Mewat Community Radio

(MCR)

A plan for a sustainable future

Summary of presentation Definition of community Business Concept Location The team Goal & Objective Resource Requirements Financial plan Financial strategy Partnership suggestions Key issues Risk & Solution How has the issue been addressed Marketing Strategy

What is community radio?

Community radio is broadcasting with the objective of serving a community in

underprivileged areas by involving members of the community in the sustainability of

their program.

Human resource planning

Groups composed of people

performing duties from the time the radio station is

conceived to the time it is

launched. There are six different

groups with unique tasks.

Steering committee Board Interim management Station management Station staff Volunteers

Steering committee

First team of human resources for newly form community radio station

Members must understand the significance of CRS and is committed to its success

Role is to facilitate establishment of radio station

Play key role in environmental scanning process

Board

Formed after environmental scanning is completed

Role is to oversee the creation of the CRS Plays key role in strategic planning process After launching of radio station, job is to

perform directing duties Requires training

Interim management

Team of managers that oversees the actual launch of radio station

Experts employed on short term basis (only needed prior to launching of radio station)

Iron out any problems that arise prior to broadcasting

Must have experience

Station management

Composed of local managers of radio station Are supervised by expert managers Role is to ensure all aspects of radio station are

working Meets with financial targets to sale airtime and

solicit program sponsorship Requires training

Business management skills Financial management skills Marketing management skills Marketing management Radio station management

Station staff Station manager

Responsible for effectiveness of radio station Leadership position

Producer Editing content Ensure functionality of equipment

Advertising manager/sales executives Responsible for selling airtime and other services offered

Program presenters Accounts and administration officer

Maintain financial records of radio station Volunteer coordinator

All should have experience or training

Volunteers

Recommend to not perform marketing duties Empowers communities by providing

opportunities for job training and gain of new skills

Recruited to perform various duties related to the functionality of radio station News gathering Program presenting Administrative duties

Strategic planning

The purpose of this step is to determine the purpose of the radio station. During this step one must also consider what kind of station it would be and the plan

for execution.

Business concept

The purpose of MCR is to serve the rural area of Mewat to promote community development

utilizing telecommunications as a medium. Social inclusion with the ultimate goal of building momentum for a self-sustaining community. Community mobilization and

empowerment are important elements in the success of MCR as it would be ran for the

people and by the people of Mewat.

Market Summary

Mewat region is composed of meo-muslim population

40 % of the general population are uneducated Four dimensions of poverty

Natural capital (soil, land, etc.) Financial capital Human capital (health, nutrition, education, and

knowledge) 68% have mobile radio 12% have radio set 21% listen to radio 57% interested in being apart of CRS

Broadcast range

Resource requirements

Technology requirements: Phone in console, Monitor Speaker, CD Drive, Tape Recorder.

Mixer Console, Microphone, Computer, Sound card Interface, studio monitor, Headsets, Field Recorders, Transmitter, RF cables, Antenna Mast, Studio sound proofing materials

Personnel requirements Resource requirements

Initial capital costs and wages, area incentives for radio buying, good communications/promotional group

External requirements Find well functioning management/promotion group Get a hold on initial equipment, necessities first of course Partner with other community radio stations: events, resources,

grant/funding info sharing

OneWorld South Asia radio station

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Financial strategy

MCR would become a production center for air time and sponsorship program.

This would eliminate duplication of effort and ensure cost effectiveness in

program production.

Start up cost Transmitter equipment

Rs. 7 lacs

Acoustic treatment Rs. 4 lacs

Studio monitoring head phone Rs. 9 lacs

Studio equipment Rs. 9 lacs

Total: 20 lacs

Funding suggestions

• Sponsorship• Social marketing• Donations• Advertising • Co-productions and partnerships• Sell cassettes/CDs • Share programs with other stations • Compile program material for publication. • Use listeners’ contributions• Rely on volunteers• Build links with educational institutions

Host fundraising event

WBUR Public Radio host annual gala’s generating in $400K yearly

20 additional discrete member events throughout the year

One recent event with special guests brought in $40K in ticket sales and $40K in corporate donations.

