Is Radio Fulfilling It's Social Responsibility?

Pulse

oi-suparna-chakraborty Chakaraborthy

By Suparna Chakaraborthy

Tuesday, March 15, 2011, 13:50

“I tune into my favorite radio stations for new songs, particularly the hip hop", says Manasa . An aspiring RJ herself, she looks forward to her listening to her favorite RJ whom she finds absolutely lively and interactive. Hundreds of listeners like Manasa who tune into the ever increasing group of commercial radio stations are quick to soak in any information the RJ"s supply.

Wolfgang Donsbach in his book The International Encyclopedia of Communication goes on to delineate the use of radio across the world particularly in developing countries to successfully disseminate communication messages.

How many FM channels think on these lines? Why should the use of commercial radio be restricted only to entertainment? The radio channels who cash on urban youth for their listenership should consider it their social responsibility to initiate some kind of development. The impact that these radio networks have on urban youth has only been remotely tapped ( only by government run stations so far).The capacity of this medium to influence the urban youth is tremendous.

Radio channel social responsibility is a matter of great concern. The language and program content of these channels are becoming highly diluted. The areas of concern particularly in cosmopolitan areas like Bangalore is the language component. Radio channel are high on the entertainment quotient but lack social responsibility.

“RJ"s are the voice of the radio. They are conditioned to think of radio as fun as a result radio"s purpose is being defeated", says Dr. Raghu, Senior Program Executive, FM Rainbow, AIR. “FM can become a highly thought provoking medium, they can help develop a scientific temperament among the youth. Commercial radio stations should infact volunteer to create a nation building ambiance. The government should utilize this potential and issue guidelines", he adds.

Areas of development like gender equality, communal harmony, etc can be included into Radio programs as a part of their social responsibility. The government needs to add radio channel social responsibility component to its guidelines when issuing licenses to these commercial channels. Radio can be fun and development clubbed into one. Its radio"s capacity as medium to influence that adds on social responsibility, as with great power comes greater responsibility.