Community radio is a radio service offering a third model of radio broadcasting in addition to commercial and public broadcasting. Community stations serve geographic communities and communities of interest. They broadcast content that is popular and relevant to a local, specific audience but is often overlooked by commercial or mass-media broadcasters. India is a country which has 18 officially-recognized languages and a total of 1652 mother tongues in a country nearly a billion strong and spread over an area of 3.2 million square kilometres. Given its diversity and expanse, one could well understand the problems that tribal, under-privileged, or minority cultures face in getting their voices heard. For decades, India's radio stations have been centralized, unable to cater to the regional diversity of India, and lacking editorial independence. Community radio is a powerful tool for the poor, not-for-profit companies meant to serve society. It holds the key that will unite India's linguistic and ethnic diversity and improve the economic disparity and the huge rural-urban divide. Imagine having your own radio station where you can walk in any time to ask for your favourite music, share some important local event or chat with your neighbour who's now become a celebrity. India has only developed its urban commercial broadcast facilities while ignoring its public service, community, educational, and developmental broadcast networks. Recent government studies suggest that radio in India could potentially reach up to 98.5% of the population. If India implements the community radio model, then it is bound to improve the economic and social well-being of the country's rural inhabitants, as well as improve the communication between these communities.
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