[icernet] Campus Power: Desi Varsities Set To Join The Ivy League

[Arul Selvan]

  Campus radio, quite a rage in the West, is finally a reality in India. 
In India, campus radio is all about setting up low-frequency FM radio 
stations in the 87.5 to 108 mhz range. The power of the FM transmitters 
would be 50 watts or even less, according to chief engineer and head AIR 
Resources HO Srivastava.

Talking of licence, it is a long list of departments which have to give 
their clearance before the final nod is granted. So, it is certainly not 
a single-window clearance for a technology that is so enabling. While 
the licence will be issued by the information and broadcasting ministry, 
clearances are needed from Home and HRD ministries also. Besides, the 
Wireless Planning and Coordination Committee (WPC) of the ministry of 
communications would be responsible for allocating frequency spectrum to 
universities, colleges, schools and other educational institutions.

After these clearances, AIR would take two to three months to set up a 
station. The good news is that theres no licence fee, but institutions 
would be charged for spectrum usage. And the bad news? No 
commercialisation and advertising would be permitted in the campus radio 
network. Also, compliance with the general broadcasting code of the 
country applies here too.

The basic objective of the community radio broadcasting would be to 
serve the cause of community in the service area of the licence by 
involving members of the community in the broadcast of their programmes, 
said Dr Srivastava. These radio stations will be able to provide high 
quality radio service within a radius of five to eight km. These 
stations are expected to be used most widely by universities, institutes 
of technology, management schools and residential schools, for 
dissemination of information, lectures, debates and other formal and 
non-formal education within the campus and adjoining areas, Dr 
Srivastava added.


Source:
http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=29217