U 8 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) latf This document hasbeen reproduced as received from the Person or organization originating it O Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction Quality Points of view or opinions stated in this docu- ment do not necessarily represent official OERI oosition or policy DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATION REPORT 198C/1-4 NoS. 64 -67 2 BEST COPYAVAILABLE U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Offce of Eaucationat Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document hes been reproduced as received from the person Of organization originating t. 0 Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction Quality Points of view or opinions stated In this docu- ment do not necesSanly represent officio! OERI positionOfpolicy DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATION REPORT 198C/1-4 NoS. 64 -67 2 BEST COPYAVAILABLE Development Communication Report 1989/1 No 64 Scaling Down: Local Radio in India by Shri K. Anjaneyulu India is a vast country. All India Local Radio in Practice Radio (AIR) is one of the biggest nation- Five years ago, for the first time in its Our broadcasting experiences gained at al radio networks in the world. India's history, All India Radio (AIR) ventured mto regional stations had to be supplemented regional stations themselves a; e huge- a new phase of broadcasting, experiment- by new procedures and, in some respects, often retaining two full-time orchestras ing with the concept of local radio stations new skills in programming and production on staff, for example It was India that AIR's first local station was established at techniques for local radio Many local mounted the SHE project, providing Nagercoil in the Kanyakuman District in educational television via satellite to radio programs are field-based. Besides Tamilnadu in October, 1984 The chal- extra resources such as transportation, ex- rural communities. Now, 1.'2 a remark- lenge facing the new' staff was to adapt ex. able turnaround, India is planning to tensive field work requires program establish up to 70 local radio stations. peruse gained in national broadcasting to producers to have physical endurance and Why? the needs of local radio This is the story of the intellectual qualities and attitudes how we met that challenge In our first article, Shri K An- necessary to establish rapport with lis- The .tea served by the local station at janyulu describes the establishment of teners. Producers need to know how to India's first local station at Nagercoil Nagercoil-Kanyakumari District is in the ex- conduct field work and need to be able to the southern Indian state of Tamil- treme south of Tamilnadu The area is es- play the role of participant-observer to nadu. Other articles in this issue look at sentially agricultui al and anal, although study the attitudes and culture of local local radio's benefits and limitations as the population has some urban influences. groups. a development communication strategy The District has a population of 17 lakhs-- Though small in number, the Nagercoil However, local radio's greatest asset as one lakh equals 50.000--and its 65% a development tool and the charac- Local Radio producers geared up to face literacy rate stands second only to the city the challenges posed by the first ever local teristic that sets it apart from other com- of Madras The area's contribution to the munication strategies may be that it is radio station in a very short period of time. enrichment of Tamil literature and culture- created, sustained, controlled and Staff were allowed to waive the audition managed by the people 11 serves ancient, medieval or modern -is significant rules, to deviate from the Fixed Point Chart- and substantial The region's customs and -a set of regulations and operating proce- habits, rituals and woiships, festivals and dures- -and to engage part-time comperes ceremonies, legends and myths, songs, and free-lancers for outside broadcasts, stories, and folk arts are those of a distinc- In this issue. reporting, editing and presentation Nager- tive, tradition-bearing culture. coil Radio's success was possible in part Scaling Down The Official View of Local Radio because of the latitudes of freedom al- Local Radio in India . lowed the station. Officia' guidelines on local radio state Local Radio for Development that since a local station serves a small Talking to the People Naha Na Baba .. .3 area, its aim should be "to r-ach right into We produced access programs, service Expectations for Local Radio, the heart of the community of people" it is programs, specific programs on family wel- Looking Beyond Immediate Impact 7 expected to serve. A local radio station fare, nation ntegration, communal har- Power to the People must be "flexible and spontaneous to mony, anc r programs with similar Not Just in Developing Countries 9 enable itself to function as the mouth- themes of -,cific and immediate Development Broadcasters on piece of the local communityIt should en- relevance to the