ur FM station brings happiness to the community as they get to hear their own voices on the radio. This is what makes our station special!” says Natesan Bala, station manager of the PudiyaUdayam community radio station at Poothurai village (Villupuram District, Tamil Nadu) near Puducherry, which was launched on Tuesday.
The PudiyaUdayam 91.2 FM radio station is a project of the Sri Aurobindo Rural Village Action and Movement (SARVAM) which has been working in the area of village integral development for the last ten years.
It now works in 15 villages, including Poothurai, says K. Senthilkumar, Director, SARVAM, and head of the radio project.
“We had a journal called Grama PudiyaUdayam (village new dawn) which was well-received by the villagers. This is when we thought of a community radio station which can reach out to more people, including those who are illiterate. We got the licence from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting last month,” says Mr. Senthilkumar.
The radio station is expected to reach 50,000 people in 30 villages in both Puducherry and Tamil Nadu, and broadcasts can be heard up to 10 km away, says Mr. Senthilkumar. The radio station, which is equipped with a 30 metre tower, includes studios for live programming, recording and hosting talk show programmes.
For and by the villagersThe station will be managed by a village committee of 12 members and volunteers, apart from Mr. Bala and Ilandjejiane, programme coordinator, who will together decide on the programmes. Programmes for children, women, labourers and aged persons, apart from devotional and patriotic songs, and health segments have been planned. The villagers participate in the programming by recording their own songs and stories, including long-forgotten tales, say Mr. Senthilkumar.
Some scheduled programmes include ‘Namma Ooru Nalla Ooru’ which will have information about a historical place or monument of the area. Another programme is ‘Ninaivirukkum Varai’ which will have senior citizens taking listeners down memory lane with their memories. ‘Nambikkai Siragugal’ will have interviews of successful women self-help groups and entrepreneurs. “This community radio station is easily accessible to the villagers, and its doors are open to the community,” says Mr. Bala.
“It is a powerful medium. Students will benefit through motivational talks on how to prepare for examinations. With Jipmer close by, we will have doctors giving information on health. We will also be getting officials from the agriculture department to talk about farming, as well as a programme on livelihood options. Radio also keeps aged people engaged,” says Mr. Senthilkumar.
Programmes on the first day included devotional songs, a segment on diabetes and interaction with P. Agilan, Director, Indian Bank Self Employment Training Institute and Anbu Kamal Raj, Lead District Bank Manager, Indian Bank on banking initiatives.
