Radio Macfast 90.4: Travancore’s new voice

Radhakrishnan Kuttoor

An MBA student speaks at the studio at Mar Athanasios College for Advanced Studies in Thiruvalla on Saturday, ahead of the launch of Radio Macfast-90.4 on Sunday. Fr Abraham Mulamoottil, college principal, looks on

Kerala’s first campus-based community radio service at Mar Athanasios College for Advanced Studies in Thiruvalla (MACFAST) will be on the air on Sunday.

‘Radio Macfast-90.4’ will be the first community radio service (CRS) in Central Travancore, the second in the State and the 46th in the country.

MACFAST has successfully conducted test broadcasts from its 50 watt power transmitter that almost covers an aerial distance of 20 kilometres, says Fr Abraham Mulamoottil, the college principal, who promoted the novel project. “Radio Macfast with its wide range of diverse and interesting programmes is going to be a trendsetter in the CRS segment,” said Fr Mulamoottil.

According to him, community radio focuses on low cost and low return pattern of operation, aimed at educating and entertaining the community using its own idiom and language, in contrast to the private FM Radio, which is primarily driven by entertainment and business considerations. “Ultimately it will strengthen democratic institutions and practices, giving common people access to information”.

The mainstream media is unable to cater to the information needs of the community as it is primarily market-driven and run with a profit motive, he says. The question of CRS as an alternative media becomes relevant here. It must have space in terms of localisation of content, participation and involvement of the community, narrowing the differences between the broadcaster and the audience.

The students at the college will also get a chance