Finally, Pune varsity can go radio ga ga
01-May-05
Finally, the University of Pune (UoP)’s FM radio is ready go on air on May 1 with an hour-long trial transmission scheduled for 9 am each day at 90.8 MHz.
Conceived two years back, Vidyavani will initially cover an 8-km radius around the campus, making Pune the first university in the state to have a dedicated community radio service in place. ‘‘We are looking at a limited audience and limited area, to begin with,’’ UoP Vice Chancellor Ashok Kolaskar said while announcing the launch of the trial transmission.
Located at the Educational Multi-Media Research Centre (EMRC) building on the UoP campus, the Vidyavani station will air programmes from a 30-meter-high tower using a 50 watt transmitter and is expected to reach several areas of Pune, Pimpri-Chichwad, cantonments and villages on the outskirts not obstructed by hills and high-rises.
The radio programmes will cover a wide range of subjects, focussing specifically on the requirements of students of various departments and affiliated colleges. ‘‘We want to see this radio initiative reach out to the society and bring the university and society closer to each other,’’ Kolaskar said.
Vidyavani will also act as a platform for students to express themselves, seek information, guidance and counselling, besides allowing them to present their intellectual talents and creativity in music, singing and dramatics.
Among those who will create programmes will be both, former and present students, teachers and non-teaching staff of UoP departments and affiliated colleges. Contents of the broadcast programmes will be based on the findings of a survey on ‘Students Perceptions and Need Assessment’’ conducted two years ago. Ushaprabha Page and Anand Deshmukh, former Station Director and Programme Executive of AIR are the consultants to Vidyavani.
ALL WE NEED IS…
To decide on the programming for its FM radio project, the University of Pune had commissioned a survey (sample size 1,1350). Here’s what students wanted:
Career opportunities
Sports and cultural events
Quiz programmes
Counselling: gender issues, personality development, self-confidence, study methods, addictions, interactions with the opposite sex, relationships, stress management, suicide, family problems, environment and human rights.
Campus news
National and international politics
Newssource: Indian Express
Technorati Tag: Pune