This event included large donors (contributing over $1200) who were able to connect and gain access to high profile newsmakers

Pledge drives

Fundraising technique used by public broadcasters

During a pledge drive, a station's programming will be regularly interrupted by appeals for assistance from viewers and listeners Can also be done through direct mail

marketing WBUR host six per year gaining $450-

1.2 mil per drive

Sell single programs

Authentic local music Fictional programs (short play,

poems, etc.) Recorded interviews of guest

appearances

Operating cost

Estimated monthly cost of operation is Rs.20 lacs Including salaries, electricity, miscellaneous

Selling radio station airtime

Create list of prospects Based decision on mutual gain for radio and

prospective business Ask other radio stations for referrals

Present sales pitch fliers, brochures, power point presentations

Be receptive and understanding of customer concerns

Pitch benefits of advertising campaign Have proposal and contracts ready on spot Follow up after sale

Minimum airtime for sustainability

Average radio advertisement length is 30 seconds

At the price of 1 Rs/second = Rs.30 To meet monthly operational cost of Rs.20

lacs divided by the 30 days in a month An approx. amount of Rs.666/day

Equals the need to sell 22 advertisements daily

Airtime policy?

Bind all sales agreements to contracts

Partnership establishment

In efforts to launching a successful radio station. Donors are pivotal in the up

keep of the broadcasting center and its establishment. However, donors should not be depended on as primary resource

as they do not last forever.

Partnership suggestions(Community outreach initiatives)

Asha for education Katha Association for India’s Development (AID) Ashram Charitable Care Foundation Child Rights and You (CRY) Hand-in-Hand USA Haji Abdul Majid Trust Infosys Foundation NGO’s

Partnership suggestions(Funding initiatives)

Team for Educational Activities in Motherland (TEAM)

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation NGO’s

Partnership suggestions(Guest)

Center for Old in Need (COiN) India Leadership Network

Metrix of 57,000 members

Partnership suggestions(Suitable buyers for airtime?)

Independent business owners who sell airtime for a living

Sellers of modern agricultural technology Suggest asking fellow community radio

programs for referrals

Goals & Objectives

Five-year goals To be an established platform for knowledge,

expression, and social mobilization 5,000 listener addition a year

Urban population of Mewat is approx 46,000 Pay back initial capital costs (of borrowed) Financially sustained

Key Issues

Near term Community involvement Sharing frequency and authorization Funding

Long term Ownership and control over radio station Financial sustainability

Risks & Solution

Risk - Lack of community involvement Solution - Utilizing a “bottom-top” method where

community members have control over topics featured on station Community members will be recruited to work at the

radio station Extensive training on functionality of station The station will be organized in a way the encourages

‘ownership’ Reward

In due time, MCR would become a primary resource for knowledge, social mobility, successful operating

Models of success

Community radio in Mozambique

Background

UNESCO and several other development partners collaborated to launch a community radio station is Mozambique. The mission of

MCR was to strength democracy and governance in a community where lack of education and social connectivity was an

issue. A number of studies were carried out to asses sustainability potentials and

obstacles.

Issues addressed

A strong community ownershipEffective training methodsTechnical sustainability system

Based on an assessment performed that determined inadequate technical configurations were not geared toward specific local conditions, including: preventative maintenance skills, lack of

Measures taken

Community ownership• Hosted large community meetings • Designed a social mobilization process identify

in each community the many subcommittees

Measures taken

Training methods• A series of intense 8-10 day training course• A community training program through

process coaches • Exposure to related realities, including study

trips to other community, commercial, and public radio stations

• Management seminars and workshops• Establishment of a training station which was

used to help get things going at a basic pace

Measure taken

Technical sustainability

Based on an assessment performed that determined inadequate technical

configurations were not geared toward specific local conditions, including:

preventative maintenance skills, lack of

Risks & Solution

Risk - not meeting operational cost Solution - extensive financial planning Rewards - allows encouragement to build a

network of partners

Models of success

WBUR

Background

WBUR is a national public radio station. Is perceived to have “one of the strongest business models of a NPR.” Due to its

strong business model more of its resources goes to programming rather

than commercials. Is a $21M organization where $1.9M(9%) is

solicited from donations

Issues Addressed

Financial viability

Measures Taken

Direct mail marketing Subscribers receives 16 pieces of mail per year, 3 per pledge drive Additional mail to alert people that their memberships are up for renewal and for holiday-themed giving on Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day

Measures TakenPromotional products Promotional products draw members/listeners to the station and they are based on two types of partnerships Corporate partners: invest cash in WBUR and provide a product as part of promotional giveaway. This generates additional sales and PR for the corporate partner Transactional partners: WBUR has a transactional relationship with the local florist, who sells them the flowers at deep discount but is not focused as much on building a customer base On Mother Day and Valentine Day and allows people to send flowers with the proceeds going to WBUR: $2M in flower sales per year

Marketing plan

Communication and promotional strategy for MCR

Mission Statement

The development of MCR is rooted in the value of community development utilizing

telecommunications as a medium. Its key purpose is to empower members of the community to promote

sustainable development, human rights, and knowledge.Built on an open door policy, MCR

provides a platform to foster social inclusion and equality. It also creates opportunities for the

community members to learn new skills and to address issues that affect their lives.

