Chennai: Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Singh Thakur on Tuesday, February 13, said that Community Radio Station (CRS) provide the much needed platform to disseminate content in local dialect.
“Community Radio Stations offer a platform where content is disseminated in localised dialects and regional languages,” he said while virtually speaking at a function in Anna University, Chennai on occasion of World Radio Day during the Regional Community Radio Sammelan (South).
He said that local issues are raised and discussed in these stations in local idioms.
“The government is committed to Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Viswas and Sabka Prayas. It is important to understand community radio in this context,” he said.
He said that best example of how important the radio is that we should look at how PM Modi’s in his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme is leading by example.
He said that the regional sammelans are an ideal platform to bring the CRS community closer.
“Institutions which operate in multiple districts shall be allowed to set up a maximum of 6 CRS in different districts of operation, provided it fulfills certain conditions laid by the ministry,” he said.
He said that the initial time period for Grant of Permission Agreement (GOPA) has been increased to ten (10) years.
“Advertising time for CRSs has been increased from 7 minutes per hour to 12 minutes per hour. The validity of letter of Intent issued to an organisation has been fixed to one year,” he said.
He said that a buffer of three months has also been given to the applicant for any unforeseen circumstances
Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L. Murugan said that community radio was a pioneering concept and provides a platform to unheard voices from the community.
He said that these stations were the best ways to reach out intimately and directly to the people as these stations create locally relevant programs that are useful to the community.
The two day Regional Community Radio Sammelan for southern community radio stations also marked completion of 20 years of community radio in India.
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