Tamil Nadu gets permission for eight CR stations

MUMBAI: The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has issued LoI (Letter of Intent) to eight community radio stations in Tamil Nadu. Permissions have been granted to set up stations at Namakkal, Tiruchencode, Kumarapalayam Madurai and two in Tanjavore.

The Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA) has been playing a pivotal role in the growth and development of these community radios in terms of policy, planning and training.

IIT R's revamped online radio station turns one

MUMBAI: The revamped avatar of IIT Roorkee's online radio station CampusBeats has just completed a year of operations.

The Audio Section, Cultural Council, IIT Roorkee launched its beta version of CampusBeats in August 2007  After monitoring the response by students to the online radio channel and testing its feasibility, the new and improved version of CampusBeats was launched by IIT Roorkee director Dr S C Saxena on 2 April 2008.

IIT Bombay students launch web campus radio

MUMBAI: Students of IIT Bombay have launched their own campus web based radio station.

CR station to start at Nuh, Mewat in Haryana

MUMBAI: The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India has signed a Grant of Permission Agreement for establishing, maintaining and operating a Community Radio Station at Nuh, Mewat, Haryana. The station will be run by The Seeking Modern Application for Real Transformation (SMART), New Delhi.

Himachal Pradesh gets first community radio station

MUMBAI: Hamara MSPICM 90.4 FM, Himachal Pradesh's first community radio - a venture floated by the M S Panwar Institute of Communication and Management (MSPICM) was launched in Solan district on Friday.

The station was inaugurated by the Chief Secretary of government of Himachal Pradesh Asha Swaroop. The community radio would cater to the area within 10 kilometers radius from the main station that has been installed at the institute.

Radio Bundelkhand hosts training sessions for CR stations

MUMBAI: Orchha based community radio, Radio Bundelkhand 90.4, an initiative by Development Alternatives, has organised a three day training programme from 3 to 5 March 2009 for CR stations.

A tool to empower communities, it has been hosted by Radio Bundelkhand in technical cooperation with UNESCO and its partner organization, Maraa - A Media Collective.

Sironj based CR station Kisanvani signs GOPA

MUMBAI: �Kisanvani 90.4', a community radio in Sironj, Madhya Pradesh an initiative by Delhi based NGO Indian Society for Agribusiness Professionals (ISAP) has signed the GOPA (Grant of Permission Agreement) this week with the Information and Broadcasting ministry. The NGO has already brought the transmitter from BEL (Bharat Electronics) and has submitted relevant documents to obtain the WOL (Wireless Operating License).

A way ahead for community radio stations

MUMBAI: The third annual meet of the Community Radio Forum was organised on 14 February at Radio Bundelkhand, Orchha. Resolutions regarding forming a consortium for approaching advertisers, relocating the secretariat for Community Radio Forum, reserving 4 MHz of frequency for CRs and lifting the current ban on news were suggested during the meet.

CRF mulls forming consortium to approach ad agencies

MUMBAI: The Community Radio Forum is thinking of forming a consortium to approach ad agencies to collectively negotiate for ad rates for CRS operational in the country.

The third annual meet of the Community Radio Forum, a representative body for community radio broadcasters, was held at the offices of Radio Bundelkhand, an intiative of Development Alternatives at Orchha, Jhansi on 14 February.

IIT Kanpur to start CR station

NEW DELHI: Even as the government has permitted non-governmental organisations to set up community radio stations (CRS), it is working to clear the list of applicants in the field of education who have applied for licenses for establishing, maintaining and operating such stations.

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, has signed an agreement with the Information and Broadcasting Ministry for setting up a CRS at Media Technology Centre in its campus which is expected to be operational within three months.