Community radio has great potential that is yet to be tapped. It gives a platform to the community to voice their opinion and radio is easily affordable and accessible, so it can be developed as a medium for community interaction on a one to one basis. It is truly a people's radio covering all developmental and rights based issues and updates listeners on the latest developments in environmental, policy related and other issues.

A vast country like India, needs several thousand community radios. Target has been fixed for 4,000 to 5,000 community radios but till now we have realised only 45. Even these 45 stations are on air only for a few hours. Once again only a few among these are really functioning with the aim of serving the community. More agencies and institutions must come forward to establish community radios in the true spirit. Now that the government has come forward to permit limited advertising it is hoped that more service minded organisations may come forward to set up community radio stations. A concerted effort can bring in more community radios in the country.

In this context, MICCI intends to organise four seminars in several parts of the country to explore every aspect of Community Radio and frame guidelines and recommendations for better implementation and execution of Community Radio programmes and make the medium self-sustainable.

Venues: Puttur, Kollar, Simla, Kolkata