Remote Audiences Beyond 2000 : Radio, Everyday Life and Development in South India
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Edith Cowan University Research Online Theses: Doctorates and Masters Theses 1-1-2002 Remote audiences beyond 2000 : radio, everyday life and development in South India Thomas J. Yesudhasan Edith Cowan University Follow this and additional works at: https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses Part of the Radio Commons Recommended Citation Yesudhasan, T. J. (2002). Remote audiences beyond 2000 : radio, everyday life and development in South India. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/729 This Thesis is posted at Research Online. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/729 Edith Cowan University Copyright Warning You may print or download ONE copy of this document for the purpose of your own research or study. The University does not authorize you to copy, communicate or otherwise make available electronically to any other person any copyright material contained on this site. You are reminded of the following: Copyright owners are entitled to take legal action against persons who infringe their copyright. 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Remote Audiences Beyond 2000: Radio,Everyday Life and development in South India By Yesudhasan Thomas Jayaprakash A Thesis Submitted in Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of Doctor of Philosophy at the Faculty of Communications, Health and Science, Edith Cowan University 2002 USE OF THESIS The Use of Thesis statement is not included in this version of the thesis. DECLARATION I certify that this thesis does not, to the best of my knowledge and belief: (i) incorporate without acknowledgement any material previously submitted for a degree or diploma ln any Institution of higher educallon; (ii) contain any material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made In the text; or (iii) contain any defamatory material. Signature: Date: J..1-//- dMJ.. ABSTRACT The core of this thesis Is that radio remains an important communication tool for tribal communities llvlng ln remote hlll areas of South India. Some of the more salient findings relate to media uses and preferences ot people, suggesting that sophlstlcated negotlattons take place between audiences and media. These Include suspicion of televls!on and its impact upon work practices and education, the organization of time and space to accommodate radio and television Into people's busy daily lives, and the recognition that radio may be a more Innovative medium than television. These conclusions have been reached from an In - depth qualttative audience ethnographic study of three trlbal communities in Southern India. The Toda, Kola and Kannikaran are tribal communities living In Tamil Nadu, South India. The Toda and Kota live in the Nilgiri Hills. The Kannlkaran live in Kanyakumari district, the most Southern lip of India. This thesis critically analyses how tribal audiences use the neighboring low power radio stations, Doty Radio Station (ORS), and Nagercoil Radio Station {NRS) of state-funded All India Radio (AIR). It also explores how these stations ensure audience participation. Introduced in 1993, ORS is the only radio station located near the tribal communlUes in the Nilgiris hill area and serves distinctively like a community radio. ORS serves an empowering role lo the tribal communities by encouraging innovative 'feedback' and audience participation. Its remit also Includes cultural development and democratization of tribal communities liv!ng in the Nllgiris. AIR Is one of the largest radio networks in the world comprising nearly 200 radio stations localed ln the smaller towns and remote areas which enhances audience participation. Rad!o and televls!on have been under the direct control of the Government since Independence in 1947. After a long struggle for media autonomy, Jndla became the first country in Asla to grant autonomous status to electronic media In 1997, by the enactment and implementation of the 'Prasar Bharali Act. However, autonomous status !s stlll in transition and only exists as a policy but not as a practice. In other words, Prasar Bharati Corporation !s dtPendent on the government for funding and is still controlled despite some flexibiltty, In the programming and presentation. In spite of the Supreme Court of India's rul!ng that the 'air waves' are publlc property and government monopoly of broadcasting is unconstitutional, the ruling parties continue to use radio