The Union information and broadcasting ministry has issued licences to nine NGOs and institutions for setting up community radio stations in Kerala.

Community radio was meant to bring small communities together focussing on common man's day-to-day concerns and help them realise local needs, an official press release here said.
    
The government had decided to encourage the setting up of the radio stations as they had played a crucial role on informing and empowering people, especially the poor and vulnerable sections in society, the release said.

The NGOs and institutions that got licences in Kerala are DC School of Management, Kottayam, University of Calicut, Wayanad Social Service, Imperial Foundation Trust, Adoor, Vrindavan Trust, Cherthala, Thirumala Trust, Alappuzha, Mar Athanasius College of Advanced Studies, Thiruvalla and Amrutham Bio-organic Research Centre, Palakkad.