Voice of The Voiceless People: Policy Practice for The Sustainability of Community Radio in Bangladesh

Abstract

This is a qualitative and quantitative research on community radio stations in Bangladesh for their sustainability and identify the policy option for their operation. There are seventeen community radio is broadcasting the programs under the different NGO’s. Among the seventeen radio stations, this research intends to explore the empirical study from the selected eight radio station. This study is conducting on the facts and figures of community radio stations. It can find out the best policy option for their survival and also emphasis on financial health for its sustainability. It also evaluates the governance and policy in Bangladesh. The paper draws qualitative analysis from the theories of policy development like; stakeholder analysis, PESTLE, SWOT analysis, Multicriteria analysis. This study completed to focus on literature review and conducted interviews. Sometimes institutional data and records were used. Basically, it views sustainability issues which can emphasis on financial resources. How can CRS run smoothly and able to gain better opportunity for its sustainability. In this study, community radio gets a pictorial view to enhance their sustainability and meet up financial scarcity from different sources. Finally, the conclusion line can be drawn from the real data and figures of the eight community radio stations and it should be based on the financial sustainability which can based on their social, organizational and financial strength and weakness. Nevertheless, it should be focus on innovative idea and income generation activities like advertising can play vital role to minimize the existing challenges but there should have sound policy practice. In this case, sound organizational and management policy of community radio is vital for their operations at the grass-root levels. Absence of those, community radio faces challenges and could not operate soundly in the future. In the long run, all community radio station faces huge financial crisis. Consequently, poor performance of community radio and lack of people’s involvement in the radio station could not achieve the goals. The study intends to identify real facts and rationale of identifying the problem as a policy concern and also focus on policy gaps. On the other hand, the paper has analyzed the context of the policy and problem analysis with problem tree in considered different context of the problem. The research also presented the analysis of the problem and policy tools and instrument based on primary and secondary data. Finally, the study analyzing from the primary and secondary data and the questionnaire, it suggested specific policy opinion considering the causes and effects of the problem.