and television for government propaganda. While 140 FM radio Stallons located in the cities were privatized In 2000 to galn lucrative llcenslng fees, independent community rad!o, remains highly regulated. This thesis explores how remote hlll audiences use radio in their everyday lives. All communities have access to natlonal, regional, local and international radio. The study demonstrates that tribal people are not Just passive llsteners but actively engage w!th radio for a variety of reasons, especially for agricultural information, news, entertainment and cultural actlvilles. In a changing mediascape, where television assumes greater Importance as a cultural tool, radio still remains the medium of first choice for most tribal communities. Thls is especially true of women who use the rad!o In quite different ways to men. Moreover, age is an increasing factor In media consumption in these communities. The young are more famlllar with their communication optlons than their elders and are Increasingly turning to television. Nevertheless the young still acknowledge that radio ls en Important medium ln tribal communities. The thesis is based on research coriducted ln the respective regions among the different tribal communl\les. II involved unstructured In-depth Interviews, focus group discussions, participant observation, photographs and document analysis within an overall ethnographic framework. The thesis makes a contribution to our understanding of the contemporary Indian medlascape because of Its 'bottom-up' approach to ongoing Issues such as access and equity in the me die. It avoids the traditional 'lop-down' analysis that characterizes much of the recent research Into the Indian medlascape. The thesis Is one of the first lo analyze remote tribal media consumption patterns and demonstrates that many of the underpinnings of media polk:y in India are based on false assumptions. The thesis contributes ii to an ongoing re - evaluation of how tribal people use radio in the context of rapldly changing lnd!an mediascapa. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First and foremost, my sincere then ks and profound sense of gratitude to my principal supervisor Associate Professor Brian Shoesmith for his constant support, encouragement and advice. Brian, your words 'you will get there' really motivated me from day one - thanks a lot. I would also !Ike to extend my thanks to my co-supervisor Dr. Rod Glblett for his valuable comments and proof reading. My sincere gratitude to Edith Cowan University who gave me an opportunity to undertake Ph.D. and for the funding to do my fieldwork. I would also like to thank other staff members of the School of Communications and Multimedia, Professor. Robyn Quinn, Dr. Lella Green, Ms. Debra Mayrhofer, Professor Ron Oliver, Dr. Debbie Rodan, Dr. Dennis Wood, Mrs. Sharron Snader, Ms. Linda Jaunzems, Mr Russell Miller, Ms. Michelle de Souza, Ms. Barbara Peterson, Ms. Kolyne Tan and all others for their support and he!p. My sincere thanks to Mr. Paul Halfpenny, Post Graduate Information and Resource officer, Ms. Dannlel Brady, research consultant, graduate school, Ms. Julia Gross (and all other staff of ECU library) and Ms. Ann Copp!eston, Student Housing Officer al Mt. Lawley campus of ECU for their he!p and support. My sincere thanks to All Jndia Radio (AIR) staff who gave tha!r valuable time to discuss important matters relating to radio broadcasting in India. Special mentiori are due to Mr. Kamalakkannan, Program Executive (PEX) of AIR, Coty, Mr. Muthusamy, Assistant Station Director, {ASD) AIR Coty, Mr. Stalin, PEX of Drama, Coimbatore AIR, Ms. Chltralega, PEX of agricultural programs, AIR, Coimbatore, Mr. Ganesan, PEX, AIR Coty, Mr. Arumugam, PEX, AIR, TirunelveJi, Mr. Savarirayan, PEX of AIR, Tuticorin, Mr. Durai Selvaraj, PEX of AIR, Tuticorin, Mr. Thangavel, PEX of AIR, Tiruchirappall!, Mr. Thamlzlwanan, PEX, AIR Tiruchirappalli, Mrs. Neela Ganga, AIR, Nagercoll, and Mr. Karuppalah, Audience Research Officer, AIR, Channa!. My thesis has been constantly benefited from the CR- India, Community Radio, e·mail discussion ilst. I would like to thank the owner and moderator of the list Mr. Frederick Noronha, and the members, particularly Ms. Bandana Mukhopadhyay, for her Information on community radio movement in India. My sincere thanks to AMIC (Asian Media Information Center, Singapore) and Radio Corporation or Singapore (RCS) who awarded the 'Radio Write Award 1999, for my research paper. Many academics and practitioners during the international conferences