Fm Station Profile

Namo Buddha F.m. station, dhulikhel, Kavre, Nepal

Name of the respondent: Bhakta Shyangtan

Namo Buddha F.M. station of Dhulikhel is one of the Community Radio stations of Kavre district. The broadcasting area of 100 watt covers 9 districts around dhulikhel.

The station is non-profit making. It was established in 2007 with the non-shared holders of 52 members targeting the local community and their development. With increasing number of staffs, it has given opportunities to more than 100 people till now. At the moment, 15 full time staffs are working under this station excluding 30 other part-time staffs. The time and duration of broadcasting is 13 hrs which presents 50 different programs in a single working day.

According to Shyangtan, the station need around Rs. 120,000 to operate smoothly. As the station is community so the revenue it generated by sponsors and advertisement. As other station this station has to pay 13% tax to government for the technical equipments and other miscellaneous. However, he shows disapproval to the government policy of paying tax as it is community radio which is established for the welfare of the community but he shows approve to the payment for licensing.

The profit earned by this station is invested in training, office equipment, public awareness and program recreation.

Influences

According to Shyangtan, he doesn’t rely on the fact that the station should have some link with influential group. It is up to the station owner and manager; they themselves have to judge their work and results of it. It is the challenge they have to risk on. He says that not only radio station but all the media houses of Nepal are in endanger and it is because the close link of the politics persons and businesses and rivalry between them. He adds that the elite group in Kavre, sometimes try to influences the function of the station but the station is strongly against them. But if it is the case of hampering all the community people then the station has...