A webpage on the CRA site. The Communications Regulatory Authority have launched a radio station broadcasting to Bangladeshi migrant workers Source
The Qataris employ a massive number of Asian workers. The number is so high that the native population only makes up 15% of all inhabitants. The Bangladeshi community is one of the largest (with a population of about 137,000 according to the last estimate). The Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) has launched a temporary radio station in Bengali to raise awareness of the risks of the pandemic and to inform Bangladeshi workers of how to take appropriate precautions.
A radio host working for the Qatar Media Corporation, the official broadcasting authority that oversees media services in numerous TV and radio stations transmitting in various languages including Urdu and French Source
The radio station broadcasting in Bengali on 95.3 FM in Doha is overseen by QMC (Qatar Media Corporation), a state organisation that also manages Qatar Radio Urdu on air on 107.0 FM. There are also commercial radio stations for the Asian public based in the capital: Qabayan Radio on 94.3 FM transmitting in Filipino and Malayalam Radio on 98.6 FM (in Malayalam, the language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala).
A radio host at the QMC (Qatar Media Corporation) radio station broadcasting in Urdu SourceA broadcast technician at Orix FM, the QMC (Qatar Media Corporation) French channel transmitting on 94.0 MHz FM in Doha SourceMalayalam Radio is a commercial radio station that broadcasts on 98.6 FM in Doha. Malayalam is the Indian language spoken in the state of Kerala Source
The report in Asian Review opens with a photograph of the studio of Radio Namaskar, located in the state of Odisha on the east coast of India Source
‘The radio saved my life. By listening to doctors being interviewed on the radio, I discovered that I had Covid-19 symptoms and managed to be treated in time and recover’. This is the opening statement in the Asian Review’s report on the role played by the Indian community radio stations, which are often the only means available for millions of people to access information in the most remote rural communities. During the pandemic the usual programmes speaking about agricultural techniques were substituted by explanations of how to put social distancing into effect and how to recognise Covid-19 symptoms. Together with the government authorities, they also helped to coordinate the distribution of food and medicines. This was an enormous job considering that there are only 276 community radio stations in the whole country. The government’s intention was to see an increase to 4000 broadcasters, which is a number equal to the commercial stations, but the main obstacle to this is the cost of equipment, which is very high for a community (starting from INR ₹ 1.9 million, which is more than US $ 25.000), as explained in detail in this article.
In order to give more information to the public during the Coronavirus pandemic, Ofcom, the UK’s independent communications regulator, has approved the opening of some new temporary radio stations. Licences have been awarded in areas that are not already served by community radio stations on the condition that arrangements have been made with local community leaders. In support of this venture, the Community Media Association, the organisation for British community broadcasting, has contacted the societies that manage music royalties to organise favourable conditions. PRS for Music is asking only £ 86 a month plus 20% VAT for 12 weeks.
The Audio Content Fund, a government funded scheme that finances original public radio, has allocated £ 200,000 (later increased to £ 400,000) to ideas, targeting listeners in lockdown during the pandemic. Among the approved projects, there is a 15-minute transmission made by people overtheir 70s for an audience over their 70s, and a ‘virtual’ version of Strawberry Fair in Cambridge, a music and arts festival that attracts up to 50,000 people to East Anglia.
The 2020 Cambridge festival, organised for June 6th, 2020, will be substituted by a 12-hour transmission. Source
Julian Clover, Editorial Lead, Cambridge 105 Radio Source
Julian Clover, Editorial Lead, Cambridge 105 Radio said: ‘Strawberry Fair is one of the highlights of the year for our city and is one of our most popular outside broadcasts. While we won’t be able to make it to Midsummer Common we hope that our Virtual Strawberry Fair is able to give a taste of summer to Cambridge 105 Radio listeners.’
Four radio stations covering the festival
A map from FMList shows the area covered by the four broadcasters. Source
In addition to Cambridge 105 Radio (105.0 MHz), parts of the coverage will be heard on neighbouring stations: Star Radio (Star broadcasts on 107.9FM in Cambridge, 107.1FM across Ely and the Fens and now on 107.3FM in Saffron Walden), HCR104fm (Huntingdon Community Radio) and Future Radio (107.8FM from Norwich).
