Arpaa Radio @ 90.8 FM

Contact Person: Ms. Sangya Tandon

Broadcasting Language:  Hindi and Chhattisgarhi 

Genesis: Arpaa Radio was launched on 1st April 2021 under the aegis of Libra Welfare Society in the Bilaspur district of Chhattisgarh. The CRS works for the development and welfare of different sectors of the society and adopts a community-centric approach in all its endeavours. Arpaa Radio is one of the first community radio stations in its region and is committed to helping its target community towards a better future. 

Thematic Focus: Arpaa Radio design programmes and interventions on all major areas,  but its primary focus rests on healthcare and the eradication of diseases from the community. The CRS also works to address issues related to women and children, domestic violence, road safety, and environment conservation. 

Sustainable Development Goals: Arpaa Radio works for the development and upliftment of different sectors of the community, thus works on the following SDGs:

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being

SDG 4: Quality Education

SDG 5: Gender Equality

SDG 6: Clean water and sanitation

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

Primetime Programmes: The primetime programmes include Prathana, Aaj ka Itihas, Ramcharitmanas, Aaj ka Kalakar, Dinvishesh, Apni Hindi Sudhare, Chintan, Hello Bachcho, Bolti Kahaniyan, Prernadayak Kahaniyan, and Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.

Prathana is a spiritual and devotional programme, Aaj ka Itihas focuses on the important historical events which happened on a particular day,  and Aaj ka Kalakar commemorates famous artists by celebrating their birth or death anniversaries.Chintan is a programme that sheds light on different problems affecting the society. Hello Bachcho is a programme for children. The CRS also hosts storytelling programmes during its primetime, and also relays the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav programme from Akashvani. In addition to these programmes, Arpaa Radio has a strong bank of unique programmes that it broadcasts on different occasions. 

Innovations in format or any other way: Arpaa Radio  produces programmes in a variety of formats, including interviews, discussions, drama, interactive phone calls, documentaries, etc. The CRS believes that it has to do much more than broadcasting to bring about positive changes in its community, and therefore designs a number of innovative initiatives to help the community in better ways. 

The CRS is active on all major social media platforms and has a YouTube channel of its own. It also has a web radio application. Arpaa Radio also regularly shares its updates with local newspapers, brochures and e-portals. 

Core Team: Arpaa Radio has a strong team which includes the Station Head, two Programmers, PR Head, four presenters, an editor, technical assistants, sales executives, and two project coordinators. The CRS is also proud to have a differently-abled digital associate.

Major Projects Undertaken: The major projects undertaken by Arpaa Radio are listed below:

• Swasthya –Sankalp (a project focused on women and children, in association with UNICEF and CRA)
• The TB Challenge (an awareness campaign in association with SMART)
• Hinsa ko No (a campaign to end gender-based violence, in association with SMART).
• The CRS also designed an internal project on promoting Millets.  

Sustainable Strategies: Given below are a few strategies adopted by the CRS to be a self-sustained entity. 

• Rather than depending solely on grants or donations, the CRS focuses on advertisements, sponsorships, or partnerships with local businesses or organisations. 
• By collaborating with other community organisations in Chhattisgarh, like Raman Radio, Bilaspur, Radio Raipuriya, Sahyogi Radio, Durg, and Hamar Radio, the CRS shares outreach events, and potentially secure funding opportunities. 
• Arpaa Radio is also designing a fundraising strategy that includes various methods, such as events, crowdfunding, and membership drives, to generate funds and engage the community. 

Number of listeners and Potential Outreach: According to the census of 2011, Bilaspur has a population of nearly 3,30,000 people. From this outreach potential, the CRS estimates that it has an active listener base of nearly 55,000 people.

The CRS clocks the streaming of nearly eight to ten thousand listeners through its web radio application. 

Major Concerns in the Community: Women in the community need to be educated and empowered to ensure the holistic development of the community. Health and nutrition needs attention, with special focus on eradicating diseases like TB and cancer. There is also a need to boost educational infrastructure and skill development activities to promote the economic growth of the community.