Radio Neythal @ 107.8 FM

Contact Person: Fr. Xavier Kudiyamsseri

Broadcasting Language: Malayalam 

Genesis: Radio Neythal is a community radio station based in the coastal town of Alappuzha in Kerala. The CRS was established to cater to the needs of the coastal community and ensure their safety and well-being. The CRS essays a pivotal role in the lives of the fishermen community by providing timely updates and information on matters pertaining weather and fishing. 

Thematic Focus: The focus of Radio Neythal primarily rests on fishermen and their livelihood. The CRS also focuses on areas including climate change, environmental protection, healthcare, education, bridging socio-economic gaps, and other issues that affect the lives of community members. 

Sustainable Development Goals: The SDGs that the CRS focusses on and aspires to achieve:

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being

SDG 4: Quality Education

SDG 5: Gender Equality

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

SDG 14: Life Below Water

Primetime Programmes: The following are the primetime programmes that feature on Radio Neythal

• Good Morning Neythal – An hour-long live phone-in programme that receives more than fifteen phone calls and ten text message wishes.
• Vazhikatti – An educational programme that provides updates on various courses, competitive exams, and their application procedures. 
• Sevanavazhikal –  A live programme where officials from different government departments discuss the schemes launched for community welfare. The programme also features doctors, financial experts, agricultural experts, authors, social and cultural activists who discuss various topics and express their views on the same. 
• Arogyamritham – A health-programme where doctors discuss diseases, lifestyle and nutrition.
• Sakhi – It is a women empowerment programme.
• Classics – This is a programme based on literature, and discusses books and their authors.
• Tech & Talk – This programmes discusses the latest development in the world of technology around the world
• Neythal Nights – A live interactive program that plays the favourite music of listeners while also discussing contemporary issues
• In addition to these popular shows, Radio Neythal also broadcasts programmes like Neythal Sr, Neythal Kutties, and Nadinodoppam, all of which enjoy a good reach

Innovations in format or any other way: Athijeevanam is a unique programme that was developed by Radio Neythal during the COVID-19 pandemic with an intent to connect Keralites from all over the world and provide a platform for them to share their views, experiences and survival stories.

The CRS was a key contributor and partner in all the activities during COVID-19 pandemic. The CRS distributed essentials, sanitisers, and masks in the community. Radio Neythal has also organised training camps, health camps, and awareness campaigns for the welfare of the community. 

The CRS is active on all major social media platforms and has its own YouTube channel. 

Core Team: Radio Neythal has ten members on its executive board which is supported by a dedicated staff of ten members which include radio jockeys and technicians. The CRS also has around seventeen volunteers from the community who contribute in all aspects and help the smooth functioning of the CRS. 

Major Projects Undertaken: Radio Neythal was part of the flood relief activities in the region, in collaboration with the district administration. Radio Neythal could gather as many as 211 fishing vessels from the traditional fishermen and aid the rescue operations in Kuttanad, Chengannur and Ernakulam. The fishermen were rewarded for their selfless service to the community by Caritas India, various NGOs and IAG India.

The CRS has also collaborated with organisations such as CEMCA, UNICEF, Sphere India, Ideo sync, UNDP, and several other government agencies for different projects and campaigns. 

Sustainable Strategies: Radio Neythal is supported by its parent organisation and also raises funds through its different externally funded projects with other organisations. 

Number of listeners and Potential Outreach: Radio Neythal has a strong active listener base of nearly four lakh listeners. 

Major concerns in the Community: A majority of the families in the region belong to the BPL category. Livelihood issues among fishermen are a concern in the community because the fishing community faces problems like irregular income. The community is also bound by CRZ rules. Women in the community do not have decent and well-being jobs. The community needs to achieve financial literacy and grow economically.