Community Media for Development in Bangladesh

By AHM. Bazlur Rahman-S21BR
ceo@bnnrc.net

  “Communication can play a much greater role in enabling people to take control over

their own lives, in enabling people and societies to set their own agendas in relation

to political, economic and social development; and in enabling, in particular, the

voices of the economically and politically marginalized to be amplified and

channeled to mainstream public and political debate.” DevMedia 2003

Based in local geographic areas or communities of interest, community media are accessible, in terms of production and use by citizens and in terms of the capabilities and costs involved. In other words, community media enable citizens to be meaningfully involved in the creation of media content: there are few barriers to listening or viewing content; the overall process of media management is relatively simple compared with that for other forms of media; and, relatively speaking, the costs of production and distribution are low.

Community media’s relative technical accessibility is combined with a stated mandate for socio-cultural development. The growth of community media, in regions such as South Asia and the Commonwealth countries of Africa, is based partly on the interest of governments and civil society groups in the explicit developmental orientation of community media — specifically, how these media contribute to social change and local development by giving citizens greater chance to participate in public life and to be empowered by opportunities to voice ideas, concerns and experience.

The field of community media like community radio and Community TV are often framed by freedoms associated with free speech, expression and information. It has most famously been described as the voice of the voiceless. Expression and what Latin American scholars have long identified as the “right to communicate” are closely linked to the empowerment and agency of citizens, which underlie any type of participatory development. Literature about community media highlights the media’s role as local watchdog, which favours press functions, reporting and news in the service of keeping local government accountable.

Community radio movement has been started in Bangladesh since 1998. After a long journey with advocating and lobbying with the government line departments, organizing a numbers of awareness raising meetings, mass gatherings and seminars, and finally, the present government has approved and given permission to 14 community radio stations for broadcasting its programs. It is no doubt a great admirable job of the present government. It is to be noted that the agenda was included in the election manifesto of Awami league.

Recently, Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) took initiative to publish a booklet on how the existing stations started working, how they are functioning, what are the possible impacts they might create on the community. I was given the responsibility to edit the Book. Honourable Minister for Information and Cultural Affairs unfolded the cover of the book, while he was attending as Chief Guest in Bangladesh Community Radio Conference on 25^th February at IDB Bhaban, Dhaka. The conference was organized by Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC).

Mentionable that, BNNRC is a common networking platform for all the CR initiators and involved in capacity strengthening of community radio professionals of the country.

Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication is promoting the advocacy with the government in relations to community radio with other organizations since its emergence from 2000. BNNRC has been addressing the radio access issue for over a decade, helping to bridge the information gap. At the moment, positive and supportive condition is prevailing in our country. Because; Bangladesh Government has already acknowledged the importance of community radio and announced the Community Radio Installation, Broadcast & Operation Policy. Bangladesh is the 2nd country in South Asia in formulating policy for Community Radio.

Separate reports were prepared on 14 Community Radio stations by the local journalists, with those I have had good relationship.Also, I have visited personally in some of the stations. There, I have shared experiences with station staffs. I found some positive response within the community to the radio stations of their area. Somewhere, it seems even greater than that of FM commercial radio channels. At the moment, there are six FM (commercially-run) radio stations. These are: ABC Radio, Radio Today, Radio Furti, Radio Amar, Radio Dhaka and People’s Radio. They don’t have any broadcast boundary. With this freedom, Radio Today and Radio Furti have already started their transmission in big cities outside Dhaka.ABC Radio is likely to go on broadcasting programs in Chittagong and Coxesbazar area by this year. Whereas, community radio policy has fixed its transmission area within the 17 km radius , which may cover one or more upazila of a district.

