Bhubaneswar, July 4: Ravenshaw Radio, billed as the state’s first campus community radio station, faces the threat of being closed down.

Alleged official apathy, falling studio props and prohibitive cost of licence renewal seem to have conspired to make it unviable.

“The indifference of the authorities has led to this situation. One of us has been entrusted with the responsibility of supervising the campus radio. To add to our woes, the annual wireless licence fee has skyrocketed from Rs 19,700 to Rs 91,000. We fear the university might not be able to afford it,” said a student, on the condition of anonymity.

The studio is in a sorry state with termites having ravaged the wooden floors, acoustic walls and other furniture. While the transmitter has been carelessly abandoned inside the washroom, the air-conditioning units are lying defunct.

Those associated with running of the radio station admitted that though the radio programmes were being recorded, they were not being transmitted as the licence renewal is pending. “The recording has no value when no one listens to it,” said a student.

Students said earlier, when the programmes went on air, the university used to receive several complaints of poor and noisy transmission.

“Many complained of the low coverage zone, which was hardly a couple of kilometres. But none paid any heed to the feedback of the listeners,” said one of them.

Last year, a singing talent hunt event called Voice of Ravenshaw was organised but students rue that the university authorities never cared to felicitate them.

“We were supposed to be awarded certificates as approved artistes of Ravenshaw Radio sometime this year. Our song recordings were to be played throughout the year in the Music Room programme everyday. But nothing has been done,” said a student.

Some others said while institutions such as Anna University, Chennai, offered Rs 200 to the student radio-jockeys for each programme, Ravenshaw does not have any fund allocation for its radio station.

“Initially, Rs 30 lakh was spent on setting up Ravenshaw Radio, but it seems to be going down the drain. Besides us, the local listeners requested time and again to provide necessary support in terms of infrastructure and funds for promotion of the radio station but the authorities looked the other way,” said another student.

Official sources said as per rules, university funds could not be diverted to run the radio and manpower crunch was a problem.

“Many universities with campus radio stations have also roped in media professionals and have adequate staff to look after it but the state of affairs at Ravenshaw is sad. We have paid Rs 1.94 lakh as establishment fee and licence renewal to the information and broadcasting ministry. Hopefully, things will be sorted out within a fortnight,” said the official.