source also said that the aim was to give an opportunity to operators in all parts of the country to send entries for the Awards. The event is set to take place during the Community Radio Sammellan in Delhi in February and will hand out awards in five different categories. The awards will be for thematic, community engagement, promoting local culture, most creative/innovative programme content and sustainability model.

Entries have to be sent in either through CD or MP3 format and the winners will be given three awards in each category- Rs 50,000, Rs 30,000 and Rs 20,000, selected by a jury to be constituted by the Ministry.

The thematic category will deal with questions like the choosing of theme, execution, format, and local participation.

The community engagement will deal with the planning, content, production, and broadcast of the programme.

The promoting local culture award will consider promotion and preservation of local traditions, and incorporate local talent and tradition. The award for most creative/innovative programme content will be given to encourage community radio stations to experiment/devise and use programme, production and adaption of local communication.