Community Radio

Recognizing the fact that the Government of India is doing much to encourage Community Radio we realize that the Church has a good opportunity to start CR stations under the auspices of our social service centres, educational and medical institutions or other registered societies. The Office of Social Communications is working to start a certain number of stations in the various dioceses within the coming years.

In order to facilitate and support the project the Commission has set up a National Task Force for Community Radio (NTFCR) consisting of people with expertise in media and experience in Community Radio and other radio ministries. The responsibilities of the Task Force include providing motivation, know how of setting up a Community Radio station, liaisoning with the government departments for licenses, content generation, exchange, mobilizing financial resources, developing program content and management, policy guidelines and community involvement, networking among the other stations and various centres and institutions, evaluation etc. The Office through the Task Force intends to offer collaboration and support at national level to support the Regional Secretaries for Social Communication in helping dioceses within the respective regions to start CR stations.

Currently, there are five Community Radio stations operational under various dioceses and church institutions. These are – Holy Cross Radio, Radio Mattoli,

Radio Sarang, MACFAST Radio and Radio Benzigar. The OSC held a meeting of the directors of these radio stations in July 2011. The directors of the five centres were appointed as members of the National Task Force for Community Radio to assist dioceses and church institutions interested in starting Community Radio.

The CBCI Office for Social Communications organized a national training workshop in December 2011 for the centres on program production for the five centres. The components of the training included voice culture, program production, script writing, health, education, political awareness etc.
After the workshop the participants were taken to visit Radio Mattoli, one of the successful CR stations, so to allow them a first hand experience of the working of a Community Radio Station

Community Radio offers immense potential for the various church run educational, medical and social development institutions in the 164 dioceses across the country.

During the annual meeting of the Communication Chairmen and Secretaries of the region held in Chennai, January, 2011 the prospects of community radio were studied. The OSC aims to assist dioceses to start CR in the various dioceses within the coming years. The Office has provided the necessary resource materials, government directives etc for the Secretaries to study and promote it in the dioceses in their regions.