Jnan Taranga CRS @ 90 FM

 Contact Person: Dr. Sangeeta Kakoty

Broadcasting Language: Assamese  

Genesis: Jnan Taranga Community Radio, patronised by Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University (KKHSOU), is the first community radio station in the North-East region. It was established on 20th of November, 2010 with the support given by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Government of India and Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA), New Delhi. 

Thematic Focus: The primary thematic focus areas of Radio Jnan Taranga are education, healthcare, women empowerment, and economic growth. The CRS also shifts its focus on the prevalent social problems in the community and strives to find resilient resolutions for the same.  

Sustainable Development Goals: 

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being

SDG 4: Quality Education

SDG 5: Gender Equality

SDG 13: Climate Action

Primetime Programmes: Radio Jnan Taranga has a large bank of programmes that are curated to address the specific needs of the local communities around it. The programmes are developed in various formats to engage, educate, entertain and empower the society. The community members connect with each other, voice their concerns, discuss different social issues, and also showcase their talent through the programmes. The programmes are based on areas like health, agriculture, education, and culture. They feature experts from different fields who share their knowledge and experience for the benefit of the local community. Through these programmes, the CRS also tries to promote and preserve the local languages, tradition and culture.

Innovations in format or any other way: It is imperative to narrowcast programmes in order to reach community members in the remote areas, which are often media dark. The programmes of the CRS are also available through internet radio on the global platform iRadioLive.com. The CRS is working on creating accounts on different social media accounts to reach a wide audience as well as connect with the existing ones.

Core Team: Radio Jnan Taranga has an Advisory Committee which includes six members; four of them belong to the local community. The Registrar of KKHSOU acts as the Station Director, who is assisted by the Station Manager. The CRS has a team of ten community volunteers to broadcast and monitor the programmes. 

Major Projects Undertaken: Radio Jnan Taranga has worked on many initiatives in association with agencies/organisations like CRA, UNICEF, SMART, CEMCA, and ASDMA, in areas including health, nutrition, and disaster management. 

Sustainable Strategies: Radio Jnan Taranga is sustained by financial support from its parent organisation, KKHSOU. The CRS also generates revenue through externally funded projects in collaboration with various government agencies and non-governmental organisations. 

The CRS often faces financial crises and is developing strategies to attract more funded projects. 

Number of listeners and Potential Outreach: Approximately 5000 households fall within the broadcast range of Radio Jnan Taranga. The CRS also reaches listeners through the means of web radio. 

Major concerns in the Community: Radio Jnan Taranga mostly caters to a rural community who struggle with issues like illiteracy, unemployment, low wages etc. The community also needs access to better healthcare and sanitation facilities.