- Community Radio Sarang
-
Community Radio Sarang is managed by the Mangalore Jesuit Educational Society (MJES) and is run by St. Aloysius College (Autonomous), Mangalore, a coastal town in the southern part of Karnataka, India. Dr Richard Rego SJ is both the founder and director of this campus based community radio. Though SARANG 107.8 FM is a campus radio, it is more of a community-participating radio than educational institution radio. Quantitatively, approximately 95% of the content is produced by and with the local community or by health and legal workers.
Sarang means 'harmony of colours' signifying various social, religious, linguistic communities and their peaceful coexistence at coastal Karnataka. Mangalore community is a melting pot of cultures, religions and languages. Hence, it was felt that Sarang would be the most appropriate name.
Contents
Audience and contributors
The 24x7 Community Radio Sarang programs with, for and by local people such as farmers, fisher-folk, patients, vendors, students, medical and legal experts, service providers like bicycle mechanics, small vendors, cobblers, and people with different abilities. The local communities contribute regularly to this radio. The radio also spreads messages of peace and harmony among people through programs based on the need for the same specially during celebrations and when such need is felt.
The programs are produced -mostly- by the local community and also by staff, students of mass communication (MCMS or MS Communication, equivalent to MCJ with specialisations) and other students of St Aloysius College and neighboring schools and colleges.
Programming
Subjects of Radio Sarang programming include health and hygiene, sanitation, agriculture, education, fisher-folk issues, road safety, water conservation, rain water harvesting, folk culture and life, and women and children's rights. Original entertainment by locals are the hallmark of this radio. The program formats include talks, interviews, phone-ins, songs, poetry, stories, and chat-shows.
Community Radio SARANG 107.8FM broadcasts in Konkani, Kannada, Tulu, and English languages daily, besides broadcasting in Malayalam, Beary (mother tongue of local Muslims), and Hindi languages on weekly basis. In addition, Community Radio SARANG 107.8 MHz also broadcasts in Punjabi, on the request of the local Sikh community. On 15 June 2010, Community Radio SARANG 107.8FM started broadcasting 14 hours non-stop, from 6.30 to 20.30 hours. The broadcast was further increased to 18 hours a day from 5.00 a.m. to 11.00 p.m., on June 24, the day first signals of the Community Radio SARANG went on air, on a trial basis in 2009. In July 2011, Community Radio SARANG 107.8FM became the only community radio in India broadcasting 24 hours a day! Presently, it is a 24x7 community radio.
On 15 August 2010 (India's Independence Day) Community Radio SARANG 107.8 MHz created a new record by broadcasting live for 14-continuous hours. Currently, Radio SARANG has four live "shows" per week:
- Kaanoonu Kacheri (Legal Cell) phone-in in collaboration with a local law college and advocates
- Arogya Sparsha (health live phone-in with a medical centre)
- Arogya SARANG (live phone with another medical centre)
- Three-times daily "Maadhyama Harate" (live media review program), with a special emphasis on job opportunities and special assistance available for rural communities in the public domain.
On 25 May, SARANG trained 14 women from the Mangalore's rural communities in radio program presentation (RJ).
References
External links
Categories:- Community radio stations
- Radio stations in India
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
