Sarang 107.8 the community radio of St Aloysius College

22 September 2009

From Wednesday radio listeners of the district will have one more station on their list Sarang 107.8 the community radio of St Aloysius College. This community radio station of an educational institute is the second of its kind in the state and will broadcast programmes for six hours a day 6.30 am to 9.30 am and 5.30 am to 8.30 pm.

Radio station director Richard Rego says Sarang is not like other FM radios and will focus mainly on educating people and students. He said the Centre came out with a major policy decision on community radios by educational institutes and non-government organizations in 2006. The purpose was to focus on community issues. The college got the licence to launch the community radio in July. The radio station has the capacity to cover 40 aerial km up to Udupi. It will transmit programmes in Tulu, Konkani and Beary and Kannada. It has also decided to include Malayalam as Mangalore has a large student population from Kerala. The programmes will focus mainly on issues related to health and hygiene, agriculture, fisherfolk and children.

Rego said the students of mass communication will produce the programmes along with the local people. Local artistes, professionals and eminent persons from different fields have agreed to extend their cooperation in this direction. Besides, the college will also tie up with other institutes to organize programme. Fr Mullers and SDM Law College have already agreed for the tie up.

College principal Swebert D'Silva said it was an innovative initiative of social relevance. "The college management has agreed to invest on the project to balance the cost involved as this community radio has no source of income of its own," he said.

The radio will be officially launched at a function to be held here on Wednesday. Governor H R Bhardwaj, Union law minister M Veerappa Moily and state home minister V S Acharya will take part in the programme.

source times of india