Radio Sarang 107.8 of MJES to host Valedictory of its Decennial Celebrations
Radio Sarang 107.8 of Mangalore Jesuit Educational Society (MJES) to host Valedictory of its Decennial Celebrations at Town Hall, Mangaluru on 1 December 2019 from 2 pm onwards, with variety of cultural events.
Mangaluru : Addressing the media persons during a press meet held at Mangaluruy Press Club, Dr (Fr) Melwyn Pinto SJ said, ” Community Radio Sarang 107.8 FM, being broadcast from St Aloysius College (Autonomous), Mangaluru is celebrating its decennial year. The decennial year was inaugurated on March 25, 2019, and as part of the decennial many events were held in the last 9-10 months”.
He further said, “The closing of the decennial year would be held on Sunday, December 1 in Town Hall Mangaluru. The function will be inaugurated by the Provincial of Karnataka Jesuit Province Fr Jerome Stanislaus D’Souza SJ. Kannada, Tulu scholar Prof. B. A. Vivek Rai will be the chief guest of the function. During the function, an audio CD of Tulu folk-lore by scholar Dr Ganesh Amin Sankamar will also be released. Two handicapped listeners of Radio Sarang will be gifted with two-wheelers. 12 Sewing machines will be distributed to a few others for self-employment, besides giant umbrellas to 20 street vendors”.
“As part of the celebration, a yakshagana talamaddale ‘Panchajanya’ will be performed from 2 p.m. by renowned artists such as Satish Rai Patla, Dr M Prabhakar Joshi, Bhaskar Rai Kukkuvalli, Jabbar Samo, among others. Vithal Nayak Kalladka and team will give perform ‘Geetha Sahitya Sambhrama’. Sarang has always been a voice to the voiceless” added Fr Melwyn. Patson Pereira- Sound Engineer, Swetha Anil- Marketing Executive and Abishekh Shetty- Kannda Programme producer, all at Sarang were present during the press meet.
ABOUT SARANG RADIO 107.8 FM :
Radio Sarang 107.8 FM is campus-based community radio, which has been an innovative communication tool for education, information and social empowerment ensured to the immediate neighbours of Aloysius College, Mangaluru. Started in June 2009, Radio Sarang has evolved through phases of struggle and pain. Now it stands tall as a voice of the people of Mangaluru. Unlike other community Radios in India, Radio Sarang has to cater to multilinguistic, multi-cultural and multi religious groups like, Christians, Hindus, Muslims, Kannadigas, Tuluvas, Be4ris, Konkannis, Konkanas/Malayalis, etc. This gives Radio Sarang an immense opportunity to be unique in the community Radio sector.
Community Radio Sarang is managed by the Mangalore Jesuit Educational Society (MJES) and is run by St. Aloysius College (Autonomous), Mangaluru, and It was established in September 2009 by Dr Richard Rego SJ who is known as the founder of this campus based community radio. Though SARANG 107.8 FM is a campus radio, it is more of a community-participating radio than educational institution radio. Quantitatively, approximately 95% of the content is produced by and with the local community or by health and legal workers for communities.
Sarang means ‘harmony of colours’ signifying various social, religious, linguistic communities and their peaceful coexistence at coastal Karnataka. Mangalore community is a melting pot of cultures, religions and languages. Hence, it was felt that Sarang would be the most appropriate name. It began as a two hours radio programme. Later it became 24×7 Community radio with, for and by local people such as farmers, fisher-folk, patients, vendors, students, medical and legal experts, service providers like bicycle mechanics, small vendors, cobblers, and people with different abilities.
The local communities contribute regularly to this radio. The radio also spreads messages of peace and harmony among people through programs based on the need for the same specially during celebrations and when such need is felt. Today it has 16 hours of daily programmes ranging from educational to social to health and cultural issues and aspects.
The programs are produced -mostly- by the local community and also by staff, students of mass communication (MCMS or MS Communication, equivalent to MCJ with specializations) and other students of St Aloysius College and neighboring schools and colleges. Subjects of Radio Sarang programming include health and hygiene, sanitation, agriculture, education, fisher-folk issues, road safety, water conservation, rain water harvesting, folk culture and life, and women and children’s rights. Original entertainment by locals are the hallmark of this radio. The program formats include talks, interviews, phone-ins, songs, poetry, stories, and chat-shows.
Community Radio SARANG 107.8 FM broadcasts in Konkani, Kannada, Tulu, and English languages daily, besides broadcasting in Malayalam, Beary (mother tongue of local Muslims), and Hindi languages on weekly basis. In addition, Community Radio SARANG 107.8 MHz also broadcasts in Punjabi, on the request of the local Sikh community. On 15 June 2010, Community Radio SARANG 107.8 FM started broadcasting 14 hours non-stop, from 6.30 to 20.30 hours, which is reduced now for 16 hours per day from 6 am till 10 pm. In July 2011), Community Radio SARANG 107.8FM became the only community radio in India broadcasting 24 hours a day!.
On 15 August 2010 (India’s Independence Day) Community Radio SARANG 107.8 MHz created a new record by broadcasting live for 14-continuous hours, a record repeated on 14 August 2012, this time including on-the-spot reporting using mobile telephony, from the field, reporting live hoisting of the National Flag, by village communities. Featured in Sarang 107.8 FM are- Three-times daily “Maadhyama Harate” (live media review program), with a special emphasis on job opportunities and special assistance available for rural communities in the public domain; Manassina Maathu (Whispers of the Heart) by an auto-driver who host this show in Tulu and Kannada. It is an open talk-show; Aadu Aata Aadu (Come, Let’s Play) – an entertaining show; Janadani (People’s Voice) – where local community spontaneously discusses its issues freely
Prathidwhani (Echo) – a weekly show with corporators and elected representatives of local bodies, during which people raise their concerns and public issues. One of the very effective talk shows, whose effects are already felt in the successful completion of public works like road repair; Olavina Haadu (A Song of Love) – musical show with community participating in song selection (light and folk music); Tulu Chaavadi (Tulu Corridor) – with a volunteer Thimmappa, and the show showcases the rich cultural heritage of Tulu language -an endangered language. Kelugara Dhwani (Voice of the Listeners) – Listener feed back through SMS, calls, emails, and letters. It is a weekly round up of listeners’ opinion on Radio SARANG 107.8FM.
Sarang Special – Weekly Show on People’s choice of best of SARANG programs and listener request; Nimmadu Haadu Nammadu (Your Request, Our Song; weekly)- People’s request on best of Radio SARANG’s local music; Kaanoonu Kacheri (Legal Cell) phone-in in collaboration with a local law college and advocate; Arogya Sparsha (health live phone-in with a medical centre); and Arogya SARANG (live phone with another medical centre). In addition, Radio SARANG broadcasts content in Havyaka language of Havyak Kannada – a minority variant of Kannada language, at the brink of extinction. In June 2012, it also started broadcasting a regular program on Koraga culture – a small backward community of Karnataka.
