Role of community radio in maintaining cultural diversity in Assam (with special reference to Jnan Taranga and Radio Luit)

Abstract

Community radio belongs to the third tier of broadcasting which is different from public and private broadcasting. It is characterised by the active participation of the community in the process of creating content, research, production and broadcast of programs with an emphasis on local issues and concerns. Being a not-for-profit initiative, the programs broadcast by the station aims for overall development and raising awareness on various socially relevant topics. India is a land of diverse cultures. The cultures vary significantly different from north to east and the east to west. The North Eastern region consisting of 7 states, for instance, is home to more than one hundred fifty ethnic groups and every group has their own unique culture. After the historic Supreme Court judgment in 1995 which ruled that “airwaves are public property”, there are 200 operational community radio stations in India till date. In the north eastern region of India, presently, only three community radio stations are there. Since its inception, these three community radio stations always provided a platform to all the communities of the region to promote their own culture by participating in various programs and activities. The basic objective of the study is to understand the how community radio can play a very important role in retaining the cultural diversity of a region. The researchers have implied qualitative method for the research. The study is anticipated to be a pioneering activity in exploring the community radio as a tool for maintaining cultural diversity of a particular region.