Radio Samvad @ 90.8 FM

Contact Person: Dr. Rajendra Mohanty, Dr. Narendra Tripathi

Broadcasting Language: Hindi and Chhattisgarhi

Radio Samvad is the brainchild of Kushabhau Thakre Patrakarita Avam Jansanchar Vishwavidyalaya, a Chhattisgarh state public university. The CRS was inaugurated by the then Chief Minister, Dr. Raman Singh, in March 2018. The objective of the CRS is to provide hands-on training on radio programme production, editing, conceiving of relevant themes to make programmes, etc., to the students pursuing media studies at the university as well as to serve the local public with valuable radio broadcasts.   

Themes: The radio station broadly focuses on themes like rural development, education, health, etc. Upon conducting a basic research, it was found that issues related to the above-mentioned themes, however general in nature, are still pervasive in the community and require further intervention. The station thus serves as a media platform specifically designed to cover local interests and concerns. 

Sustainable Development Goals: The goals that the CRS aims to achieve are: 

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being

SDG 5: Gender Equality

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institution

Primetime programmes: The CRS’ primetime programming covers issues like gender-based violence, creating awareness regarding the spread of fake news, and health-based programmes like the TB awareness programme. Hinsa Ko Na is a show specially designed to sensitise listeners to gender-based violence. The programme being aired once daily focuses on laws related to gender-based violence and informs the listeners about the Sakhi Centre. The station also actively runs Yoga awareness campaigns to help people live a healthy lifestyle.   

Innovations in format or any other way: The station uses some of the innovative techniques stated below to reach out to the audience: 

• Conducting outreach programmes with the villagers on issues related to education, health, and law etc. on subjects where the villagers find themselves unable to seek expert advice. The station helps bridge this gap between the provider and the seeker of knowledge.
• Narrowcasting of programmes on different social issues to make people aware. This helps with a centralised approach to the target audience.
• Group meetings of ‘Vihaan’ once every week in different villages (women’s self help group) on social issues are also a part of the innovative forms of increasing the station’s outreach.

Core Team: At the helm of the station are 4 core team members who are experts in the fields of communication and research. It consists of a station director, executive members and a programmer. The Programmer advises on how to broadcast a subject in a way that benefits the target audience and the core team collectively engages in content development.

Major Projects Undertaken: Several projects from CEMCA and SMART have been successfully completed by the CRS and some are running currently. Besides, Development programmes of the Chhattisgarh government are regularly been broadcast over the CRS.  

Sustainable Strategies: The CRS was established to train the media students on radio programme production, ground level research for programme production. technical know-how of running the radio station, etc. The university provides funding for the operating of the station. The CRS however broadcasts various awareness programmes provided by state government.  

Number of listeners and Potential Outreach: The estimated reach of the radio station is above 25,000. The station is striving hard to increase it above 30,000.

Major concerns in the Community: The primary issues that the community is dealing with are intoxication, gender bias and gender-based violence, unemployment, a lack of education and health infrastructure. There is a pressing need to boost local awareness platforms so that issues can be dealt with through local participation.