The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) on February 13, 2024, issued revised Policy Guidelines for setting up Community Radio Stations in India.
The following has been stated: -
•In December 2002, the Government of India approved a policy for the grant of licenses for setting up Community Radio Stations to well-established educational institutions including IITs/IIMs.
•To ensure the financial sustainability of Community Radio Stations and to ensure the growth of the Community Radio Sector, the Government has carried out further amendments to the Policy Guidelines. Now, the Revised Policy Guidelines are as under: -
•Some of the basic principles: -
An organisation desirous of operating a Community Radio Station (CRS) must be able to satisfy and adhere to the following principles:
a) It should be explicitly a ‘not-for-profit’ organisation and should have a proven record of at least three years of service to the local community.
b) The CRS, to be operated by it, should be designed to serve the local community in its coverage area.
c) It should have an ownership and management structure that is reflective of the community that the CRS seeks to serve.
•Eligibility Criteria are discussed in the guidelines.
•Applicants will be eligible to seek funding from multilateral aid agencies. Applicants seeking foreign funds for setting up the CRS will have to obtain FCRA clearance under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 1976.
• The government shall strive to build an ecosystem for the continual growth of CRS and encourage the sharing of content among the CR community.
•The Government reserves the right to modify, at any time, the terms and conditions if it is necessary to do so, in the public interest for the proper conduct of broadcasting, or for security considerations.
•The Government shall make special arrangements for monitoring and enforcement of the ceiling on advertisements, particularly in those areas where private FM radio stations have been granted licenses.
The detailed notification is given in the document attached below.