In 1^st phase of 14 stations, Community Radio Padma 99.2 FM was set up in Rajshahi city. Center for Communication & Development (CCD)-an organization promoting mass communication and journalism is the initiator of this station has started its formal transmission on 7^th October as the 1^st Community Radio station of the country. Community Radio Mukti 99.2 FM, initiated by an NGO-Landless Distressed Rehabilitation Organization(LDRO) started test transmission on 31^st October(2011) from Bogra. Naogaon Naogaon Human Rights Development Association –an NGO of Naogaon is starting test transmission “Community Barendra Radio 99.2 FM”. RDRS Bangladesh -another reputed NGO has started  broadcasting of “ Community Radio Chilmari 99.2 FM ”(set up at Chilmari Upazila) on 5th January of this year.”Shono Bahe, Jago Bahe”-is their slogan. “Community Radio Mahananda 98.8 ”was initiated in Chapainawabganj by Proyash Manobik Unnayan Society-an NGO of the area. It has started its transmission on 28^th October (2011).

BRAC-the largest NGO of the subcontinent has initiated “ Community Radio Pallikantha 99.2 ” at Moulvibazar, which started its formal transmission on 12^th January this year. Mass Line Media Center-a media organization started test transmission of “ Community Radio LokoBetar 99.2 ” at Amtali of Barguna district on 27^th of May , 2011.Nalta Hospital and Community Health Foundation established Community Radio Nalta 99.2 at Kaliganj upazila of Satkhira dstrict.It has started its transmission on 13^th May of the last year Broadcasting Asia of Bangladesh a TVET related organization  initiated Community Radio Sundarban 98.8 at Koyra upazila of Khulna.

It has started transmission on February 15 this year.” Community Radio Jhinuk 99.2 ”, initiated by Srizoni Bangladesh started its transmission on December 17; last year at Jhenaidah Sadar.Young Power in Social Action (YPSA) established Community Radio Sagargiri 99.2 at Sitakunda in Chittagong district. It has started its transmission on 24^th November last year. ACLAB, an NGO will soon start “Community Radio Naf 99.2 FM ” at Tekhnaf of Cox’s Bazar. Environment Council Bangladesh (EC Bangladesh) has established Community Radio Bikrampur 99.2 at Munshiganj.

The stations are broadcasting programs as per their capacity and convenience. However Radio Padma may be an exception, for they are broadcasting programs 18 hours in a day and presenting news per hour. Meanwhile, this radio, by broadcasting programs on diversified issues, have made enormous impact and gained popularity around the community.

Now 14 Community Radio  station broadcasting 97.5 hours program for rural people and 536 youth and youth women are working with community radio as a rural broadcasters. Most of of the program are education, information, local entertainment and development motivation related.

Recently Ministry of Information has already declared National Strategy for the Implementation of community radio Installation, broadcast and operation policy in Bangladesh. We hope by 2015 we will have  60 community radio station around the country and by 2021 we will have 400 community radio all over the country.

In most of the stations, there are scanty of resources particularly of human resources, equipment, even of creative idea and program production capacity. Some of the stations are found quite organized; having soundproof studio and somewhere the situation seems reverse. But the local community people are now aware of their radio stations. At one end, community radio is playing significant role in information sharing on important development issues like agriculture, education or health and at other end it has been a popular source for their entertainment. Community Radio has become a pioneering example of people's participation in mass media. On top, community people are now considering community radio as their own media. They feel pride and pleasure out of this sense of ownership.

Within a few months of broadcasting of Krishi Radio at Amtali, revolutionary changes through information flow could be seen in the lives and livelihood of the farmers in the area. The radio programs provided impacts and accelerated the rural economy in the area.10 voluntary groups have been formed there by involving local farmers and fisherman. They have been provided training on capacity development so that they would act as news workers by sending different types of information (including farmers' problems) to Radio stations by using cell phone.

By this time, "Radio Pallikantha"has become so popular that community people purchase radio sets and invite the others to listen. The radio clubs arrange radio listening for the community. Since the programs are broadcasted in their own dialect, community people are considering their station as their own institution. Jahid Hasan, an auto rickshaw puller of Chilmari stated, "we have listened Radio from the outside throughout our lives, now we listen our performers to sing in our own station, this is really a great experience."Upazila Chilmari is constituted mostly by a number of char islands, where boat is the only means to connect upazila sadar.At evening, when boat does not move and the char dwellers become disconnected from the main land, only Radio Chilmari connects them. Likewise, Radio Jhinuk gives special focus on suicidal issue, since this is the topmost social problems in Jhenaidah area.

