Ravenshaw radio is back

The Ravenshaw radio re-launched on the foundation day. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, Nov. 15: Ravenshaw University authorities laid the foundation stone for a girls’ hostel on the campus and re-launched the community radio service on the occasion of its seventh foundation day today.

The new hostel named Mahanadi will be built for Rs 13 crore with fund from the ST/SC development department.

“The problem of accommodation for girl students will be solved once the Mahanadi hostel is built. The construction work for another 300-bed girls’ hostel is almost complete and will be inaugurated shortly,” said an official.

The foundation day celebrations also saw the re-launch of Ravenshaw Radio, billed as the first campus community radio of the state.

The radio service resumed operation after a hiatus of almost two years with the varsity securing mandatory wireless operating licence from the communication and information technology ministry.

Ravenshaw Radio 90.4 MHz was launched on April 14, 2011, after obtaining permission from the Union ministry of information and broadcasting. However, it had to stop the operation in November that year on learning that it was illegal to operate a radio service without a valid licence.

“Not only Ravenshaw, a lot of other campus community radio services had suffered due to the delay on part of the ministry in providing the licence. However, we have now received the licence after completion of various paper work and depositing nearly Rs 2 lakh towards licence formalities,” said chairman of Ravenshaw Radio Netaji Abhinandan.

The varsity will now have to spend around Rs 19,700 annually for renewal of its wireless operating licence for its campus community radio service.

Abhinandan said the radio would broadcast a two-hour programme based on various topics for listeners on a daily basis. A detailed programme schedule would be worked out after discussions with the varsity authorities.

Varsity sources said efforts would be taken for installation of another transmitter to maximise the reach of Ravenshaw radio, which was earlier limited to eight to 10km radius from the campus.

Various musical events, community initiatives, interactive session and phone in programmes were also being broadcasted.

Vice-chancellor B.C. Tripathy said an art exhibition by students and faculty members was also organised today.