Pro-people Media (English)

AIRWAVES: For Profit or For Development?

-Vinaya Kasajoo

Democracy Day, i.e. 19^th February was remarkable at least in one sense the Nepalese audience was liberated from all the advertisements of Alcohol and Tobacco products broadcast from all the electronic media from that day. This has raised concerns to the emerging-commercial FM broadcasters and some of the advertising agencies. The state-owned TV and Radio also will be deprived of the huge amount of revenue earned from such advertisements.

It is notable because half a dozen of FM broadcasters have got license in the capital recently. This number is quite enough for the one million inhabitants of the Kathmandu valley. Among five FM broadcasters of the valley Radio Sagarmatha is the only non-profit making broadcaster.

Since the role of print media is limited because of the mass illiteracy, over politicization, adverse geographical condition and poverty the electronic media, i.e. FM radio broadcasting is ultimately the most effective media to reach the majority of the people living in the remote areas. Because of the popularity of the FM broadcasting in the valley quite a number of commercial broadcasters have applied for license in the urban centers like Biratnagar, Pokhara, Butwal etc. At the same time a few applicants are seeking license for community broadcasting. Among them Madanpokhara Village Development Commi9ttee of Palpa district has got license.

There are distinctly two types of applicants who want to broadcast either with commercial motive or social service motive. The second group of broadcasters wants to use airwave for enhancing development and strengthening democracy. But since the commercial broadcasters are emerging in a considerable number the expectation of the development practitioners regarding the use of FM air waves to change the fate of the people is hindered. Liberalization, privatization and globalization are going to create challenges to the emerging community/ social service broadcasters.

Concentration of media power in organizations dependent on advertisers and their responsibility primarily to the owners and shareholders is posing danger to utilize airwave for the benefit of the common people. It prevents citizen's participation in public affairs, understanding of public issues, and thus to the effective working of democracy. Increasing commercialization and concentration of private media ownership is not in favor of development and democracy.

The National Broadcasting Act and Regulation, which were formulated after the restoration of democracy in Nepal, do not differentiate between the commercial broadcasters and social service broadcasters. It applies same rule and fees for both of them, which is quite unusual in other countries. It is quite appreciable that airwaves belong to the people just as water and air. Now it is high time that the act and regulation were changed accordingly.

Published in EkChhin, MS Nepal Newsletter, June 1999.

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मिडियाको लोकतन्त्रीकरणा र सामाजिक आन्दोलन (मिडिया अध्ययन ४ मा प्रकाशित)

एक्काइसौँ शताब्दीको शक्तिः सूचना र ज्ञान

संवाद, समझदारी र मेलमिलापका लागि मिडिया

लोकतन्त्रमा स्वतन्त्र प्रेस र नागरिक समाज (गोरखापत्र)

इन्टरनेटको खतराबाट केटाकेटीलाई कसरी जोगाउने ?

स्वतन्त्र प्रेसका लागि सूचनाको हक

यस कारण थाहा चाहियो

जनताको हातमा संचार शक्तिको अर्थ

बालसाहित्य सर्जकसमक्ष हाँकहरू

भारतीय जनता पार्टीको आईटी सपना

शक्ति सन्तुलनमा प्रेसको भूमिका

मिडिया र मूल्यमान्यता (Media and Values)

प्रेसः अंगुर निचोर्नेदेखि दिमाग निचोर्नेसम्म

पत्रकारको सुरक्षा कसको दायित्व?

डेनमार्कमा वायु उर्जा

सूचनाको हक र प्रेस

सूचनामा जनताको पहुँचका लागि सूचना व्यवस्थापन

मिडियाको लोकतन्त्रीकरण र सामाजिक आन्दोलन

नेपालको संघीय संरचना र अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय सम्बन्ध

लोकतन्त्रमा सूचनाको हक

विकासको लागि रेडयो र इन्टरनेटको मेल

नयाँ संविधानमा सूचना र संचार

इन्टरनेटमा हीरा कि कीरा ?

संविधान निर्माण धाराका आधारहरूको अभिलेखन र संरक्षण अत्यावश्यक

रेडियो र मोबाइल फोनको मेल

नेपाली च्यानलका अवसर

सुशासन र सूचनाअधिकार

बालबालिकाका लागि रेडियो नाटक

परिवर्तनका लागि मोबाइल फोन

लोकतन्त्रमा सूचनाको हकः अवसर र हाँक

सूचनाअधिकार र प्रेस

जनअधिकारका लागि सूचनाको हक

जनसत्ताका लागि छैटौँ सत्ता
 
नयाँ नेपालमा संचार शक्ति जनताको हातमा

गाउँको विकासमा सूचना तथा संचार प्रविधि

अभिव्यक्ति स्वतन्त्रता, सूचनाको हक र गोपनीयता (०५३-५४)

मिडिया भन्ने कि प्रेस?

ऐतिहासिक गिद्धे प्रेस

सञ्चारको लोकतन्त्रीकरण र पुनःसंरचनाको एजेन्डा

नेपालको पुनःसंरचनामा संचारको भूमिका

नेपालको नवनिर्माणमा बालसाहित्यको भूमिका

सम्विधानसभाका लागि मिडियाको भूमिका

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