MUMBAI: Mangalore based community radio at St. Aloysius College – Radio Sarang 107.8 MHz is planning to approach the Wireless planning and coordination (WPC) wing of the Ministry of Communications for rectifying technical issues in their frequency.
Radio Sarang started broadcasting on a trial basis on 24 June and plans to go on air officially on 23 September but the station has been facing problems with transmission. Explains St Aloysius head of department of Mass Communication and Journalism and Sarang director Dr Richard Rego, We have been facing issue regarding invasion in our transmission at some places where All India Radio and commercial FM frequencies are received on our frequency….
Rego adds that as Radio Sarang’s frequency 107.8 MHz is located at the end of the spectrum, it faces cracking and unclear transmission issues. Nomad Technology, the transmitter provider worked to find solutions and proposed that a change in frequency seems to be a probable solution to the problem.
Located at a high altitude in Mangalore and with a transmission output of 50 watts, Radio Sarang has a wide reach but the quality of reception is poor. Rego says, We have approached the WPC for allotting a frequency of 90.4 MHz for better reception. As we would go on air from 23 September, we are trying to sort the issue with the Information and Broadcast Ministry soon….
For the new frequency, the station would have to pay a token amount to WPC. The station had spent around 1.8 million for setting up the community radio, the funds of which were mobilized by St. Aloysius.
The station will be heard in Mangalore city and suburbs like Panambur, Suratkal, Batwal, Ullal, Gurpur-Kaikamba and surrounding areas. The radio station aims at village communities – agriculture/farming, beedi workers, auto/ truck drivers, fisherfolk etc.
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