Community Radio Station at Christian college

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has permitted the establishing of a community radio station at the famous St. Aloysius College, Mangalore.

The 129-year old Christian institution intends to "reach out to its adjoining population to make development a participatory process."

Its launch will make it the 42nd Station in the country, and will be operational within three months.

The radio station, which will be maintained and run in the college premises, will target approximately 34.1 per cent rural listeners. About 54 per cent of the total listeners would be women.

The Bangalore Declaration on Radio of September, 1996 has stressed how community radio would: "besides educating and entertaining people, connect people with people through participatory or circular communication, connect with organizations and communities, and finally, connect people with government and public service agencies".

The Declaration emphasised that, "community media can play an important role in strengthening cultural rights, and in particular, the rights of linguistic and cultural minorities, indigenous peoples…by providing access to the means of communication."