A
Community Radio towards a Knowledge Society for Bridging the Knowledge Divide
MACFAST (Mar
Athanasios College for Advanced Studies, Tiruvalla - a post graduate and
research institution, started in 2001, offering specially designed courses in
Business Management, Information Technology and Biosciences) is proud to launch
the 46th Community Radio in the country on the 1st of November 2009 to the
discerning listeners of Central Travancore. This FM radio — RADIO MACFAST 90.4
is going to be a trendsetter in Community Radio segment through its wide range
of diverse and interesting programs, to be aired 16 hours a day, from the very
first day of its launch.
WHAT IS RADIO
MACFAST 90.4?
RADIO MACFAST
90.4 is primarily a Community Development initiative which uses radio as its
medium. Community Development involves the empowering of local people through
the provision of information and skills as well the development of a community
identity. Community radio is a unique toll in this respect. Through access to
the airwaves and participation of the society, RADIO MACFAST 90.4 facilitates
the following:
·The exchange of information, networking of group, and provision of
skills and training which are all key elements of developing a community
·The promotion of awareness of the many community groups and
facilities in the area.
·The empowering of these groups to use radio to promote themselves
and speak directly to the community.
Having a community
radio station as a focal point for local development encourages this, in that
many of these groups have traditionally been isolated and marginalised by
mainstream media which by its nature fails to address the concerns of
individuals communities. RADIO MACFAST 90.4 believes that the emergence of a
Knowledge Society is possible through focused work at the grass-root level. It
realizes that transfer of Knowledge happens in both directions — from the urban
society to the rural one and vice versa. Community Radio as a model is a
democratic medium assisting the work of both public and voluntary organisations
as part of an emerging, non-profit community development sector. It proposes a
diversity of actions to achieve this. True to its punch line — “Naattukaarkku
Koottayi” - RADIO MACFAST 90.4, strives to achieve exactly the same: “a partner
friend in all the endeavours of the local populace”.
WHY A
COMMUNITY RADIO LIKE RADIO MACFAST 90.4?
The objectives
of RADIO MACFAST are:
·Achieving
social change and development objectives
·To empower
communities to speak for themselves, to give a voice to the voiceless and to be
force for social and economic good.
·To provide
opportunity and exposure to groups that are traditionally marginalised by
mainstream media, to broadcast their programmes.
·To establish
community radio as an important part of community development and of the
community and voluntary sector.
·To enhance
the capacities of local people to work together to tackle a range of social
problems, including poverty and exclusion through radio.
·To nurture
the creative talents of the community and to provide a forum for a diversity of
opinions and useful information.
“The value and purpose
of community broadcasting “, says Rev. Dr. Abraham Mulamoottil, the founder of RADIO
MACFAST 90.4 “is located within its founding philosophy – to give a voice to
the voiceless. We would act as a centre for religious integration, social
integration, cultural integration and national integration”.
RADIO MACFAST 90.4 is a
community radio that is participatory, interactive and democratic ith a goal to
bridge the knowledge divide between the sections of society by closely serving
the community reflecting vital community issues and focusing specifically on their
needs. We intend to work towards creating a civil society with a growing sense
of community values, irrespective of caste, creed, age, gender or
discrimination based on level of education. But at the same time, e also
realize that as community stations are the pulse of their community, so the
community is its lifeblood, and needs to be fully a part of it to allow the
station to grow. We reach out to the society for proper dissemination of
information, revitalizing the underprivileged sections and re-organizing the
identity crisis. RADIO MACFAST 90.4 will be the coordinating centre for uniting
the knowledge from all other sources of information and knowledge, thus
facilitating positive transformation in the society through community
development, reconstructionand national
integration.
HOW COULD YOU
CONTRIBUTE?
This unique initiative,
which envisions to bridge the knowledge gap, is looking forward to valuable
contributions to make this a highly successful venture within a short span of
time. Your contributions could be through:
·Production
of programs
·Letting
us know your expectations about us
·Forwarding
your suggestions to us
·Voluntary
work as reporter, script writer, promotion of radio in a new place
·Contribute
to the RADIO MACFAST Charities which can help the people who are terminally
ill, have no shelter and other needy people of the society.
CAMPUS