As a matter of fact, in mainstream (traditional) mass media, we usually listen, read or see the lives and stories of the privileged community.The disadvantaged community can only visit the media when any disaster occurs or any rare success story happens in their life. A long-cherished dream has now been fulfilled that community people have got their own mass media, where they will operate & control, perform, listen and share their own pleasure and pain, disseminate weather forecast or market price in their own dialect.

That dream is now at our door steps and it would not be a day-dream if we can think of at least 60 community radio by 2015 and 400 community radios by 2021 for a country of 1.6 billion people. Specially we can dream of community radio to become the mainstream media in the disadvantaged area of the country.

Community radio is a successful step to “Right to Information”. Now is the time, we can start for Community Television. The mainstream Television channels are now captured by the national and multinational corporate agencies and they are mostly busy for business and advocating for their own initiators where marginalized and deprived peoples’ agenda are neglected. So we need Community Television immediately to change this situation and focusing the needs, views, struggles of marginalized people and to show them for solving their problems by their own.

It could be an issue as the community radio is a new intervention and still it is in testing mode so how can we think for community television at this stage? Is it relevant?

The fact is this that after struggling on this issue for last twelve years, we have convince the government and get permission for start broadcasting of community radio. So if we don’t start thinking and planning on this issue, then it will not be possible for us to start telecasting community television before the golden jubilee of our great national victory. We want to start Community television telecasting before the golden jubilee. Community television will not be a competitor of the main stream television but it will be a supplement media.

Community television can be started with a few numbers of equipments. Community television is as like as the community radio, very simple equipments and a few numbers of staffs can run a community television. At present community television could be run locally with the help of cable line operators.  But we expect that the government will permit them for community-based telecasting service and give them terrestrial license in the near future.

The number of television channels in Bangladesh is not sufficient comparing the number of population.  And telecasted programs are almost the same with the main stream televisions where the news of marginalized people is ignored. Some channels telecasted district level local news as bulletin, and it is not sufficient to cover the community level.

Why Community television?  : Community television can communicate with the communities effectively and directly. Community television will be more powerful and popular than the community radio because people can hear and watch the events. The participation in this activity will be higher than the community radio.  People can rely more on community television programs as they can only listen the development related programs through community radio thus they will relate them with this intervention. Community television could make this easy access for the community. However, the challenge of running community television is collecting the equipment and skill manpower.

The function of Community television is technically critical so it needs skill manpower than the community radio. Nothing is impossible so we do have time to kill. For example- Nepal is socio-economically weaker than Bangladesh but recently has start running community television successfully. So we believe our dream for community television is not an easy achievable but not a nightmare. We have confident that our dream will be in reality.  

Television has the advantage of visual images as well as the narrative. It offers the potential combination of image and audio to educate. In national broadcasts, messages can get lost in the mass of other programming, and can lose their local relevance by being generic in format.

Community television should have the potential to communicate more directly with its limited audience and thereby tailor the message more effectively.

Community needs and community media: According to DevMedia 2003, communication programming has, very simplistically, tended to fulfil three roles in development thinking and practice:

To inform and persuade people to adopt certain behaviours and practices that are beneficial to them (persuasion and informing). To enhance the image and profile of the work of organizations involved in development with a view to boosting the credibility of their work, raising more funding and generally improving public perceptions

Used on a more targeted level within communities to enable community consultation over specific initiatives. In order for community media to be effective, it should:

make people agents of their own change, support dialogue and debate on key issues of concern

sensitively place information into the dialogue and debate, focus on social norms, social policies, culture and a supportive social-cultural  environment. negotiate the best way forward, in a partnership between the community and the   station · get the people most effected by issues of concern playing a central role in local  development rather than acting as technical experts for outside agencies.

Community TV framework: To ensure the creation and exhibition of locally produced, locally reflective community programming; To foster a greater diversity of voices and alternative choices by facilitating new entrants at the local level, To promote the development of rural Bangladesh identity and reflecting cultural diversity; To promote the availability of television programs about matters of local significance; and Ensuring diversity in broadcasting services in the transition to digital broadcasting

The role of the community TV should be primarily of a public service non profit nature, facilitating self-expression through free and open access by members of the community. The community TV should: Engender a high level of citizen participation and community involvement in community programming; actively promote citizen access to the community channel and provide and promote the availability of related training programs; provide feedback mechanisms, such as advisory boards, to encourage viewer response to the range and types of programs aired;  seek out innovative ideas and alternative views; provide a reasonable, balanced opportunity for the expression of differing views on matters of public concern;  reflect the official languages, ethnic and Aboriginal composition of the community; provide coverage of local events; and  publicize the program schedule.

