Community Radio Benziger @ 107.8 FM

Contact Person: Mr. Ferdinand Peter

Broadcasting Language: Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi, Telugu and English 

Genesis: The Bishop Benziger hospital has been providing quality healthcare at affordable costs to the people of Kollam for the last 75 years. Apart from healthcare delivery, this not-for-profit organisation is also involved in several activities to express its social commitment to the community it serves. Community Radio Benziger which was established on November, 7, 2010 is yet another attempt to reach the community and to shift the point of focus from the hospital to the community.

Thematic Focus: Being part of an healthcare organisation, the primary focus area of Radio Benziger has been community health and welfare. The other focus areas on which the CRS works are mental health, urban domestic agriculture, and addressing environmental issues. The CRS has worked on many initiatives that focus on developing a healthy, socially-aware and responsible community. 

Sustainable Development Goals: Community Radio Benziger primarily focuses on achieving these SDGs:

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

SDG 15: Life on Land

Primetime Programmes: The primetime programmes that are broadcast on Radio Benziger include Kathodu Kathoram, Doctor Live, Mental Health, Mindiyum Paranjum, and Ellarum Chollanu. 

Kathodu Kathoram is a three-hour long, phone-in programme for the community members to express their views and concerns, share knowledge, and find solutions to different problems through collective efforts, which facilitates the community-bonding process. The programme also serves the purpose of identifying topics/issues to focus on and develop new programmes based on that. Doctor Live is a hour-long phone-in programme that addresses the prevalent health concerns in the community. A consultant psychologist addresses various mental concerns through the programme Mental Health, and also offers in-person counselling if needed. Ellarum Chollanu and Mindiyum Paranjum are community-participation programmes that focus on different themes. 

Innovations in format or any other way: Narrowcasting, podcasts, organising community meetings and competitions, and radio-enabled learning courses are various innovative methods used by the CRS to create a difference in the lives of the target community. 

Core Team: Radio Benziger has a large and efficient team which is constituted by the Station Director, Programme Coordinator, announcers and other staff members. There is a panel of three community members who regularly review the content created by the CRS. In addition to the staff, there are more than two hundred community members who actively participate and contribute to the activities of the CRS.

Major Projects Undertaken: Radio Benziger has developed radio-enabled open courses based on community health and household agriculture, and has radio exhibitions on the occasion of World Radio Day. The CRS has been an active participant in regional and national initiatives funded by external organisations.

Sustainable Strategies: Radio Benziger receives support from its parent organisation. The CRS is empanelled with the Kerala State Public Relations Department, and also receives grants from business enterprises and individuals in Kollam.

Number of listeners and Potential Outreach: Radio Benziger is able to reach out to almost 65 percent of its outreach potential and has an active listener base of approximately three lakh listeners. 

Major concerns in the Community:  The major concerns in the society include health concerns aggravated by the recent pandemic, livelihood issues among the fishermen due to various reasons, and issues related to waste management and the resulting pollution.