The devastating earthquakes of April and May 2015 mainly affected 14 districts of Nepal. They caused over 9,000 deaths, massive destruction of infrastructures including individual homes and widespread displacement of people. The whole country was in mourning.
Radio stations were no exception. A number of radio stations were affected and vital equipments damaged. Radio stations from the 14 affected districts suffered the most. A number of radio journalists were injured at a time they had to work round the clock. People could not watch news on TV and newspapers did not reach the affected communities on time.
Community radios continued their broadcast even during those difficult times. They helped rescue victims as well as to provide them relief materials. FM radios contributed in their own ways.
FM radios, which aim to give voice to the voiceless, aspire to create an informed and just society and strive for social transformation. They are important vehicles to build and strengthen inclusive democracy and development. More than 400 radio stations, which are working in diversified communities and reaching more than 90 percent of total population, aim towards this goal.
Though it is the youngest media product, FM radio has rapidly developed across Nepal. It is serving the people of remote rural areas and the disadvantaged community which have no access with other media forms such as newspapers and television.
Community radios have been working for the past 18 years for social transformation: by informing, educating and empowering communities, particularly the disadvantaged, oppressed and illiterates. FM radios are the best tools to pass information to illiterate and poor communities, for all the people can listen to the radio for free.
Most national media are concentrated in cities. Community radios reach the powerless communities and give them a voice. It creates awareness and promotes consciousness about development.
FM radios have also been playing the role of civil surveillance agencies. They have encouraged people to acquire public information for protection and promotion of citizen rights. They encourage people to exercise right to information and thereby generate dynamic public feedback on social issues.
Nepal’s radio service was in government control until 1993. National Media Policy (1992) and National Broadcasting Act (1993) are landmark documents for they, for the first time, allowed commercial radio broadcasting. Similarly, National Broadcasting Regulations (1995) defined the processes and methods for establishing FM stations. Frequency Modulation (FM) radio technology started in 1995 which, for the first time, and the private sector was encouraged right from the start.
Kathmandu FM, the first FM channel covering Kathmandu Valley and adjoining areas, came into being in 1995. But obtaining broadcasting license was still hard back then. Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalists (NEFEJ) had to struggle to obtain a license for Radio Sagarmatha in 1997. In the event, the establishment of Radio Sagarmatha on May 19th, 1997 started community radio in Nepal. It also established Nepal as the first country with community radio in South Asia. It thus became the first non-government and non-commercial radio station.
Community radio developed as a separate media entity in such a way that in 2002 an association called Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (ACORAB) Nepal, an autonomous and politically non-partisan organization, was formed. Above 200 stations, spread across 74 districts, are members of this association today. ACORAB today voices the concerns of community radio, facilitates knowledge sharing among the local communities and advocates for the communities that it represents.
There is poor legal and policy framework for community radios, one reason community radio has been unable to more actively work for community development and accountable local government. Often government authorities treat them as private media entities. There is a gap in understanding between our policy makers, mass media professionals and community radio promoters over scopes of public, private and community media.
Ideally, there should be a separate Act to regulate community radios. Due to its absence, community radios were registered as private media entities. Thus they pay huge royalties and other government levies that community radios are not liable to.
Community radios champion rights to information and freedom of expression and opinion in the communities they serve. We thus need a regulatory framework for community radios that helps them promote these rights.
The author is Program Chief at Community Information Network
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