Namma Naadi @ 90.4 FM

Contact Person: Mr. Varun K. S.

Broadcasting Language: Kannada

Genesis: Namma Naadi 90.4 FM was established in January 2017 by Narayana Hrudayalaya Foundation. The CRS is a service-oriented entity of Narayana Health with the support of Narayana Hrudayalaya Foundation, and is a community radio initiative by the healthcare conglomerate serving the geographic areas in and around Anekal Taluk, Bengaluru Rural. Namma Naadi (meaning ‘Our Pulse’ in Kannada) focuses on broadcasting programmes that are for the people and by the people of Anekal, and to nurture a society with an equal and inclusive attitude. 

Thematic Focus: Programmes of Namma Naadi range from awareness and education for youth to health, music, literature, culture, environment and employment-based issues. The objective of the station is to enable a platform for the community members to be heard by local institutions, communities of interest and Government stakeholders. Namma Naadi hopes to address larger issues of the community such as sanitation, crime, substance abuse, health, education and safety that impact its culture and day-to-day life. The broader objective would be to serve as a consensus building platform between communities, local governing bodies and civic authorities to communicate and collaborate on shared goals. 

Sustainable Development Goals: The SDGs that the CRS focusses on are:

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being

SDG 4: Quality Education

SDG 5: Gender Equality

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

Primetime Programmes:  Namma Arogya, and Namma Sangeetha Shaale are among the primetime programmes that are broadcast on Namma Naadi. Namma Arogya is a health-awareness programme that features expert doctors who address different health concerns, suggest treatments, discuss nutrition, and healthy lifestyle practices, and also bust myths related to healthcare and treatments. Health-related programmes are the core programmes of Namma Naadi and are among the most popular ones. Namma Sangeetha Shaale is a programme that features musicians who teach classical music to the listeners through the radio. 

Innovations in format or any other way: Namma Naadi Radio narrowcasts its programmes and initiatives for the benefit of the community. The CRS reaches out to the community members in the remote and media-dark areas and shares information related to health and other topics with them. This helps the community members in identifying different health conditions, and learning home remedies to cure conditions common cold, sore throat etc. The CRS has also been able to work closely with different SHGs.

Such initiatives help the CRS to forge a strong relationship with the community and contribute to their well-being.

Core Team: The core team at Namma Naadi is constituted by the Station Director, Station Manager, and twelve core members. There are six members in the administrative committee. The Programme Advisory Committee looks after the content development responsibilities. The CRS is supported by an enthusiastic group of student volunteers. 

Major Projects Undertaken: Namma Naadi was part of the Election Awareness campaign in association with the Election Commission of India and SMART. It has also regularly participated in different campaigns of the Ministry of Ayush, in association with CEMCA. The CRS also partnered with different NGOs for campaigns on COVID-19 and vaccination drives. 

Sustainable Strategies: Namma Naadi Radio draws most of its budget from the CSR funding of its sister concern, Narayana Health. The CRS is a volunteer-based entity and a large share of the work of the CRS is done with the help of volunteers. This significantly helps in cost-cutting. The CRS aspires to be a self-sustaining entity by generating revenue through the means of externally funded collaborations. 

Number of listeners and Potential Outreach: 160 villages of the Anekal taluk are within the broadcast range of the CRS. The area has an estimated potential of nearly 4,50,000 people, and the CRS has an active listener base of approximately 50,000 listeners. 

Major concerns in the Community: The major concerns in the community include lack of employment opportunities, and a lack of awareness about public welfare schemes. The region also needs better healthcare infrastructure, and the local community must be made aware of different health concerns and risks.