Community Radio
What is a Community Radio?
- Community Radio means radio broadcasting with the objective of serving the cause of the community in the service area by involving members of the community in the broadcast of their programmes.
Who form the Community Listeners?
- Community Listeners would mean people living in the coverage zone of the Community Radio Stations i.e. in the broadcasting service of the licensee and having interest in the content. The coverage area of a community radio station in India is between 10-15 kilometers radius.
Do I need license to operate Community Radio?
- Yes, applicant needs to submit an application to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. The application is known as “Grant of Permission for setting up Community Radio Station”
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Eligibility
Who is eligible to apply for Grant of Permission for setting up Community Radio Station?
The following category of institutions/organizations, who satisfy the principles as given below (Eligibility conditions) are eligible to apply:
- State Agricultural Universities (SAUs), ICAR institutions and Krishi Vigyan Kendras.
- Well established educational institutions.
- It should explicitly constitute as a non-profit organization and should have a proven record of at least three years of service to the community.
- The CRS to be created by it should be designed to serve a specific well defined Local community.
- It should have an ownership and management structure that is reflective of the Community that the CRS seeks to serve.
- Programmes for broadcast should be relevant to the educational, developmental, social and cultural needs of the community.
- It must be a legal entity i.e. it should be registered under the Societies Act or any other relevant Act for the purpose and having a proven record of at least three years of service to the community at the time of application.
Who is not eligible to run a CR Station?
- Individuals
- Political Parties and their affiliate organisations; [including students, women, trade unions and such other wings affiliated to these parties.]
- Organisations operating with a motive to earn profit
- Organisations expressly banned by the Union and State Governments.
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Policy Guidelines
What is the procedure to obtain permission for setting up a community radio station?
- The policy guidelines and the application form are available on the Ministry’s website: www.mib.nic.in or can be obtained on written request and can be seen here.
- Application can be submitted online, click here to apply online.
- Seven copies of application need to be submitted.
- Eligible organizations can apply along with a processing fee of Rs.2500/-
- For online submission of application applicant must provide the DD No. of the processing fee.
What are the fees?
Applicant need to deposit fee/bank guarantee at four different stages of CR application.
- Processing fee of ₹ 2500/- during submission of CR Application - “Grant of Permission for setting up Community Radio Station”
- ₹ 1,000/- while applying for SACFA.
- Bank Guarantee of ₹ 25,000/- at the time of signing the Grant of Permission Agreement (GOPA). GOPA should be renewed every five year.
- Spectrum fee of ₹ 19,700/- needs to be deposited to the MoIB for spectrum usage. Spectrum usage charges are deposited every year.
How an application to set up CR is processed?
- Universities/Deemed University or Government run educational institution will have a single window clearance by putting up cases before an Inter-Ministerial Committee chaired by Secretary, I&B for approval.
- Thereafter, a letter of Intent (LOI) will be issued granting permission to run a community radio.
- In the case of all other applicants, including private educational institutions, Letters of Intent (LOI) will be issued only on receipt of clearance from Ministries of Home Affairs, Defence & HRD (in case of private educational institutions) and allocation of frequency by WPC Wing of Ministry of Communication & IT.
What is the tentative time frame fixed for processing application and issue of LoI?
The following steps are taken to process the application:
- Within one month of receipt of the application in the prescribed form, MIB shall process the application form and either communicate to the applicant deficiencies if any, or will send the copies of the application to other Ministries concerned for clearance.
- In case, the reply/clearance is not received within three months’ time, the same shall be submitted to the Inter Ministerial Committee for clearance.
- On receipt of clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Defence and HRD (in case of private educational institutions), the same will be processed in MIB and Letters of Intent will be issued granting permission to run CRS
- In the case of government run educational institutions, the same would be submitted for clearance of the Inter Ministerial Committee directly.
What are the steps to be taken on receipt of LOI?
- Within one month of the issue of the LOI, the eligible applicant will be required to apply, in the prescribed format and with the registration fee to the WPC Wing of M/o Communication & IT, Sanchar Bhawan for frequency and SACFA clearance.
What is SACFA clearance?
- SACFA is Standing Advisory Committee for Allocation of Frequency in Ministry of Communication & IT (Sanchar Bhawan, 20 Ashoka Raod, New Delhi) whose clearance is essential for running a broadcast transmitter.
- Application for SACFA can be made online also. Here is a link.
- A time frame of six months from the date of application has been fixed for issuing SACFA clearance and in the event of non-clearance of the proposal within the time frame; the same would be referred to the Inter-Ministerial Committee.
When is Grant of Permission Agreement (GOPA) to be signed?
- On receipt of SACFA clearance, the LOI holder will be invited to sign the GOPA.
- The LOI holder shall also furnish a bank guarantee in the prescribed format for a sum of Rs.25,000/- along with GOPA before signing of the same.
- The GOPA will enable the LOI holder to seek wireless operating License (WOL) from the WPC Wing of Ministry of Communication & IT.
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Operation and Management
What is the programme & advertising code to be followed?
Programme & advertising code being followed and as prescribed for All India Radio shall be followed.
The permission holder shall ensure nothing of the following is included in the broadcast programme which:
- Offends against good taste of decency
- Contains criticism of friendly countries
- Contains attack on religions or communities or visuals or words contemptuous of religious groups or which either promote or result in promoting communal discontent or disharmony’
- Contains anything obscene, defamatory, deliberate, false and suggestive innuendoes and half truths.
- Is likely to encourage or incite violence or contains anything against maintenance of law and order of which promote anti national attitudes.
- Contains anything amount to contempt of Court or anything affecting the integrity of the Nation.
- Contains aspersions against the dignity of the President/Vice President and the Judiciary of the India.
- Criticizes, maligns or slanders any individual in person or certain groups, segments of social, public and moral life of the country.
- Encourages superstition or blind belief
- Denigrates women
- Denigrates children
- May present/depict or any stereotype, incite, vilify or perpetuate hatred against or attempt to demean any person or group on the basis of ethnicity, nationality, race, gender, sexual preference, religion age or physical or mental disability.
Is there any need to retain the broadcast programme for a period of time?
Yes, an LOI holder shall have to preserve all programmes broadcast by the CRS for three months from the date of broadcast.
Can Community Radio Stations air commercials/advertisements?
Limited advertising and announcements relating to local events, local business and services and employment opportunities shall be allowed. The maximum duration for such advertising will be restricted to 5 minutes per hour of broadcast. See policy guidelines for DAVP empanelment for advertisements.
How can the CRS be funded?
- Applicant can seek funding from multilateral aid agencies. Applicant seeking foreign funds for setting up CRS will have to obtain FCRA clearance under foreign contribution regulation Act, 1976.
- Revenue generated from advertisements & announcements can be utilized only for the operational expenses & capital expenditure of CRS.
- Permission holder shall be required to submit their audited annual accounts to the Govt. showing clearly, the income, expenditure incurred, assets & liability in respect of CRS.
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Technology
What are the technical parameters of a typical Community Radio Transmitter system?
- Community Radio station is aimed at covering an area of 10-15 km radius.
- Effective Radiated Power (ERP) specified is 100 W. However, in special cases, UPTO 250 Watt ERP can be considered subject to conditions laid down in the guidelines.
- The tower height to a maximum of 30m is allowed and that the minimum height is stipulated as 15m to prevent possibility of biological hazards of Radio Frequency (RF) radiation.
What would be the estimated cost of establishing a typical Community Radio Station?
Different modules are available in the market. However, excluding the building costs, a CR station can cost anywhere between ₹ 5 lakh to ₹ 16 lakh.
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