Punjab govt gives permission for Community Radio Stations

Chandigarh, June 4 (uni) The Punjab government has decided encourage entrepreneurs to set up Community Radio Stations (CRS) in the state.

This has been decided keeping in tune with the central governments liberalised policy for granting permission in this regard to non-profit organisations having a proven record of at least three years of community service.

Disclosing this here today, an official spokesman said that Community Radio, as distinct from private FM broadcasting, serves to bring small communities together, focuses on the common man's routine concerns and helps in realising local aspirations. These stations would focus on issues relating to education, health, environment, agriculture, rural and community development etc.

He further added that any organisation desirous of operating a CRS would have an ownership and management structure that is reflective of the community that the CRS takes to serve.

Individuals, political parties and their affiliated organisations with a motive to earn profit and those that are banned by the union or state governments would not be eligible to set up CRSs.

Revealing terms and conditions in this regard, the spokesman said that the permission agreement period for a CRS would be for five years and the permission letter would be non-transferable. With respect to religious programmes, the permission holder would have to avoid airing programmes that exploitat religious susceptibilities and offend religious views and beliefs of a particular religion.

Programmes aired should preferably be in Punjabi language and dialect, he said.

As per the policy the permission holder would provide the services of his CRS on free-to-air basis. The state government would make special arrangements for monitoring and enforcement of advertisements, particularly in those areas where private FM radio stations have already been granted licenses.

UNI