KATHMANDU: Speaker of the Constituent Assembly Subas Nembang today launched the Community Radio Performance Assessment (CR-PAS) in the capital today. The tool was developed in the course of the last one year by Community Radio Support Center (CRSC) under Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalists.

The tool divided into sixty composites is designed to rate the performance of the community radio stations from a number of perspectives and has been billed to contribute to enhance the editorial and organizational capacity of community radio stations once the tools are implemented.

The launch ceremony had widespread participation from government department, media, community radio organizations comprising Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (ACORAB) Broadcasting Association Nepal (BAN), station mangers of various community stations who were involved in developing the tool.

ACORAB was represented by its President Min Bahadur Shahi and BAN was represented by its President Bisnu Hari Dhakal. Also present was Kathmandu Valley Radio Broadcasters’ Association (KVRBA) Bharat Shakya.

The launch was also attended by Chief of Mass Communication Department of Kathmandu University Jangab Chauhan and Prabal Adhikari of Tribhuvan University, apart from Communication and Information Ministry Secretary Sushil Ghimire.

The ceremony also had presence of senior journalists including Rajendra Dahal, Prof. P Kharel and Regional Coordinator of AMARC Suman Basnet, among others including Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) President Dharmendra Jha.

Commenting on the efforts coming from CRSC team of writers comprising CRSC coordinator Raghu Mainali and two other experts Bikram Subba and Yadav Chapagain who developed the CR-PAS Ghimire said, “ The latest tool coming from CRSC will help a lot in identifying community radio and radio operated by non-community bodies.”

He reassured that the government was fast working on amending the governing Regulation which will pave the way for classifying FM radios along community and commercial radio stations “something which is crucial for the development of community communication.”

While opening session was chaired by NEFEJ President Dhurba Basnet, the working session which involved discussion into the CR-PAS saw journalists associated with community radio stations commenting on the tool and its utility for the professional and organizational development of community radio.

More than eighty journalists attended the session.