Information Society Watch

February 6, 2008, The Hindu

Quoting the Information Commissioner K.V.R. Tagore, this news item reports that several NGOs backed out of the Karnataka State Government's initiative to prop up community radio programme when they came to know that they had to contribute. The programme called 'Namma Banuli' has been designed in such a way that the NGOs will have to bear one-third of the cost, the remaining to be funded by the government.

InfoChangeIndia

The article analyses the impact of community radio on the tribal communities in the Dangs district in Gujarat, which are one of the most marginalised and deprived sections of community. Aaykar, the community radio has had significant impact in detecting corruption in various government organizations and thus increasing awareness amongst the tribals regarding the availability and price of such government services.

January 18, 2008, J.B.S. Umanadh, Frontline

This article introduces Sangham Radio, an FM community radio station in the Medak district of the Telangana region in Andhra Pradesh. Sangham Radio, which is managed by mostly Dalit women, is among the growing number of Indian community radio stations that reach out to listeners with programming in local dialects. The station is run by the Community Media Trust, a part of the non-governmental organisation Deccan Development Society, which runs the station to recognise the possibilities for non-literate women as teachers and assist them in sharing their knowledge with the outside world by equipping them with skills of video and radio.

October, 2007, Vickram Crishna, I4donline

The rules governing radio broadcasting have undergone drastic change in recent years in India. Radio, which was sandwiched between print media and television, was under government control for a long time. In the last decade, the medium has been liberalised albeit with conditions which make it difficult to setup and operate community radio networks.

October 10, 2007, Anand Giridharadas, International Herald Tribune

ICTs are having increasingly far-reaching effects in India as IT companies and their employees are using technology to address the poverty in their own backyard. In Bangalore, a new networking site called Babajob is creating employment opportunities and bringing the networking revolution to some of India's poor.

October 18, 2006, The Hoot

The Indian government has moved forward on a decision allowing NGOs to apply for licences without a fee and to have five minutes of advertising per hour of radio broadcasting.