This document summarizes the work of the Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA) in supporting community radio license applications from July 2011 to August 2013 with funding from the Ford Foundation. CEMCA established a facilitation center to provide online and in-person support to applicants. The key areas of support included infrastructure like a facilitation desk, toolkits, and a website; capacity building through internships and working with nodal institutions; and advocacy on spectrum issues. CEMCA helped many applicants navigate the license application process and stages after receiving a license-in-principle. It also supported the Central Radio Regulatory Cell and helped community radio stations with issues like renewals.

1. ENABLING MEDIA ACCESS FOR
COMMUNITY’S SELF EXPRESSION
JULY 2011-AUGUST 2013
Supported by Ford Foundation
Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia

2. GENESIS
 A suggestion from MIB to step-up the CR licence
application support that CEMCA was already
engaged in to meet the ever increasing queries
and requests for support
 Centre set-up with Grant from FF in July 2011
 A dedicated facilitation team
 Enhanced on-line application support
 Other value additions
 Toll-free number
 An outreach centre at Shastri Bhawan premises in
February 2012

3. THREE KEY INTERVENTION AREAS
 Infrastructure support
 CCFC- Facilitation Desk (CEMCA /SB)
 Toolkits ( EPG and SAT)
 Web-based Support ( http://www.ccfcindia.net ;
http://www.cronlineindia.net )
 A toll-free number 1800-11-6422
 Capacity Building
 Internships
 Support nodal institutions
 Advocacy
 Spectrum issues – Two international consultations held

4. ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
 Support to C R S Cell , MIB
 Follow-up with applicants with pendency (e.g. LOI
Squatting; GOPA signed -not operationalized;
submission of reports for C R Compendium, etc).
 Answering queries in response to release of
advertisements in newspapers
 Digitise applications submitted off-line
 DAVP Empanelment

5. AREAS WHERE APPLICANTS NEED SUPPORT
 New applications to MIB is still complicated for
some applicants(on-line and attachments). Nearly
eighty per cent go back for corrections)
 Once LOI is issued, support required through
subsequent stages
 Bottle-necks- FA, SACFA, WOL
 Two major hurdles: lack of adequate information
and status updates from WPC
 Renewals of licences (lot of confusion since
November 2011 regarding fee revision)
 DAVP Empanelment

6. CCFC HAS CREATED
 Systematic ways of approaching various stages of
licence procedures (e.g. formats for application of
FA )
 Good documentation procedures for follow-up with
applicants
 A team of experienced facilitators
 A support team through internships and a facilitator
network – in North east-an underserved area and
Maharashtra-which has a good network of
operational CRS (8)
 A trusted brand

7. WALKING THE TALK
 Encouraging New Applicants
 Walking though the application process
 DAVP Empanelment
 Total 36 - through CCFC 29
 In process-12 – through CCFC 11
 Newly empanelled 17 ( on 30.07.2013)
 Internships
 Individual 21
 Institutions: CRF; DEF; IGNOU; NGO (8); CRS-(7)
 Institutional internships – GU/CRA ; FTII

8. NEW AREAS FOR EXPLORATION
 Periodic follow-up workshops for applicants through
different stages in coordination with CRS Cell, MIB (every
quarter)
 Setting up a procedure for better coordination between
MIB and WPC through regular updates (e.g. Monthly)
 Synergising Open Houses at WPC with CR Cell and
Facilitation Centre representatives
 Building capacities of community women in CRS
management
 Fellowships for study visits for Facilitation team and CRS
representatives

9. Thank you for your attention