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Feature

Community Radio: Our Next
Open University

Mohammad Golam Nabi

Community Radio is a radio that is absolutely run by the people and for the people. It always encourages participation, sharing information and innovation. Its beauty is that it gives voice to the voiceless, supports the decision-making process and encourages dialogue between the citizens and public authorities, thereby enhancing democratic governance and people's lives. It is proved in many parts of the world that Community Radio (CR) is the right place for educating people by broadcasting local happenings and news; localized knowledge on health, agricultural and weather. It gives people local commodity prices and broadcasts folk songs, myths, stories and culture. Commercial Media Broadcasters (CMB) would never get the chance to go to such depths or so down to earth because of their larger audiences and commercial approach.

Radio experts and communicators working on CR have urged in the last World Congress on Communication for Development (WCCD), held at Rome on the month of October, 2006 to give CR its rightful place as a development tool in the communications debate. Managing director of Communication for Social Change Consortium (CSCC), James Deane, said: “We have seen monumental changes taking place because of community radio interventions in various parts of the world Nepal, Latin America and now in parts of Africa. In fact some of these go far deeper and have a bigger impact than many other communication strategies and I feel that the evidence of efficacy of radio cannot be questioned.”

Present Status in Bangladesh
We can divide our present broadcasting facilities into two segments. The public broadcasters like Bangladesh Television (BTV) and Bangladesh Betar; and the commercial broadcasters - Satellite TV channels and commercial radio.

BTV operates one national terrestrial channel that extends to over almost 100% of the country and one Satellite Channel called BTV World for the Non Resident Bangladeshi viewers. On the other hand there are 9 commercial television channels operating in Bangladesh by corporate owners. These are NTV, Channel I, ATN Bangla, S-TV, Channel-S, Baishaki, Channel-1, RTV and BanglaVision. More channels are preparing to come up. The Government is very media friendly since 1991. We see the same trend in the case of radio. There are at least 4 commercial FM radio stations now operating in Bangladesh beside government owned Bangladesh Betar.

In regulatory terms, BTV and Bangladesh Betar are part of the Ministry of Information; on the other hand satellite operators have a letter of 'non-objection' from the Ministry of Information. Then Bangladesh Telecom Regulatory Commission (BTRC) allocates the required frequencies. There are a number of problems with the existing situation, which may be resolved by enacting National Broadcasting Act 2003.

Education and Digital Divide
We are living in the information age. Electronic learning (e-learning) is increasingly gaining popularity. Global economy is controlled by the dynamics of power and knowledge. If anyone ignores this trend he or she will fall behind. So, participation is very important. If we don't know the situation then it can be considered a crime on our part. In the information age knowledge is the currency and it helps us to gain access to information. As a developing country we need to put information as a cross cutting issue.

Again, over the last few years we are talking about the challenge of bringing computers and the Internet into every classroom of Bangladesh.

My question is why are we emphasizing so much on Internet and computers? The answer maybe that we want our children connected to the global knowledge circle. It is a good initiative, no doubt, but it will take time for many reasons. First of all, we do not have enough electricity networks throughout Bangladesh; we do have enough content for our children; computers are costly and Internet connection is not available throughout the country. Very recently GPRS mobile phone offered us one solution, but that is very costly as well. Then what is the alternative?

Our common understanding is radio could be the solution. It is cheap, available, and easy to maintain and operate. It is interactive and can bridge between rural and urban settings, and connect the country with the globe.

Why Community Radio?
Among the various mediums, it is proved that Radio is the only one that can reach anyone in any part of Bangladesh. It can reach people who live in areas with no phone lines or electricity. Radio reaches people who can't read or write. It can be a main vehicle to distribute information, discuss issues and define our culture.

In Bangladesh, disseminating information is mostly depending on public media, which is also applicable for the radio. The public media has failed to prove itself people-friendly over the time. For this reason, commercial media gradually gained popularity over the public media. This trend indicates that voiceless people will face more difficulty in getting information in the near future.

