Students set up radio stations

Due to its wider reach radio is the most sought after medium of communication. A growing number of mobile phones and MP3 players has made it an integral part of our lives.
Everyone from film actors to comedians have secured their spot on radio, making the best use of it to reach out to their listeners. This trend is fast catching up across college campuses, in the form of radio clubs that are organised and run by students themselves. 
 
On air
Keeping in mind the wider reach of radio as a medium of communication a number of colleges have set up their own stations to reach out to the student community. To begin with, the Mumbai University had launched its Community Radio station two years ago. Set at 107.8 FM-named Mumbai University Students Transmission (Must). "Being a community radio we run infotainment programmes. Most of  our shows are put together by students from across colleges in the city who have a flair for this medium," says Pankaj Athawale, who handles programming of Radio Must.

Ruia College has started the-Ruiacollegeradio.com an e-radio service and claims to have secured listeners in the US and UK within two-months of its launch. A brain-child of  TYBMM student Shantanu Joshi, the club was launched on January 19, 2010.

"My passion for radio led me to pursue it further. We chose to be an e-radio as I believe that the new media is the next big thing and needs to be explored," explains Joshi.

The ISB radio club was launched three years ago and is going strong with its on campus presence. "It's a legacy passed down to us by our seniors and we make it a point to make it better with each passing year," says Aanchal Maheshwari, president of the ISB radio, which is also a web-based feature.
 
The shows
As these radio clubs are launched by educational institutions they are bound to be filled with knowledge-based shows preferably helping students understand their subjects.

But the team of programmers and producers make it a point to not to make it an uninteresting entity. "Our programmes, which are of 10 minutes duration, are complete infotainment. We teach Urdu literature, French, Carnatic Music and even recite poetries," says Joshi.

"This month we even introduced shows hosted by our professors and department heads on the subjects that they specialise in," he adds.

For Divya Naik being a part of the Ruia college radio club was an unqiue platform for pursuing her passion for cinema. "Through this radio serivce I'm able to share my vast knowledge on cinema with fellow students who are always eager to know what’s happening on the celluloid," says Naik, who hosts her 5 mintue spot on movies.

The show she hosts, however, not only deals with movie reviews and reactions of people to latest releases but also with giving out trivia on Classic masterpieces.

Must radio shows are aired everyday from 8 am to 9 pm in English, Hindi and Marathi. This year, post  their second anniversary, they have a series of new shows lined-up for a 13 hour broadcast.
"Legal Eagles a show addressing the society laws, domestic violence laws etc., Red Ribbon a programme to answer doubts on HIV- Aids and Classifieds giving a run-through on vacancies in government jobs are the shows lined-up," informs Athawale.
Maheshwari says that the shows on ISB Radio have something for all residents on campus.

"We air programmes that focus on current events happening on the campus as they are of interest to everybody right from the admin staff, professors, students and even spouses.  This way we are able to connect to everyone and nobody is left out". "Interviews with deans, department heads and certain important visitors on campus are some of the features of our programmes," she adds.
Apart from focusing on packaging the content of the show the ISB radio team also focuses on the marketing strategy. "We create a buzz of our shows amongst our listeners by designing posters and composing catchy jingles, so that they are eager to listen to our programmes," explains Maheshwari.
 
Support strength
These students, who have teamed up in order to pursue their passion for radio, by putting it to good use in connecting the students on campus, thank their management for the success of the radio clubs.

"Our college provided us with laptops and also allocated a place on campus which was converted in to a studio. Principal Suhas Pednekar has supported us all through the launch of our little venture," says Joshi.

The ISB management fixes a yearly-budget for its radio club. "It becomes easy to work with a fixed budget. Moreover the investment required at ISB radio is more in terms of time rather than money. The management has supported us very well with both," says Maheshwari.