KISAN FM RADIO
It is learnt that in a year around ten lakhs farmers are calling Kisan Call Centre 1800 180 1501 to clear their doubts in agriculture. The agricultural experts answer these queries and these questions and answers are recorded.
In this exercise, the farmer and expert are only involved. The other farmers are not benefited though the questions pertain to agriculture in general. How to make other farmers to take the benefit of this exercise?
Radio is the only an answer where these questions and answers can be edited and transmitted without removing the voice of the farmers and expert as much as possible to give a feeling of the reality.
How to use the Radio medium as the famers cannot sit before Radio for entire length of time of the transmission? Now the mobile phone comes to our rescue. Wherever farmer can be, at home, on travel or in the field, he can listen. Already, they are enjoying the FM stations in their vicinity.
How to implement this thought?
Let us call this project KISAN FM Radio Project.
All India Radio is already using the DTH platform to broadcast the 24 Radio Stations of FM gold and FM Rainbow round the clock.
The All India Radio should be roped in to take up KISAN Radio. It can be initially start programs in Hindi, Marathi, Tamil and Telugu as an experiment. That is four Satellite Radio channels of All India Radio can be used. Now we will establish FM repeaters with solar power supply so that any remote area can receive and transmit the programs in the area it can cover. The farmers can receive the transmission through their mobiles and listen wherever they are in the FM frequency area.
How program content should be?
It must be basically of film songs. Between the songs, a minute or two can be used for the edited conversation between the farmer and expert. This can keep the farmers listening continuously. We can also update them on commodity prices, weather forecasts and other related agricultural information.
Can any revenue be expected?
Yes, certainly!
As basically, it is a farmer’s channel, the agricultural input companies of seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and agricultural equipment will take the opportunity as it can offer the best cost benefit ratio in advertising their products. Also the consumer durable and non-durable companies also can take a chance as the reach is rural and the farmers are the prospects in the present scenario of rural spending on durables and non-durables.
How to share the revenue?
It is among the four viz.
1. The content provider, the Kisan Call Centre.
2. All India Radio, for using the film songs.
3. The Satellite provider for beaming the channels, the Prasarbharathi.
4. The provider of FM repeaters, as it has to provide the repeaters throughout the agricultural belts in the country.
