Community radio may get a new lease of life<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Community-radio-may-get-a-new-lease-of-life/articleshow/16483200.cms> TNN | Sep 21, 2012
NEW DELHI: The telecom ministry is likely to waive off spectrum fee for community radiostations following demands for a rollback from information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry and community radio (CR) organizations. The spectrum fee is a prohibitive Rs 93,000 for a year. According to sources, the issue of the high spectrum fee was raised by I&B ministerAmbika Soni with telecom minister Kapil Sibalon Thursday pressing the point that the fee would have damaging repercussions on the government's development agenda. The telecom ministry had recently increased fee for community radio stations by five times from Rs 19,000 to Rs 93,000, sparking protests from those running CR projects. I&B secretary U K Varma had written to the telecom secretary saying that the ministry's views were not sought before the decision was taken. "This five-fold increase in spectrum fee would have a crippling impact on the growth of community radio stations in India as many organizations would find it impossible to meet this huge increase in royalty charges," the letter written to telecom secretary R Chandrashekhar had said. The ministry has so far given 370 permissions to various NGOs, Krishi Vigyan Kendra and recognized educational institutions. Around 132 CR stations are operational in the country. The high spectrum fee has been a huge discouraging factor for those CR stations that has been struggling for finances to sustain the model. Community Radio Association members, including MKSS's Aruna Roy, has also been demanding a rollback of spectrum fee.
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