New Delhi: The Centre on Thursday approved expansion of community radio stations (CRS) by non-profit organisations. The decision came after ensuring security clearances from the Defence and Home Ministries.
"The community radio will not include newscasting and current affairs programme and will be dealt with comprehensively by an inter-ministerial group represented by Ministry of Home Affairs, Defence, Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and HRD," Information and Broadcasting Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi said.
He made it clear that individuals, political parties or their affiliates and trade unions would not be allowed to operate CRS. Organisations with profit motive will also stay outside the purview of the CRS, he said.
Stating that 15 radio stations have so far come into operation since 2002 when the previous NDA Government approved the concept, Dasmunsi said the UPA Government aimed to strengthen the service.
He said this decision has been taken after considering the recommendation of a Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar.
The Cabinet also authorised the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to finalise the terms and conditions and the detailed procedure for issuing the community radio licences.
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Dasmunsi said those eligible for these licences would include civil society and voluntary organisations, state agriculture universities, Krishi Vigyan Kendras, registered societies and autonomous bodies and public trusts registered under the Societies Act or any other such Act relevant for the purpose.
The minister said CR applicants should have a track record of at least three years.
Those kept out of these CR services would include organisations expressly banned by the Union and State governments, besides organisations operating with a motive to earn profits.
He said the CR stations to be operated by the NGOs should be designed to serve a well-defined local community and have an ownership and management structure reflective of the community these radio stations seek to serve.
Programmes for broadcast should be relevant to the educational, developmental, social and cultural needs of the community.
The aim of the CR stations would be to strengthen decentralisation and participatory governance to enable dialogues within communities.
The programme is also intended to disseminate information to the rural communities about issues related to agriculture, education, health and social welfare.
"It is aimed at providing a strong and vibrant community radio system to enhance pluralism and sustain diversity of cultures and languages," the minister said.
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