Anna Community Radio @ 90.4 FM

Contact Person: Dr. S. Arulchelvan

Broadcasting Language: Tamil and English

Genesis: Anna Community Radio was the first Community Radio in India, established in February 2004, by an educational institution taking the lead in the service of the oppressed in the local community. The purpose of Anna CR is to work for the upliftment of the local community residing near Anna University, Chennai, by creating awareness on healthcare, education, female literacy, self-employment, clean environment, etc. With a reach of up to 15 km through a 50 Watts transmitter, Anna CR programmes are produced by the community and for the community. 

Thematic Focus: With an aim to provide a forum for the community to participate and share their expertise/views in subjects pertaining to the fields of education, folk literature, science, engineering, medicine, pollution control, etc., Anna CR has produced programmes with eminent personalities and intellectuals to gather their insights. The programmes offer social awareness and promote the development of society.

Sustainable Development Goals: Anna Community Radio is working towards the upliftment of the community by stressing these SDGs:

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being

SDG 4: Quality Education

SDG 5: Gender Equality

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

Primetime Programmes: The radio station primarily runs health awareness campaigns through its programmes. For instance, COVID-19 pandemic awareness campaign, swine flu awareness campaign, pollution control campaign, disaster relief, and campaign on nutritious food for pregnant women were all given a platform in the important programmes.

Many of its programmes such as Magalir Neram, Nalam Peruvai Thozhi,  Career Guidance, Vazhkkaiyin Vannangal, Iyarkai Maruthuva are innovative and reflective of the diverse voices in the community. The station also gives voice to music and information that is not covered by the mainstream media. It is a foundational principle of the CR to achieve perfection by involving the community in preparing the programmes. 

Innovations in format or any other way: The radio station uses narrowcasting along with broadcasting to effectively disseminate knowledge. Furthermore, collaborations with NGOs across the city like Mohan Foundation and Bloom Trust are often done to achieve a bigger conclusion. The collaborations serve as a means to promote the CRS programmes to reach a wider audience.

Core Team: The station has a dedicated staff of ten members. It includes a Station Director and five core members. The Station Director deals with the stakeholders and is the authority on decision-making regarding the projects, while the core members look after the content development, technical assistance and community panelling. 

Major Projects Undertaken: Anna CR has worked on several major projects through its partnership with international think tanks and government agencies. These projects have especially assisted in conveying knowledge to the masses during critical times. Such projects include COVID19 Awareness Programme and Pledge for Good Health with the partnership with UNICEF, and BMGF-SMART Vaccination Campaign for creating awareness among the local community.  

Sustainable Strategies: The technical and financial support is received from the parent organisation, Anna University. Apart from this, the CRS has adopted a sustainable strategy to become self-sufficient by drawing the rest through collaborative projects with leading NGOs and government departments. 

Number of listeners and Potential Outreach: The broadcast range reaches a wide area covering Velachery, Kotturpuram, Kannigapuram, Saidapet and Chinnamalai. With an active listener base of around 17,000 people, the radio station is further trying to increase its outreach potential to 35,000. 

Major concerns in the Community: The major area of concern within the community is lack of awareness regarding opportunities and means of poverty eradication. Along with this, the dropout rate of young girls from schools is also a notable concern. These issues can be addressed to a great extent through intervention from the local bodies.