Radio Chitkara @ 107.8 FM

Radio Chitkara @ 107.8 FM

Radio Chitkara 107.8, Chitkara University Village -Jhansla, Patiala- Chandigarh National Highway, Near Rajpura, Punjab – 140601

Contact Person: Dr. Ashutosh Mishra, Dr. Pankaj Garg

Contact Number: +91-9501105609, 9468082800   

Email:radio1078@chitkara.edu.in, ashutosh.mishra@chitkara.edu.in, pankaj.garg@chitkara.edu.in   

Website:  www.chitkara.edu.in     

Broadcast Timing: 24 hours

Broadcasting Language: Punjabi, Hindi and English

Genesis: Chitkara Educational Trust (Chitkara University) was founded in the year 1998 with a mission to pursue excellence in all fields of education and academics. As a part of its corporate social responsibility, the trust began its initiatives to establish a radio studio to address the concerns of the local community. Radio Chitkara was launched on 26th October 2012, and is situated in Punjab. The CRS broadcasts programmes that are very popular in the local community. 

Thematic Focus: The major theme/areas that Radio Chitkara focuses on are education, local art and culture, empowerment, agriculture, social development, entertainment, health, and addressing social issues. The CRS is committed to producing programmes that are community-specific and address the different concerns of the local community. The CRS is also a platform for the local community members to showcase their talents, and share their experience and knowledge in different areas.

Sustainable Development Goals: Radio Chitkara works towards achieving 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 13: Climate Action

SDG 14: Life Below Water

SDG 15: Life on Land

Primetime Programmes: The primetime programmes of Radio Chitkara are listed below:

• Tandrusti ke Raaz: It is a programme based on health, and special days related to the medical field are celebrated on Radio Chitkara. Tandrusti De Raaz focuses on different health diseases, their cure and treatment.
• Ek Kahaani: – It is an innovative show that features a series of short fictional stories where the perspectives of the author are discussed. 
• Gallan Battan: – This programme is designed in various formats like special activities, expert interviews, live programmes, vox pop on different issues etc. 
• Yog Charcha: Radio Chitkara broadcasts a regular programme that discusses the benefits of Yoga in daily life, and its contribution to one’s health and fitness. 

Innovations in format or any other way: Radio Chitkara and its team filed a patent with the title ‘System For Radio And Internet Broadcasting’ through which the radio station was made accessible from remote locations to its contributors, and the audience was connected through internet streaming, during the COVID-19 pandemic. This enabled the terrestrial mode community radio to go online, and that too with a decentralised and participative approach. This technique helped to connect and involve a larger community

Core Team: The core team at Radio Chitkara is constituted by the Station Head, Programming Head, and Executive Producers. This core team is supported by the technical staff and student volunteers.

Major Projects Undertaken: Radio Chitkara is an active participant in regional and national initiatives. The CRS was  a part of the Pledge for Good Health Campaign in association with UNICEF and CRA. It collaborated on the Factshala project by DataLEADS for the Google News Initiative. Dhwanishala is a collaborative project between the CRS and NCERT. The CRS was also part of the International Day of Yoga campaigns in 2021 and 2022, in association with CEMCA. 

Sustainable Strategies:The CRS is sustained by financial support from the parent organisation, Chitkara Educational Trust. Funded collaborative projects and advertisements are the other sources of revenue generation. 

Number of listeners and Potential Outreach: Radio Chitkara has an active listener base of approximately one lakh listeners. 

Major concerns in the Community: The major concerns in the community are scarcity of water, stubble burning, and drug addiction. Better healthcare and educational infrastructure are also needed. The local language and culture need to be preserved, lest it be lost in a fast changing world.