To ensure people's participation we need community broadcasting, because only community broadcasting can ensure community involvement in every step of broadcasting. They are involved in program designing, production and in postproduction stages. It is sustainable as well. Community Media services help increase awareness about all local issues exponentially.

Community Radio can act like Open University
Bangladesh is a land of only 55 thousand kilometers but has a huge population of 160 million. A good number of the population has no education or at least no proper education. They are not aware of the causes of the major social issues, like environmental hazards, or health issues like arsenic or economic issues like poverty etc. Community Radio could be a solution in all of the development sectors in Bangladesh. We can use CR as a common vehicle to teach the masses of Bangladesh. Establishing a CR station is also easy and less costly.

In our country there are about 52 private universities and 13 public universities running their education programs. They can also consider establishing CR station in their campus, which is popularly known as Campus Radio. This could help them to deliver course materials to the students. Most of the mobile phone sets now have built in FM radio facilities. CR also uses FM technology to broadcast.

Universities can also think about running Community Radio in different parts of Bangladesh for disseminating their course materials. So, one can enroll and complete the courses without leaving his or her home.

NGOs can play a role in running Open Universities. In Bangladesh NGO activities and programs have already earned reputation working for the socioeconomic development of the poor people. NGOs have to inform the people about their projects and activities. Furthermore, they have to ensure people's participation in implementing the projects. NGOs can use Community Radio to disseminate grassroots based experience that will turn into a social movement among the rural community. Community Radio will help to build strong leadership and accountability among the local government and political leaders. It will help people to get access into the media and build community networking. It will help to establish a two-way communication between the recipient and the givers. Resources could be mobilized through the process more effectively

Sources say that community radio, which has been playing an important role in transmitting local information, learning, entertainment, disaster management and mass awareness on different issues in most of the countries of the world, could be turned into a major means of transmitting information in Bangladesh during natural disasters in the coastal areas.

It was learnt that MassLine Media Center (MMC) took an initiative to establish community radio in the disaster-prone coastal areas in 1997 but could not succeed as the government did not approve its proposal. But now MMC are not the only ones trying to get permission for broadcasting of Community Radio. There are other players including BNNRC, a coordinating organization dedicated to promoting Radio as the means of development.

South Asian Experience
In South Asia, Nepal is the only country where Community Radios have flourished. In India, after more than a decade the Supreme Court has directed the government to "open up the airwaves" on 16th November 2006. Now, campaigners who battled long for this to happen are forecasting that within a very few years a good number of CR will be established in India.

When the Indian Government decided in 1999 to open up FM radio to the private sector it chose not to open up frequencies for use by the community. Privately, officials cited nervousness about it falling into the wrong hands, read militants and terrorists. But educational FM was permitted.

Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) in Delhi established India's first educational FM channel at Allahabad on 7th of November 2001. Forty frequencies had been allocated initially to this organization, with the stipulation that the break up of programming will be 60 per cent educational radio and 40 per cent community radio.

While the ownership of Community Radio in Sri Lanka still remains in the hands of the State owned SLBC, there is a certain degree of participation that one can see.

Bangladesh almost ready to launch
In the proposed (draft) Broadcasting Act 2003, it has mentioned that: This Act shall come into operation on such date as the Government may, by notification published in the Gazette, specify, provided that in the absence of such notification, this Act shall come into effect six months after it has been passed by the Jatiya Sangsad.

Now we are waiting for the approval from the parliament. It is clearly mentioned in the draft broadcasting act that community broadcaster means a broadcaster which is controlled by a non-profit entity and operates on a non-profit basis, carries programming that serves a particular community by reflecting the special interests and needs of that community, and is managed and operated primarily by members of that community.

By enacting Bangladesh Broadcasting Act 2003, non-profit entities including educational institutes can start community broadcasting by using radio, television and Internet. In this context Bangladesh is very much ready to launch Community Radio (CR) in the rural areas.

It is also mentioned in the draft act that an independent authority, Bangladesh Broadcasting Authority, will be formed to oversee Community Radio activities that will be accountable to the Jatiya Sangsad.

(Mohammad Golam Nabi is an independent Journalist and ICT4D Consultant, who can be reached by gnabi1969@yahoo.com)