Butwal:
Accordingly, a day-long gathering of chief executives
of Himchuli FM radio station of Pokhara, Bijaya
FM of Nawalparasi district, Muktinath FM and Radio
Madanpokhara of Palpa district and Rupandehi FM
of Rupandehi district was organised on 30 March,
2006.
During the day-long discussion programme entitled
‘Community Radio: Necessity and Potential’
chairman of Nepal Forum of Environment Journalists
Laxman Uprety, general secretary Bhupendra Basnet,
senior member of NEFEJ and chairman of the Community
Radio Support Centre grant fund committee Bhairab
Rsial, chairman of Community Radio Broadcasters
Association Raghu Mainali and programme coordinator
on behalf of NEFEJ Prateek Bhandari were present.
The programme was divided into three parts.
The first part focussed on the need and potentials
of community radios. During discussion on the
subject, participants shared their experiences
in the current political situation, the problems
they faced and the state of their radio stations.
Although the FM stations differed in their
geographical coverage, social and economic structures
they operated in and in their experiences, the
government’s attitude towards them and
the way security bodies dealt with them in time
of conflict and violence were similar.
Station manager of Himchuli FM radio station
Dilip Rai shared about the difficulties he faced
in relocating his station. All stations had
faced similar harassment from the ministry of
information and communications.
During the second part of the programme there
were wide ranging discussions on the intervention
of security forces in FM stations and its effect.
The participants reached the conclusion that
the intervention of the army was detrimental
not only for community radio stations but also
for the development of democracy in the whole
country. It was decided that programmes would
be launched against such interventions.
At the end of the programme six FM stations
of the western region were involved in choosing
the focal point of the region.
