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Support for the development of a community radio sector in Bhutan

Year when project approved: 
2014
Approved budget: 
US$18 000.00

As a landlocked country with sometimes-inaccessible mountainous terrain, a scattered population and marked urban-rural inequalities, Bhutan would benefit significantly from community media. A UNESCO-commissioned feasibility study conducted in 2013 found a clear consensus among different stakeholders (including government officials) that commmunity radio (CR) would deepen and accelerate development in Bhutan. The report therefore asserted that a CR policy should be created. Other key recommendations included building the capacities of potential CR personnel, piloting three community radio stations (CRS) and organizing a national consultation.
 
The present project will support the facilitation of a pilot CRS in Wangdue district, near Thimphu. A series of workshops will be organized in order to train 24 potential CR practitioners in: (a) basic radio journalism and reporting; (b) programme production and presentation; and (c) broadcasting and CR operations. Participants will produce 48 programmes on local development, governance and women’s issues, which will be aired weekly by the radio stations in Wangdue district and at Sherubtse College.

 
The impact of the proposed project will be far-reaching. Having acquired the necessary skills, the 24 trainees will be able to lead the emerging CR sector in Bhutan. The country will also have launched its first fully community-owned radio station, which will serve as a model for subsequent CR startups.

Documents
Full project description: 
Bhutan_project_proposal.pdf
Project details
IPDC Bureau meeting nº: 
58

Implementation status :

Project evaluated:

Project scope:

IPDC Priority:

Budget

Source of funds:

Beneficiary
Beneficiary name: 
Department of Information and Media, Ministry of Information and Communication
Beneficiary description: 

The Department of Information and Media, established in 2003, is mandated to implement the Royal Government’s policies, plans and programmes relating to the information and media sector. The Department’s main objective is to ensure that Bhutanese citizens have free access to information (as required in a democratic society) and to that end, to promote and develop a professional information and media industry in the country. As a focal information and media agency, the Department is responsible for developing policies to promote the development of a healthy and vibrant media industry, support the development of local content, assess the impact of media on society, design and implement programmes for human resource development, and wherever possible support infrastructure development.

Beneficiary address: 
PO Box 1373, Thimphu

Beneficiary country:

Beneficiary phone: 
+975-2-331300
Beneficiary website: 
www.doim.gov.bt

Beneficiary type:

Location and contacts
UNESCO

UNESCO Field Office:

Project place: 
Thimphu, Bhutan

Project region:

Follow-up and achievments
Summary of the project implementation: 

The first ever ‘Capacity Building Workshop on Community Radio’ in Phuentsholing, Bhutan was held between November 17-26 2015. Conducted by the UNESCO Chair on Community Media team from University of Hyderabad (UoH), the 10-day workshop was organised by the Ministry of Information & Communications (MoIC), Bhutan with support from IPDC (UNESCO) and the India office of UNESCO, New Delhi. The College of Science & Technology (CST, Phuntshoeling) hosted this workshop. Anchored by Vasuki Belavadi, faculty fellow, UNESCO Chair on Community Media (Department of Communication, University of Hyderabad), the workshop was attended by 22 participants from eight pilot community radio stations to be set up in Bhutan. Prof. Vinod Pavarala, UNESCO Chair, Dr. Kanchan K. Malik, faculty fellow with the UNESCO Chair & Hemant Babu, Nomad India were the resource persons. Topics covered included: • CR history, philosophy & an overview of CR in South Asia; • Issues in CR: Participation, diversity, technology training, sustainability, management, funding & financing, codes & ethics; • Brief history of radio, transmission modes, intro to FM transmission, radio programme formats & basic principles of writing for radio; • Researching & mindmapping a radio programme; • Equipment requirement for audio: Microphones, recorders, mixers, audio software for post-production; • Studio requirements for radio broadcasting; technology options available; • Visit to a radio station; • Interviewing for radio: Mindmapping, preparing questions, asking questions, eye contact etc; writing questions for interviews; • Introduction to digital audio editing. DAWs, requirements. Compression / decompression. Metatags; • Editing and packaging programmes; • Station management: Scheduling programmes, managing a team, encouraging community participation, decision making, developing policies, financing & funding for the CR station; • RJ-ing techniques: Live & non-live; the voice, modulation, intonation, pauses.