Problem and opportunities

Problems Survey analysis suggest that only 21% of people in

the community listen to the radio Only 12% actually own a personal radio set

Opportunities An effective grassroots campaign will encourage the

engagement of listeners Solicit the donation of radios to be distributed to

targeted community. Gain the support of community members by taking the

initiative to get them the resources need. More radio’s in the home = more listeners

Stats doesn’t suggest lack of interest as root of problem

Radio program suggestions

Woman to woman Shock Mewat Straight talk Jockey for the day

Woman to woman

Develop a radio program targeted towards women at the ages of 25+

Preferably at times when husbands are not home Use women in business and whom are educated

as guest Promote health awareness and nutritional

programs Use this opportunity to gain trust of women for the

purpose of eventually encourage family planning initiative that they can pass to their daughters

A South African community radio program used the idea of “edutainment” to connect with women listeners Included a series of 15-minute television drama

programs called “Healing Hearts”

Shock Mewat

On the first day of the week select “Law of the week”

Circumference daily discussions around that topic throughout the week

Leading up to the last day of the week where with “tested your knowledge” competition amongst listeners who call into the show

Prize will be awarded to the winner

Straight talk

A phone-in discussion allowing listeners to act as members of parliament to speak their minds on community based issues and concerns

Use guest, community leaders, or host to act as ministers or otherwise as the Speaker of parliament.

Encourages a platform for debates

Radio Jockey

Give school aged children the opportunity to host a segment of radio programming for the day Target those in grades 5 and up

Qualifications for opportunity is to have a certain amount of books read for the week (or highest amount of school hours)

Allow children to submit stories, poems, etc. to be read over the air

Take selected child to visit other radio stations Provide them with a certificate or award.

Any incentive that children would like

Voices of Tomorrow

• A program job training program targeted towards teenage students

• VoT would coordinate training or even establish a center for production training, technical training and technical assistance.

• This could spark the interest or encourage students to pursue careers in radio production ---> Encouraging them to attend school

• They MUST be informed and experience the benefits of education

• Just telling them (primarily girls) is not effective

Additional services Prayer hotline - gives people the opportunity to call

radio station and request prayers from fellow community members

MCR could act as a co-ordination centre for all the community radio stations in the area. This helps establish the principle of networking, creating a conductive environment for growth and stability.

MCR could provide pension funds, medical aid packages, and insurance packages for staff. This could compensate for paying cash (if its not in IRRAD’s interest to pay workers)

(Look up practices of Meo Muslims)

Ways to promote

Flyers and posters Events Utilizing available mediums

Flyers and posters

• Distribute monthly newsletter to subscribers• Use medium to promote the benefits of

education, tips on production, resource awareness, promote radio programs etc

• Must include specific time and day of radio show and programs

• People visual see themselves in position of power in order for them to believe that they have ownership over radio station

• Posters and flyers must appeal personally

Live recording event

IRRAD host live recording event in different villages that is being targeted for listener-ship

Solicit donation of free radios to be distributed as door prizes during the event

Collect mobile numbers for future text messaging promotional campaign

Give away free packages of seed to highly recommended agricultural crop Encourage recipients to tune in to the radio station for

tips on growing, producing, and selling of crop Attach message to package of seeds

Invite other organizations to be attendance Ex. Health organizations can distribute free

immunizations

Utilizing available mediums

Ek duniya anEK awaaz (OneWorld) allows community oriented radio program

Provides a platform for community radio stations to upload recording of radio programs

Opportunity to partner with like-minded organizations to voice grassroots concerns

Find out what listeners want

Focus group Qualitative research in which people

come together to discuss their perceptions, opinions, beliefs, and attitudes towards a concept, advertisement, idea, or packaging Great way to gain topical programming

motivation

Competition

• The strategy for competition is to not view any other radio station as competition but as an allies

• Research suggest that all community radio stations are missioners for the same cause, the promotion of education, community development, health, and better governance

Thank you