Radio Sagarmatha 102.4

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Radio Sagarmatha : An Introduction

An independent radio in Nepal. The first of its kind in South Asia.

In an area where millions do not read and write and where the mass media face other barriers like geography, poverty and lack of education, radio is and will remain the most important medium of information and communication.

Since May 1997, Radio Sagarmatha (RS) — the first independent public/community radio in a region that is home to one fifth of the world’s population — has been broadcasting a daily program service on FM 102.4 in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal. The station is non-commercial, community-based and dedicated to public-interest broadcasting.

The history of Radio Sagarmatha is interwoven with the gradual loosening of government control over the airwaves in Nepal. From the time of the country’s new constitution in November 1990, the five year battle to get Radio Sagarmatha on the air was instrumental in bringing about a new communications environment and a new awareness of the importance and need for independent, public-interest broadcasting.

From the outset, Radio Sagarmatha has worked to present listeners with a human package, a combination of issues and entertainment, social discussions, music and culture, as well as being a vehicle for the variety of voices and opinion previously unheard on Nepal’s radio channels. It is in its programming that the station’s difference from the state broadcaster and the growing number of Western-style commercial stations is most clear. Public affairs journalism and broadcasting are at the heart of Radio Sagarmatha’s mission and vision for a more responsible press and a more pluralistic society, but with a long and powerful tradition of folk media and a rich musical heritage, cultural programming is also prominent in the station’s daily broadcast.

Immediate priorities for the station include the development of training programs, building partnerships with local and international groups and providing much needed support to Nepal’s emerging community radio sector.

Radio Sagarmatha : Background

In 1990 Nepal changed from a monarchical non-party system to a parliamentary model, the culmination of a long struggle by the Nepali people for democratic freedoms following a series of autocratic regimes. A new constitution in November 1990 enshrined the right to freedom of expression, specifically the right of every citizen to demand and receive information on any matter of public importance. The expression of basic communication rights in the constitution was followed by more focused policy and practical guidelines: in 1992, a National Communications Policy; in 1993, a National Broadcasting Act; and in 1995, Broadcast Regulations.

Prior to 1995, radio broadcasting was the exclusive domain of Radio Nepal, the state broadcaster, established in the early 1950s. An attempt in 1984 to establish an independent experimental station with support from UNESCO and Germany failed to get approval from either the government or Radio Nepal. Even after 1990 — despite the presence of policy, legislation and guidelines as well as an expanding print media environment — state governments were slow in relinquishing monopoly control of radio broadcasting. The first independent license was granted only in 1997, four and a half years after the initial application. The group to receive this first license was NEFEJ, the Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalists. The station is Radio Sagarmatha, Nepal’s first and only independent community-based public-interest radio broadcaster to-date.

The battle for the license was long, hard-fought and significant. The main obstacles were an unstable political environment, conservative politicians and bureaucrats disinclined to change and the monolithic presence of Radio Nepal. Between October 1992 when the application was registered and May 1997 when the license was granted, Nepal had four different governments, four Ministers and four Secretaries of Communication. Waged primarily by journalists committed to the cause of free expression and public-interest broadcasting, drawn into the fight were figures of national prominence, professional associations, NGOs, the print media (including the government-owned dailies), foreign embassies, UN organizations, and INGOs.

The result in 1999 is a non-profit radio station broadcasting for six hours a day to Nepal’s Capital Region, the Kathmandu Valley, a basin of some 25 by 30 kilometers with a population of approximately 1.5 million. The programming is oriented towards exploration and discussion of issues and presentation of Nepali culture. The primary language of broadcast is Nepali (minority languages and English are also present) as is the language and origin of the music. An increasing number of volunteers are working alongside a core group of staff producers. While still dependent on international agencies for operational and capital support, an increasing percentage of the budget is being earned through underwritten programming, station and programme sponsorship, as well as co-production with local groups.

Organizational Structure

From the outset, the main organization vehicle for Radio Sagarmatha, both for the campaign to get a license and to establish a radio station, has been the Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalists, an non-governmental organization and association of journalists. NEFEJ focuses on environmental, development and human rights issues, working in a variety of different media. In the first half of the 1990s, a small group of NEFEJ members began to campaign for the right to begin a non-governmental public-interest radio station. They continued to be the core of the long campaign which eventually resulted in Radio Sagarmatha, the first fully independent public-interest radio station in South Asia. NEFEJ is currently only the parent organization for RS though the station was officially a partnership and a joint effort of four Nepali NGOs: NEFEJ along with Himal Association, Worldview Nepal and the Nepal Press Institute.

The station is headed by autonomous Board of Directors constituted by NEFEJ as the broadcast license holder. The Board meets monthly to review and plan activities, set policy and provide broad direction for the station. The station operates with its own bank accounts, audited financial statements, independent staff and management.

Goals & Ojbectives

Broadly speaking, Radio Sagarmatha's goal is to evolve as a self-sustaining 'public radio': a source of high quality informative and cultural broadcasting and a conduit for the plurality of voices in the community. More specifically, Radio Sagarmatha aims:

To facilitate democratization and pluralism by increasing people's access to information, vehicles of public expression and by continuously advocating a freer and more responsible press;

To set standards for public interest broadcasting in Nepal by programming to address the information needs of all sections of the listening audience, but especially marginalized groups such as women, children, the very poor, and minority groups;

To produce a cadre of journalists sensitized in community and public interest broadcasting and provide them with a forum to sharpen their skills;

To establish Sagarmatha as a national and regional resource center for community-based and developmental media by building in-house capacity for regulatory and licensing consulting, training, programming, and management.

Key Supporters

UNESCO-IPDC (International Program for the Development of Communication) provided start-up support for Radio Sagarmatha: fellowships and training, consultation, transmission and studio equipment. UNESCO has also provided follow-up support with computer equipment and studio components for RS and seed monies for the development of new stations in Nepal.

PANOS offices in London and South Asia have provided support to the station in the form of training and broadcast fellowships to producers for programming concerning HIV/AIDS, different aspects of Nepal’s culture and development, and the status of drinking water in the Kathmandu Valley.

DANIDA (Denmark) has provided operations support for the station as well as sponsoring an initiative called Safa Radio: Clean Air Campaign. (Denmark) has provided operations support for the station as well as sponsoring an initiative called Safa Radio: Clean Air Campaign.

UNICEF provided funding in 1998 for a series of children’s programs featuring MaHa Sanchar.

MS Nepal (Danish International Cooperation Agency) has provided assistance with training and organizational development through a local Danish co-operant. (Danish International Cooperation Agency) has provided assistance with training and organizational development through a local Danish co-operant.

CECI (Canadian Center for International Studies and Cooperation) has provided Radio Sagarmatha with a full-time co-operant and a variety of institutional and capacity-building support. (Canadian Center for International Studies and Cooperation) has provided Radio Sagarmatha with a full-time co-operant and a variety of institutional and capacity-building support.

OKO Himal (Eco-Himal: Society for Ecological Cooperation Alps-Himalaya) has provided support to upgrade studio and transmission facilities. (Eco-Himal: Society for Ecological Cooperation Alps-Himalaya) has provided support to upgrade studio and transmission facilities.

Westminster Foundation for Democracy (England) is currently providing sponsorship to a 52-part series on democracy in Nepal. (England) is currently providing sponsorship to a 52-part series on democracy in Nepal.
Communication Assistance Foundation (Netherlands) is providing a variety of support including facility upgrade, training programs and assistance for new rural radios in Nepal.

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