Core Values: Promote positive self-images among underrepresented youth & communities by providing a platform for self-representation and means for dissemination to large audiences, encouraging them to overcome the realities of poverty, inequality, and injustice.

Stimulate youth development, cultivating critical thinking, interpersonal and leadership skills, strengthening literacy, and fostering the development of strong work habits and real world skills.

Empower youth to articulate their own truths, to seek and develop independent perspectives, and to involve their communities in solving the issues that matter to them most.

Engage underserved youth in quality, sequential technology and arts training, and teaches them to apply this training to explore positive values and attitudes through creative expression

Capacity Building from Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) in collaboration with NIMC: BNNRC aims to provide the following for its constituents over time, as possible in regard to available resources and priorities as identified in Annual Training Plans.

BNNRC will: (a)         provide appropriate training in television production and transmission to groups and individuals. (b)            promote and assist the development of Community Television Groups (c)   support the access of its constituents through the provision of training in specific skill areas. (d)          assist with the training of program providers in the operations and goals of the Programming Department; (e) assist program providers to become familiar with and have access to relevant information regarding the production, administrative, classification and technical requirements of the station; (f)        make available to its constituents information on the necessary elements for program production and broadcast, including knowledge, competencies, resources, costs and support (g)             provide training to enable program providers to submit programs to at least the minimum standard as within the guidelines of the station, the current Community Television Code of Practice, and relevant legislation applying to community television. (h)       where possible, provide training to facilitate those communities under-represented in station programming in their capability to produce.

Again from a monitoring report of community radio (Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio & Communication), 2012 we can say that best practice in Community  Broadcasting, (in contrast to mainstream) tends to : · Encourage participation in all aspects of the station – including both  broadcasting and management functions; Serve a local community or specific interest group;  Encourage a wide range of people to be involved in the station, regardless of their age, race, gender etc.; Put the quality and diversity of information ahead of a slick programming style;  Encourage strengthening of the local culture - music, language, literature,  Get most of the program material from local rather than national and  international sources; Be governed by people with strong connections to the community and the production of radio;  Have a number of sources of income and not be concerned with making a large  profit for shareholders; Encourage paid and voluntary staff to work alongside each other on equal terms.

Challenges and Constraints: Development of local content is a costly undertaking in terms of expensive  equipment, inadequately skilled manpower, and insufficient resources;  The high running costs of broadcasting (on the air hours), material collection   (manpower and gadgets), processing of information (editing suit), servicing and   maintenance of equipment;  Public dominance over radio broadcast. Must learn and practice the public-    Private partnerships in broadcasting;  Deliberate efforts to further develop enough of the development program, with the involvement of lead public sector and the private and local stakeholders   such as ministries (health, agriculture, education) with the District and Upazila.

Opportunities for Community Broadcasting: There are many prospects for the community broadcasting in the country that includes increasing numbers of applicants who may apply for establishment of community radios, enlightening possibilities for lowering tariffs and fees for community radios and especially the support indicated by the government in the national ICT policy and Community Radio policy . Specifically, the prospects include:

There is an increasing commitment by the private sector and NGOs in supporting establishment and supporting of community radio and TV; & Digital Bangladesh Strategy.

AHM. Bazlur Rahman-S21BR
Chief Executive Officer
Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC)
[NGO in Special Consultative Status with the UN Economic and Social Council]
& 
Head, Community Media Academy 

House: 13/1, Road: 2, Shaymoli, Dhaka-1207  Bangladesh
Phone: +88-02-9130750, +88-02-9138501, Cell: +88 01711881647 
Fax: 88-02-9138501-105, 

E-mail: ceo@bnnrc.net, bnnrcbd@gmail.com  www.bnnrc.net