As many as 12 community radio stations in Karnataka, including five in Bangalore, is likely to be benefitted by the Community Radio Support Scheme (CRSS) announced in the Union Budget 2014–15.
The scheme, with an allocation of Rs. 100 crore, has been welcomed by existing community radio stations, although cautiously.
Anil Srivatsa, CEO and co-founder of Radiowalla, a company that runs 38 radio stations, said that allocating Rs. 100 crore with the existing infrastructure would not help. “There is a limitation on the transmitter power (50 watts). Unless they increase this, the impact will be the same as the coverage area will not widen. They also need to increase the number of licenses, which is currently four per zone,” he said.
Pinky Chandran, director, Radio Active, which is licensed to Jain University, said that the scheme itself was old. “The scheme is a long, overdue one. Other countries have a good community radio support scheme. Right now in India, awareness is low, so is the acceptance. There is a long way to go. Community radios provide a voice to the voiceless. The technology is also simple,” she said.
Ms. Chandran said there were only 170 operational stations in the country, with 12 in Karnataka, and five in Bangalore.
