From Satellites To The Internet, Community Radio Comes Of Age

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New Delhi: : Use of the latest technology for community radio is among the best way of giving back to the society. Take for instance the case of US-based First Voice International. According to its official website, First Voice International has exclusive access to 5 per cent of the capacity on the WorldSpace satellite network for its broadcast services. The WorldSpace system is a network of geo-synchronous satellites with coverage in Africa and the Middle East (AfriStar) and Asia-Pacific (AsiaStar). While AfriStar was launched in October 1998, AsiaStar happened in March 2000.

For satellite radio, you require special receivers to capture the signal. Satellite radio can play on battery, power, and even on solar energy. “They have data ports, that when connected to a computer via multimedia adapter cards, enable users to download Web-based text and images onto their computers, thus expanding the receivers’ capabilities beyond audio to digital multimedia transmissions,” points out www.firstvoiceint.org. This helps satellite radio sets transmit high volumes of multimedia material to target audiences in regions where Internet access is tough or expensive. Community radio stations ensure that the largest number of people possible can hear the information.

Besides satellite technology, First Voice International uses AM/FM radio also. This is particularly true for Africa, to ensure the widest possible reach of its programmes.

Founded in 1997, First Voice International is a publicly supported non-profit tax-exempt organisation headquartered in Washington DC, USA. Its objective is to serve communities in Africa and Asia which are isolated because of lack of infrastructure and information. It is here that digital satellite radio technology comes in handy.

It’s achievements in community radio? By the end of 2002, approximately 55.5 million people in Africa had heard at least one programme on the Africa Learning Channel. Also, the broadcasters often translate the programmes into local languages before rebroadcast.

Grants For Digital Signal
Of things more recent, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) in the US awarded more than $3 million in grants to 42 public radio stations in 13 “seed markets”, according to PRNewswire.com. The grants, it is said, would help radio stations use digital technology to deliver a new level of service and sound to millions of listeners, CPB Broadcasting president and CEO, Robert T Coonrod, said. With the grant, these radio stations would purchase the equipment needed to transmit a digital signal.