people of the area We deavor to use its microphone to reflect and Development Broadcasting 11 talked to a wandering mendicant, a laborer enrich the life of the society Its progiams Videoletters 13 on a tea estate. a worker to a cashew-nut should satisfy the local aspirations of the The Windup 14 factory, a hand-cart puller. a domestic people whom the station serves. In short, Local Radio Hard Questions .16 maid, an employee in a remote health ser- local radio should idenufy itself so com- vice center, a milk vendor, a cobbler, a pletely with the interests of its local popula- tion that the heart of the people beats in (Conumwa on page 2) evert' pulse of the programs it broadcasts. Supported by the Bureau for Science and Technology, Office of Education of the U.S. Agency for International Development (A?JANEYULU from page 1) people began to place on the local radio station at Nagercoil hair dresser, a tailor and a bus conductor. In spite of the various loans granted wap We covered a myth surrounding a local them at two important fishing coasts. a temple, the histories of a church and a group of fishermen wanted to abandon mosque, the stories of a poet and a scholar their surroundings and move to the Mutton and a sculptor, and details of a controversy Coast to fish The scramble for fish and between two rival groups of fishermen. All market facilities for the catches brought Development Communication of the programs had a direct bearing on them into direct conflict with other local Report the people's sense of belonging to their fishermen who had enjoyed fishing rights community. in that location for generations. The prob- lem was brought to the notice of the Development Communication Report,published Community Service. Broadcasts Government, but the solutions suggested quarterly by the Clearinghouse on Development Communication, has a circulation of over 6,000. Community service broadcasts were not acceptable to either group. Nager- The newsletter is available free of charge to provided opportunities to all development coil Local Radio interviewed the fishermen readers in the developing world, and at a charge agencies to broadcast matters of impor- on both sides and conveyed their view- of $10 00 per year to readers in industrialized tance to the local people. Information on countries. points to the local Fisheries Department. A topics such as the distribution of loans meeting was arranged between the rival A center for materials and information on important applications of communication under various schemes, the supply of com- groups, the government authorities and technology to development problems, the modities for daily needs, and various representatives from AIR-Nagercoil. Clearinghouse is operated by the Irstitutc for development activities was conveyed to Durnig the meeting, the misgivings of both International Research, in association with Creative Associates International, and supported the people through these broadcasts Ex- groups of fishermen were removed and a by the U.S. Agency for international tension agencies--such as the Social Wel- happy settlement reached. The entire story Development, Bureau for Science and fare Department, the Education of the feud and its resolution, A Meeting at Technology, Office of Education, as part of its Department, the Health and Family Wel- the Sea Coast, was then put on the air. program in educational technology and development communication. fare, and Fisheries Departmentsbanks, The views expressed inDevelopment and cooperatives became actively involved Communication Reportare those of the authors in the station's services. The following ex- Access Programs and not necessarily of its sponsors. Original amples show how service agencies and the Access programs have attracted broad material in the Report may be reproduced without people were linked for the first time prior permission provided that full credit is given participation from within the listening com- and that two copies of the reprint are sent to the through a channel of two-way communica- munity. The relaxation of strict audition for- Editor. tion. malities has gone a long way to bring Clearinghouse on Development When there was a public grievance promising artists, performers, talkers and Communication troupes to the station. There they exhibit 1815 North Fort Myer Drive, Suite 600 about a drainage facility, it was Arlington, VA 22209 USA presented on the air along with the their talent without fear or inhibition, even Tel. (703) 527-5546 reply from the concerned Municipal though for most of them this is their first at- Fax: (703) 527 -4661 Commissioner. tempt at broadcasting. More than 50 clubs 'Telex: 710-833-0320 IIRINC VA When the public faced problems in ob- or associations of children, youth and Michael Lai lin, Director women have participated in plays, short Desiree deGraeve, Editor taining essential commodities from Andre Roussel, Information Specialist Fair Price shops, their concerns were stories, songs, folk art forms, discussions, Stephen Mitchell, Librarian conveyed to the Civil Supplies Officer.