Re: <amarc-1> ITU & NGOs

["Georgina Napier" <gnapier@gis.net.au> (by way of Bram Dov Abramson <bram@tao.ca>)]

Here's an excellent example of our ideas in practice.

Georgina

-----Original Message-----
From: sushma@mos.com.np <sushma@mos.com.np>
To: bol@mos.com.np <bol@mos.com.np>
Date: Tuesday, 18 August 1998 10:54
Subject: Bol!: Community radio station for Nepal

>        GREENS lAUNCH A COMMUNITY RADIO STATION FOR NEPAL 
>
>Tiny landlocked Nepal, the Himalayan country that is home to some 
>of the world's highest peaks, is showing the way to South Asia by 
>going right ahead and setting up its first community radio 
>station.
>
>By a TWN Team
>
>Tiny landlocked Nepal, the Himalayan country that is home to some 
>of the world's highest peaks, is showing the way to South Asia by 
>going right ahead and setting up its first community radio 
>station.
>
>Official restrictions have not wet-blanketed the arrival of 
>"Radio Sagarmatha", the first non-official, community-run FM 
>station in the country. It was set up some months back. Each 
>morning at seven, this station already fills the airwaves of 
>capital Kathmandu with the sound of long forgotten Nepali folk 
>music mixed with "development messages".
>
>Sagarmatha -- literally meaning the forehead of the ocean -- is 
>the Nepali name for Mount Everest, the mightiest peak in the 
>world standing 8,848 meters tall.
>
>The Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalists (NEFEJ), the lead 
>organisation implementing this project, has a plan to develop the 
>Kathmandu station of Radio Sagarmatha as a prototype and a 
>training and resources centre.
>
>"Our long term objective is to encourage dozens or more of small 
>stations throughout the Himalayan country," NEFEJ executive 
>director Om Khadka said.
>
>But Radio Sagarmatha launched its own test transmissions early 
>June only after a herculean effort to get the green signal and a 
>license from the government.
>
>Over a dozen other applications are believed to be pending with 
>the ministry of communication and information, in this Himalayan 
>kingdom which geographically forms a sort of wedge between India 
>and China. But, analysts in Kathmandu feel, it is unlikely that 
>there will be more private radio stations going on the air 
>shortly.
>
>For the present though, Nepal has only, two FM stations both 
>operating from Kathmandu. Radio Sagarmatha's 500 watts 
>transmitter has just joined the government-run FM Kathmandu. It 
>covers the Kathmandu valley, an area of around four hundred sq. 
>km.
>
>Radio Sagarmatha is an unusual experiment in other ways too. Some 
>of the country's best-known media organisations -- including the 
>Nepal Forum for Environmental Journalists or NEFEJ, the Nepal 
>Press Institute, publishers of an upcoming South Asian magazine, 
>Himal Association and Worldview Nepal have taken a lead in 
>getting this project going.
>
>Radio Sagarmatha began its test runs in June. It is expected to 
>begin full-fledged programs shortly. Most would contain "info-
>tainment" and "edu-tainment". This mix of information, 
>entertainment and education is needed to draw audiences and yet 
>keep within its mandate. Only one-quarter or so of the programmes 
>are slated to be of an entertainment nature.
>
>UNESCO, the United Nation's Cultural, Educational and Scientific 
>Organisation donated US$60,000 worth of equipment for setting up 
>a recording-cure-air studio in Kathmandu, for transmitters and 
>some studio equipments.
>
>Like its South Asian neighbours, Nepal has been slow in loosening 
>bureaucratic control over the airwaves. "Nepal's government has 
>shown reluctance even in reviewing the applications, let alone 
>the granting of licenses," says NEFEJ's Khadka.
>
>"Those in governance in Nepal were, and are, so reluctant in 
>adopting any new approach that they hesitate in going forward. 
>This was the main cause for Radio Sagarmatha taking five years in 
>taking off," said Khadka.
>
>He added: "Though we have democratic rule in Nepal, governments 
>of either rightists or leftists have been reluctant to free the 
>communication medium in the country." In 1990, following pro-
>democracy demonstrations, Nepal's King Birendra proclaimed a 
>constitution which relinquished his absolute powers, and brought 
>in a multi-party system.
>
>Under the terms of its own license, Radio Sagarmatha is 
>restricted to only two hours of airing programmes daily. In 
>addition, the radio is required to hook-up for news from the 
>national radio broadcast of Radio Nepal. Entertainment programmes 
>are restricted to one-quarter of total air time. Each week's 
>programme menu needs to be submitted to the government for 
>review.
>
>"The license contains a number of things that are even against 
>the norm of existing laws, and most of these are impractical," 
>say those manning the new station. There are hints that the 
>promoters of this venture might opt for a legal battle to get 
>more breathing space for their operations.
>
>Still, this station's promoters want its approach to be 
>different. Its promoters say priority will be given to health 
>education, family planning, Nepal's indigenous cultures and 
>environmental awareness.
>
>Environmental problems have been a concern in Nepal for quite 
>some time. Some two-thirds of the country's rural population live 
>in mountains and plateaus with only 30% of Nepal's arable land.
>
>This demographic weight has caused erosion and deforestation to 
>reach alarming proportions. Low productivity, unemployment and 
>poverty are some of the concerns staring the country in the face.
>
>UN development statistics say 75% of Nepalis live below the 
>poverty line. Average life expectancy is 55 years. One in every 
>10 infants dies before the age of five, and 40% of Nepali 
>children are undernourished.
>
>Its backers hope that the Radio Sagarmatha experiment will boost 
>pluralism in the broadcast media in the South Asian region, where 
>the scene has largely been dominated by large, sometimes-monolith 
>official organisations.
>
>"Radio has always been a potent medium of mass communication for 
>Nepal as two-thirds of the country is mountainous, making 
>accessibility difficult, and 70 percent of the population is 
>illiterate," comments Nepali journalist Deepak Gajurel. South 
>Asia as a whole has considerable growth potential for radio, 
>particularly since newspapers and television still play only a 
>weak role here. Barely 25 newspapers are read by every one 
>thousand persons in South Asia, who also have to share 50 
>televisions among them.
>
>Station director Murari Shivakoti has been quoted saying: "Radio 
>Sagarmatha's network of stations is aimed to inform, educate, and 
>entertain the target communities with programmes that help them 
>understand issues better and help them make informal choices in 
>their everyday lives." 
>
>Government-owned Nepal Television's board directors chairman Hem 
>Bahadur Bista himself told local journalists: "Mass media has so 
>far not been used in Nepal for the development purpose. Now the 
>day has come to use it as a tool for development." Community 
>radio, point out its promoters, offers great potential for two-
>way communication. This could help reduce the gap between 
>decision-makers and the grassroots, it is argued. Consequently, 
>the people would have a greater say in decisions on community 
>development schemes. -- Third World Network Features
>
>                                 --ends--
>  Reposted from:
>"<THIRD WORLD NETWORK FEATURES>" <oibs@bom2.vsnl.net.in>
>
>TWN-Features offers reproduction rights to subscribers of this 
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>Martin at oibs@bom2.vsnl.net.in
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