New Delhi: Taking to social media like Twitter and Facebook in a big way, the Information and Broadcasting ministry posted minute-by-minute accounts of a seminar on Community Radio on five websites simultaneously.
As the Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni spoke to the gathering, a tweet flashed on microblogging site Twitter - "Radio is MoIB's flagship programme says Ambika Soni, Union Minster, Minister of Information and Broadcasting."
"Lack of financial resources is the challenge Community Radio stations are facing these days - Uday Kumar Verma," said another tweet when Verma, the Secretary, I and B ministry spoke.
Officials said that not just the two accounts on Twitter, one on Facebook but in all five websites were providing live feed about the goings on at the 2nd Community Radio Sammelan.
"This was a first of its kind initiative by the ministry. It will help us create a better outreach," said a senior ministry official.
At the seminar, Soni and senior officials expressed optimism about the prospects of growth of Community Radio stations and said making such stations, which run in remote areas for the benefit of small communities, financially sustainable was a major concern.
"We have sought allocation for a fund in the XII five year plan for Community Radio. Let us see to what extent we get the fund", Soni told reporters.
"However, till the time we do not get financial assistance, we are thinking of advertisements like those of Bharat Nirman, we will try to provide more sustenance to Community Radio stations," she added.
Secretary Uday Kumar Verma said that as a measure to support the Community Radio, advertisement rates had been raised from one Rupee per second to four Rupees per second.
Varma also said the I&B Ministry expected an exponential growth in the number of Community Radio stations from the 126 radio stations operating at present.
He said the ministry of Information and Broadcasting was considering what would be the best mechanism to provide financial assistance to Community Radio stations.
Varma also outlined the roadmap for the growth of the community radio movement in the 12th Five year plan. It was necessary to target the uncovered areas in the country coupled with a cost-effective and operational business model, he said.
Varma said the ministry had proposed to the Planning Commission regarding state funding for Community Radio in the next five-year plan. For being an effective dissemination tool, it was necessary to position the relevance of the medium in disaster management, he said.
At the conference, National Community Radio Awards were given away by the Minister of State (I and B) S Jagathrakrakshakan.
In the thematic award category, Radio Namaskar from Konark was given the first prize which also won the prize in the community engagement award category.
For promoting local culture, the first prize was awarded to Radio 7 of Jaipur while PGP Community Radio from Namakkal won the first award for most innovative programme content.
Sustainability model award was given to Radio Mewat from Haryana.
Information and Broadcasting ministry said in a statement that so far 363 permissions to set up Community Radio Stations in the country had been given.
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