“Our research showed that many students who attempted S.L.C failed in English, Science, and Math,” observes Gudakar Aryal of Radio MadanPokhara. “With the effort of local teachers, we conceptualized the show in 2062 B.S (2005/6).”
Six years down the line, Aryal claims that the pass percentage of MadanPokhara VDC has jumped from 48% to 82%.
Commenced in 1999, Radio MadanPokhara presently covers 35 VDCs and Tansen municipality of Palpa district.
Raghu Mainali, founding member of Nepal’s Association of Community Radio Broadcasters, says “There are case studies and anecdotal evidences of the changes that community radios have brought about in society. However, a comprehensive study needs to be done for an overall performance and impact assessment.”
A report by World Bank Institute titled ‘Empowering Radio’ cites how a community radio helped to generate awareness among the disabled people of Dang regarding their right to free education. Dang was one of the several districts where a ruling on free education to the disabled was ignored. With Radio Swargadwari frequently broadcasting and raising the issue, the district government’s attention was gained, resulting in a realization of their rights.
Similarly, in 2002, Dang saw the growth of a ‘Widow Movement’ with the help of Radio Swargadwari, the local community radio. As a result, Widows Concern Center has been established to work for the empowerment of widows.
“In Nepal’s context, video hasn’t killed the radio star yet,” opines Robin Sharma, director at Antenna Foundation. A non-profit radio production and training house, the foundation designed a mobile radio project, ‘Doko Radio,’ in 2007.
With Salil Subedi as team leader, the project traveled to seven different places of the country. “Along with it, Doko toured around other six/seven areas,” adds Subedi.
“From youths volunteering for the shows, to women and farmers participating to voice their opinions and problems, Doko became a technological Chautari for the locals,” notes Subedi. Though the project was taken off air when funds ran out, it had made its mark. “The tangible result of the project was the establishment of Radio Kailash in Humla,” informs Subedi.
“Only about 30% of the population has access to electricity according to last year’s study,” adds Mainali. Radios, though, are in a class by themselves, since power cuts and the like don’t affect them. Affordable radio sets and one being able to tune into different stations in cell phones and a variety of listening options means the “old” way has maintained its position.
And indeed, it’s quite apparent that radios, mainly community ones, have more responsibility to shoulder in the country’s transitional phase as they are directly involved and collaborating with grassroot sectors.
According to Mainali, community radio coverage is spread throughout 70 districts covering about 85% of the population.
“Rasuwa, Manang, Mustang, Mugu, and Dolpa are the only districts without community radios,” adds Mainali.
Times certainly have changed. Although the country breathed an air of relief during the 1990’s with the restoration of democracy, the broadcast sector initially remained the government’s monopoly..
“However, with the establishment of Radio Sagarmatha in 1997,” says Mainali, “the trend of setting up community radios penetrated the media scene.”
Thus, the flow of information became two-ways. There was diversity in terms of contents and sources. Local culture and news got priority—information and communication were decentralized.
Several media and publication houses along with community radios have been credited with playing an important role in the democratic transition in Nepal.
In an article on community radios, journalist Kunda Dixit highlights how this “new radio community” played a major role in generating awareness in the rural parts.
Mainali echoes this thought: “Post 2006, the revolutions were urban-centric. But with local stations being more proactive, overall awareness level increased. As a result, we saw people organizing protests outside Kathmandu Valley to oust the monarchy,”
However, it would wrong to assume that all is well with the transmitting business.
Even 12 years after the establishment of the first community radio, Radio Sagarmatha, the state’s National Broadcasting Act does not distinguish between commercial and community stations.
Writes Kunda Dixit in his article, “Even non- profit co-operatives are forced to pay a four percent tax on incomes as well as a hefty annual broadcasting levy. Rural community stations that run on voluntarism find it hard to sustain themselves. There is a danger they will turn into donor-driven mouthpieces if forced to depend on sponsorship from development organizations.”
“We’re currently working on a loose definition of community radio,” states Mainali. “It’s not that taskforce has not been formed or attempts have not been made to pass a different law for community radio. Lack of clear vision and interest is just adding to the stalemate.”
He further points out that the vacuum in laws and provisions regarding such local stations has opened the door to politicization and NGOization.
A powerful tool to generate awareness in the grassroots level, the time has never been so ripe for the government to tap and channelize the potential of technology, that is the radio. Comparatively cheap and convenient, conveying information and ideas have never been so easy, it can still play an important role in democratic empowerment.
Do it right, and what you have is a time-tested technology to bring the nation together to communicate and interact.
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