Community radio in Odisha faces threat with MIB’s fee-hike

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Bhubaneswar: A number of community radio stations in the state, which form the third tier of on-air radio broadcasting after public broadcaster AIR and private FM channels, are reeling under the threat of survival with the proposed increase of spectrum fees, broadcasters claim.
In a latest order, the ministry has asked the 257 community radio stations operational in the country to submit a revised increased spectrum fees of Rs 23,500 with a retrospective effect from 2012. Community radio have been entrusted to empower the local community by making pro-people contents and envisioned to be run by the local community. The radio broadcasters who own and operate these radio stations are now concerned about their survival.
A number of community radio personnel who already suffer in the war of sustainability, restrictions and competitions from private FM channels and public broadcasters are now upset with the decision of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) which has decided to increase the spectrum fees with retrospective effect.
“A number of community radios which are meant to make programmes for the hyper-local audience already suffer from sustainability issues and the increase in fees, with retrospective effect, can pose a threat to the survival of many operations stations. There are chances that some of them in Odisha could close down,” NA Shah Ansari, a community radio broadcaster from Konark told Orissa POST.
The Community Radio Association which is represented by majority of the operational community radios in India including Odisha, has made an appeal to the Centre to consider waiving off the spectrum fees like many foreign countries to support the pro-people mode of communication.
A letter from the association to the MIB said, “The CR domain perennially plagued by financial crisis has always generated potential deliberations for its sustainability. It is quite ironical that some foreign countries have fully waived spectrum charges for community radios because of their yeoman service to socio-economic development of local communities.”
Odisha is home to 17 community radio stations. As per their norms, they’re not meant for commercial purpose and owned either by educational institutions, Krishi Vigyan Kendras or NGOs and are meant to be for the people and to be run by the people of the local community to raise and discuss local issues to create awareness and empower the local community.
Earlier during the UPA regime, the ministry planned to impose a heavy spectrum fees on community radio which was put on hold after protests from the community radio owners, radio enthusiasts and activists. The community radio stations were set up in India after 2006 after the Supreme Court ordered that airwaves are public property.