Galaxy Karunasai Radio @ 91.2 FM

Contact Person: L.R. Madhujan, Station Director

Broadcasting Language: Malayalam  

Genesis: The parent organisation Galaxy established Karunasai Radio in 2022, in Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala. The CRS was founded with the goal of raising community awareness about social issues, human values, women’s empowerment, drug abuse, and child education. The CRS began with just two employees and has since grown to a dedicated team of nine. 

Thematic Focus: Karunasai Radio’s main focus areas are child education, women empowerment, and reducing the influence of substances amongst the youth in the target community. The CRS is also concerned with the health and well-being of the elderly.   

Sustainable Development Goals:  Galaxy Karunasai Radio is working on 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

Primetime Programmes: The prime time programmes at Karunasai Radio are Lunch box, Sakhi, Leharikkethire and Vayojana Paripadi. Lunch box is a programme focused on children. This programme includes narration, storytelling and participation of students and teachers. Sakhi is a programme that stresses on the importance of women empowerment. ‘Leharikkethire’ focuses on youth and raises awareness about substance abuse. Vayojana Paripadi is a programme for the elderly. 

Innovations in format or any other way: Karunasai Radio relies on narrowcasting in addition to broadcasting. The organisation effectively collaborates with NGOs and other leading organisations in the region, including Dale View, Mitra Nikethan, Namaste, and Wings to Fly, to name a few, and runs awareness programmes, campaigns, and intervention programmes in the region. The CRS also engages with its younger audiences on social media platforms and regularly shares its content on the same. 

Core Team: There are nine employees in the staff of Karunasai Radio and it includes the Station Director, Programme Head, a panel of three sound engineers, and four radio jockeys. 

Major Projects Undertaken: Karunasai Radio collaborated with the CRA and UNICEF for a project intended to study vaccination against COVID-19, community health and hygiene, and infant nutrition and breastfeeding in the community. The CRS also designs interventions and initiatives with de-addiction centres in the region to raise awareness against substance abuse amongst the youth. 

Sustainable Strategies: The parent organisation of Karunasai Radio supports the CRS financially as well as in technical matters. The CRS also makes efforts to create its own revenue through the different paid projects that it executes.  

Number of listeners and Potential Outreach: Eight panchayats fall within the broadcast limits of Karunasai Radio and the area has a population of more than 1,50,000 people. From this potential outreach, the CRS has an active listener base of approximately 82,000 and is growing at a steady rate. 

Major Concerns in the Community: Research has shown that student dropout rates in tribal areas are high, health and sanitation are poor, and substance abuse is increasing. The main areas of concern in the community are unemployment, lack of awareness, education, hygiene, health, and risks of substance abuse. More welfare schemes and policies will prove beneficial for community members living in tribal areas and will help in enhancing their living standards.