Community Radio JU 90.8MHz 4.5

Jadavpur University, Kolkata, on the Bengali New Year, 14 April 2008 proudly launched West Bengal’s first community radio station, Radio JU 90.8 MHz. It is located in an area where different sections of society co-exist in harmony. The population around the University is a mix of middle class educated families as well as slum-dwellers. The CR station was set up as part of Jadavpur University’s ongoing Project TEQIP in collaboration with School of Media Communication and Culture, JU. Community Radio JU airs fresh programmes for 8.5 hrs daily starting from 11 am – 7.30 pm for 7 days a week.

The daily programmes may be generically divided into four groups - children’s programme, informative programmes, cultural programmes and edutainment programmes. The format of the programmes includes interviews, panel discussion, magazines. On special days like Women’s Day, Human Rights Day we broadcast 12 hours of programming including 1 hour of phone-in programmes. The weekly schedule is available in the official site of the University. We also rebroadcast BBC and Deutsche Welle’s programme.

Community Participation

All our programmes are conceptualised, recorded and executed by community members or students (of the University and outside the University). Most of the existing members were at some point of time our listeners. We do live-shows on special days and keep a note of the callers. It helps us to directly engage with the listeners, and turning a large number of listeners into performers. The local clubs help us in outreach to the interior pockets of the community. One-fourths of programmes are recorded outside the studio engaging the low-income groups

Sustenance

We have worked with the following Government groups or organisation namely, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan for the last three years, for its programme Back to School and Bhartikaraan Karmasuchi (to enhance enrolment) and West Bengal Pollution Board during Diwali, against sound pollution

For the past 5 years, we are associated with the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan and NIIT. We had also broadcast messages issued in public interest by West Bengal Pollution Board and Save the Children.

We also execute projects that are supported by organisations generating valuable content that is broadcast by the radio station. To celebrate Earth Day, we partnered with Sa Re Ga Ma. This initiative helped us in generating token revenue. We also use innovative strategies by selling CDs through the ‘Jadavpur University Press’ at a modest price of Rs 100. Within two days 100 CDs sold out. We have again reprinted 150 copies at a revised price of Rs 125. This strategy also has helped us in reaching to the unreached, geographically