Communities and Communication
UNICEF in its guide to community radio has quoted that “People live in a community by virtue of the things which they have in common; and communication is the way in which they come to possess things in common.”
It further quotes the World Association of Community Broadcasters (AMARC), 1988, “Community radio responds to the needs of the community it serves, contributing to its development within progressive perspectives in favour of social change. Community radio strives to democratize communication through community participation in different forms in accordance with each specific social context.”
In the same guide, UNICEF has yet another potent point to make. It quotes that “An effective strategy for the community radio station is to present what cannot be offered by any other radio station; that is, local content with a local flavour... The local radio station must dwell on its strongest reason for existence - local events, issues, concerns, and personalities. If a local station can do an exhaustive reportage of what goes on in its community on a regular basis, there is no way a regional or national broadcast outfit could compete for listenership. The element of proximity is the most potent quality that the community radio should capitalize on. People will be enthusiastic to know on a daily or even hourly basis about the people and events unfolding next to their place of abode.”
Integratedcultures ACT Inc. and Radio Harmony
Integratedcultures ACT Inc. conceived of ‘Radio Harmony’ in light of the fundamental principle of community broadcasting i.e. it must serve the local community with a view to not only ‘entertain’ as in broadcasting music, but also to inform and involve the community about and with local affairs. Relevance of information is the key. Usefulness of the information and the impact of different views on the welfare of the community are its hallmarks.
Why call it Radio ‘Harmony’?
The title of any communicational medium speaks volumes about its content, target and orientation. A mere entertainment programme would obviously title itself to be immediately identified with the content of its broadcast i.e. entertainment. A news broadcast is obviously titled to reflect that it indeed focuses on news. Integratedcultures, therefore, defined the focus of its content on two distinct yet intricately related issues. The first is ‘community’ and the second ‘harmony’. The former refers largely to the community of people of Indian sub-continental origin. The latter refers to living in a harmonious manner not only among the different sub-communities of the larger community from the Indian Sub-Continent but, very importantly, with the community that they have now made their own – the Australian multicultural community.
Radio Harmony, therefore, targets itself to the larger Indian Sub-Continental community and brings into focus issues relevant to a multicultural life in Australia. The broadcast contains a mix of entertainment and serious discussions on issues of interest and concern to the community. What better word than ‘HARMONY’ to describe this focus for the broadcast.
Call for community participation
Radio Harmony began broadcasting from CMS studios in Canberra in the year 2007. It received an excellent reception and welcome from the community. It extended the linguistic coverage of Integratedcultures community outreach as it complemented its sister broadcast in the Tamil language titled ‘Kummalam’ which was broadcast from the 2XX platform. Both broadcasts, however, have been low key in recent years as Jayanti and her husband Arvind are both unable to dedicate the time that it takes to put together a meaningful broadcast. Integratedcultures, therefore, seeks volunteers interested in the concept of Radio Harmony and Kummalam and invites you to contact Jayanti or Arvind to see how you could contribute your time and expertise for the broadcasts.
The producers
JAYANTI GUPTA is a professional broadcaster. Jayanti started broadcasting in 1973 beginning with children and youth programmes and moving on to anchoring music shows, producing programmes of relevance to women, and a variety of other shows. She worked as an anchor and newsreader for All India Radio for many years. Jayanti was appointed as staff artist of the All India Radio through a highly competitive appointments process conducted by the Union Public Service Commission of India. In addition, Jayanti read the Parliament News on the Television when there was only Doordarshan that was the sole provider of television programmes in India. She has also done commercial recording for trade shows. In her capacity as staff artist of the AIR, Jayanti acquired tremendous experience in production, recording, managing broadcasts, scheduling, news reading and a variety of skills which she effectively brings into her community broadcasts in Canberra.
Jayanti is highly skilled and very experienced in conducting interviews, hosting talk shows, and providing interesting and relevant content to her broadcasts. Jayanti was an active broadcaster with All India Radio until 1991. She has worked as a volunteer on 2XX, CMS, Canberra Stereo Public Radio (now ArtSound) and Radio for the Print Handicapped. She was a Board member on 2XX representing Ethnic broadcasters. She presented Hindi Radio “Mandir FM” for several years. Jayanti was instrumental in getting several Indian language programs being broadcast on 2XX.
ARVIND GUPTA has also worked on the All India Radio as a freelancer. Like Jayanti, Arvind started broadcasting with All India Radio in 1972. He, too, started with youth programmes, university issues, and moved on to hosting music shows, reading the news and production work. Arvind has co-directed plays for Doordarshan. He has acquired skills and has extensive experience in production and broadcast. Arvind continued broadcasting with All India Radio until 1991. Both Arvind and Jayanti have done voice overs for several radio and TV broadcasts and also recorded lessons for Open University.
Broadcast details
Currently Integratedcultures ACT Inc. is in discussion with 2XX Community Radio (FM 98.3) to acquire a time segment for Radio Harmony and Thamizhradio Kummalam. It is expected that the two radio broadcasts will be able to go live on air in early 2016. Details of the broadcast (frequency and timing of broadcast) will be available on this web page as soon as we are able to confirm with 2XX.
Your views
Integratedcultures ACT Inc. invites your views and ideas on shaping the radio broadcasts (Harmony and Thamizhradio Kummalam). We would like to hear from you. What would you like to hear on these broadcasts? Send us your views and suggestions. Integratedcultures appreciates your ideas and will try its utmost to produce programmes that cover the widest spectrum of your interests. We would also like to host a round-table consultation with some of you to refine the productions. Integratedcultures will send out details for the consultations with venue and dates to those who will be invited to it. We expect the consultations to take place in January-February 2016. Details will be posted on our website soon.
