Role of community radio stations highlighted
Sunday, 24 October 2010
FE Report
Broadcasting of Community Radio Stations (CRS) would be pivotal in bringing about changes in power relations between the community people and the government and that would help bring together the components of culture, communication and development at local level, said discussants at a meeting Saturday.
"The key policy actors in the government are now convinced that CR would be one of the most useful tools in supporting national, local, and community-based development initiatives. Comm-unity broadcasting would encourage the participation of women and marginalised people. However, CR would work as a people-oriented media to promote indigenous knowledge and local culture, explain development services and economic opportunities and contribute to consensus building on environmental sustainability", said the speakers.
They expected that the CRS would be a cheaper medium of technology as it would be FM based which is cost effective and user-friendly.
"It can promote the national ICT policy at local level to inform community people of the need for utilising the infrastructures and facilities of new media and ICTs", said the speakers.
They were speaking at a discussion meeting on the upcoming 10th international conference on CR, which would be held in Argentina from November 8 to November 13 this year.
Bangladesh NGOs' Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) organised the programme jointly with UNICEF.
Education Secretary Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury spoke at the programme as the chief guest while Communication for Development specialist of UNICEF Patricia Portela de Souza, Assistant Professor of Department of International Relations of Jahangirnagar University Shahab Anam Khan, Director of Social Development Programme of BRAC Anna Minj, among others, were the major discussants.
Chairperson of BNNRC Md. Rafiqul Alam presided over the programme while chairman of e-Parliament Research Akram H. Chowdhury MP coordinated the programme.
Associate Professor of Department of Mass Communication and Journalism of Dhaka University SM Shameem Reza presented the keynote paper.
The paper recognised the government-approved "Community Radio Installation, Broadcast and Operation Policy2008" as one of the most comprehensively written community radio policies in Asia.
It said the government had given licence to 13 NGOs and one government institution and BTRC is now ready to allocate frequency to 14 CRS as soon as the initiators install the equipment and announce dates for broadcasting.
Broadcasting of Community Radio Stations (CRS) would be pivotal in bringing about changes in power relations between the community people and the government and that would help bring together the components of culture, communication and development at local level, said discussants at a meeting Saturday.
"The key policy actors in the government are now convinced that CR would be one of the most useful tools in supporting national, local, and community-based development initiatives. Comm-unity broadcasting would encourage the participation of women and marginalised people. However, CR would work as a people-oriented media to promote indigenous knowledge and local culture, explain development services and economic opportunities and contribute to consensus building on environmental sustainability", said the speakers.
They expected that the CRS would be a cheaper medium of technology as it would be FM based which is cost effective and user-friendly.
"It can promote the national ICT policy at local level to inform community people of the need for utilising the infrastructures and facilities of new media and ICTs", said the speakers.
They were speaking at a discussion meeting on the upcoming 10th international conference on CR, which would be held in Argentina from November 8 to November 13 this year.
Bangladesh NGOs' Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) organised the programme jointly with UNICEF.
Education Secretary Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury spoke at the programme as the chief guest while Communication for Development specialist of UNICEF Patricia Portela de Souza, Assistant Professor of Department of International Relations of Jahangirnagar University Shahab Anam Khan, Director of Social Development Programme of BRAC Anna Minj, among others, were the major discussants.
Chairperson of BNNRC Md. Rafiqul Alam presided over the programme while chairman of e-Parliament Research Akram H. Chowdhury MP coordinated the programme.
Associate Professor of Department of Mass Communication and Journalism of Dhaka University SM Shameem Reza presented the keynote paper.
The paper recognised the government-approved "Community Radio Installation, Broadcast and Operation Policy2008" as one of the most comprehensively written community radio policies in Asia.
It said the government had given licence to 13 NGOs and one government institution and BTRC is now ready to allocate frequency to 14 CRS as soon as the initiators install the equipment and announce dates for broadcasting.