Contact us : [email protected], [email protected]
UNICEF in its guide to community radio has quoted that “People live in a community by virtue of the things which they have in common; and communication is the way in which they come to possess things in common.”
It further quotes the World Association of Community Broadcasters (AMARC), 1988, “Community radio responds to the needs of the community it serves, contributing to its development within progressive perspectives in favour of social change. Community radio strives to democratize communication through community participation in different forms in accordance with each specific social context.”
In the same guide, UNICEF has yet another potent point to make. It quotes that “An effective strategy for the community radio station is to present what cannot be offered by any other radio station; that is, local content with a local flavour... The local radio station must dwell on its strongest reason for existence - local events, issues, concerns, and personalities. If a local station can do an exhaustive reportage of what goes on in its community on a regular basis, there is no way a regional or national broadcast outfit could compete for listenership. The element of proximity is the most potent quality that the community radio should capitalize on. People will be enthusiastic to know on a daily or even hourly basis about the people and events unfolding next to their place of abode.”
Integratedcultures ACT Inc. and Radio Harmony
Integratedcultures ACT Inc. conceived of ‘Radio Harmony’ in light of the fundamental principle of community broadcasting i.e. it must serve the local community with a view to not only ‘entertain’ as in broadcasting music, but also to inform and involve the community about and with local affairs. Relevance of information is the key. Usefulness of the information and the impact of different views on the welfare of the community are its hallmarks.
Why call it Radio ‘Harmony’?
The title of any communicational medium speaks volumes about its content, target and orientation. A mere entertainment programme would obviously title itself to be immediately identified with the content of its broadcast i.e. entertainment. A news broadcast is obviously titled to reflect that it indeed focuses on news. Integratedcultures, therefore, defined the focus of its content on two distinct yet intricately related issues. The first is ‘community’ and the second ‘harmony’. The former refers largely to the community of people of Indian sub-continental origin. The latter refers to living in a harmonious manner not only among the different sub-communities of the larger community from the Indian Sub-Continent but, very importantly, with the community that they have now made their own – the Australian multicultural community.
Radio Harmony, therefore, targets itself to the larger Indian Sub-Continental community and brings into focus issues relevant to a multicultural life in Australia. The broadcast contains a mix of entertainment and serious discussions on issues of interest and concern to the community. What better word than ‘HARMONY’ to describe this focus for the broadcast.
Call for community participation
Radio Harmony began broadcasting from CMS studios in Canberra in the year 2007. It received an excellent reception and welcome from the community. It extended the linguistic coverage of Integratedcultures community outreach as it complemented its sister broadcast in the Tamil language titled ‘Kummalam’ which was broadcast from the 2XX platform. Both broadcasts, however, have been low key in recent years as Jayanti and her husband Arvind are both unable to dedicate the time that it takes to put together a meaningful broadcast. Integratedcultures, therefore, seeks volunteers interested in the concept of Radio Harmony and Kummalam and invites you to contact Jayanti or Arvind to see how you could contribute your time and expertise for the broadcasts.
The producers
JAYANTI GUPTA is a professional broadcaster. Jayanti started broadcasting in 1973 beginning with children and youth programmes and moving on to anchoring music shows, producing programmes of relevance to women, and a variety of other shows. She worked as an anchor and newsreader for All India Radio for many years. Jayanti was appointed as staff artist of the All India Radio through a highly competitive appointments process conducted by the Union Public Service Commission of India. In addition, Jayanti read the Parliament News on the Television when there was only Doordarshan that was the sole provider of television programmes in India. She has also done commercial recording for trade shows. In her capacity as staff artist of the AIR, Jayanti acquired tremendous experience in production, recording, managing broadcasts, scheduling, news reading and a variety of skills which she effectively brings into her community broadcasts in Canberra.
Jayanti is highly skilled and very experienced in conducting interviews, hosting talk shows, and providing interesting and relevant content to her broadcasts. Jayanti was an active broadcaster with All India Radio until 1991. She has worked as a volunteer on 2XX, CMS, Canberra Stereo Public Radio (now ArtSound) and Radio for the Print Handicapped. She was a Board member on 2XX representing Ethnic broadcasters. She presented Hindi Radio “Mandir FM” for several years. Jayanti was instrumental in getting several Indian language programs being broadcast on 2XX.
ARVIND GUPTA has also worked on the All India Radio as a freelancer. Like Jayanti, Arvind started broadcasting with All India Radio in 1972. He, too, started with youth programmes, university issues, and moved on to hosting music shows, reading the news and production work. Arvind has co-directed plays for Doordarshan. He has acquired skills and has extensive experience in production and broadcast. Arvind continued broadcasting with All India Radio until 1991. Both Arvind and Jayanti have done voice overs for several radio and TV broadcasts and also recorded lessons for Open University.
Broadcast details
Currently Integratedcultures ACT Inc. is in discussion with 2XX Community Radio (FM 98.3) to acquire a time segment for Radio Harmony and Thamizhradio Kummalam. It is expected that the two radio broadcasts will be able to go live on air in early 2016. Details of the broadcast (frequency and timing of broadcast) will be available on this web page as soon as we are able to confirm with 2XX.
Your views
Integratedcultures ACT Inc. invites your views and ideas on shaping the radio broadcasts (Harmony and Thamizhradio Kummalam). We would like to hear from you. What would you like to hear on these broadcasts? Send us your views and suggestions. Integratedcultures appreciates your ideas and will try its utmost to produce programmes that cover the widest spectrum of your interests. We would also like to host a round-table consultation with some of you to refine the productions. Integratedcultures will send out details for the consultations with venue and dates to those who will be invited to it. We expect the consultations to take place in January-February 2016. Details will be posted on our website soon.
Contact us : [email protected], [email protected]
