A CASE STUDY OF MEHRAN UNIVERSITY RADIO AS COMMUNITY RADIO

DURING FLOOD 2022 IN SINDH, PAKISTAN

Mushtaq Muhammad Gopang

mc160202547,

M.Sc Mass Communication, Virtual University

1. Introduction

1.1 Global Perspective of Radio Broadcasting

The Radio is used throughout the world as a tool for social change in developed as
well as developing countries for some time now. Radio, with its unique quality of
access to everyone and everybody from young to old, poor to rich has developed a
lot. With the advent of Radio in 1920, communication and information were easily
sent over the far and wide areas. Before that the information and communication was
only confined to few cities with power of buying newspaper. Practically, Radio
worked as democratic medium of information and social communication by following
the motto of “For the People, By the People”.(Saleem, 2019).

In America, Radio is another name of competition and

commerceIn the United States, it is synonymous with competition
and commerce. Radio is operated under the umbrella of state in Europe and aswell as
in subcontinent. In Canada, thereisacombinationof botha strong
centralized government network at the nationallevelandcompetition
and commercializationat thelocal level.InLatin America, they have developed
a mix of all private, religious, academic, specialty and indigenous radio stations. Over
time, distribution patterns across the world have changed. Due to the invention of
digital media, radio has experienced a decline all over the world, but the importance
of radio remains constant in developing and being a voice for rural and
underdeveloped areas with the help of community radios (Tahir, 2002).

1.2. Radio Broadcasting in Pakistan

The state of Pakistan started to be present themselves in airwaves some 75 Years
ago,it was Radio Pakistan Lahore, one of the three radio stations that Pakistan
inherited after the division of the subcontinent along with Dhaka and Peshawar
Station. Today, PBC’s extensive national network of AM / SW / FM stations and
representatives spread across the country covers 98% of population and 80% of the
total area in Pakistan.Private ownership of radio was enabled with the promulgation
of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority Ordinance in 2002. At the
time, the size of the country's radio audience was estimated at 23 million, just
under half of the audience country's television (Jumani 2009).

In 1995, Frequency modulation (FM) radio made its debut in Pakistan, with its

introduction to airwaves of Pakistan it was overnight accepted in young as well as old.
It was only restricted to Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore for the first seven years,
which were private and granted to a single company. Later, in October 1998,
the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation also launched FM radio broadcasts under the
title FM101, initially for three cities only, Karachi, Lahore, and
Islamabad. Today, there are eight FM 101 stations (Saleem, 2019).

Radio, previously considered to be a neglected medium, has largely regained its 

listeners. Its all due to the interest of large business companies investing in this
sector. Most of these channels operate in major cities and a high concentration are
found in metropolises such as Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad (Tahir, 2002).

1.3. Importance of Community Radio

Community radio channels were initiated out of local people of groups or even
individuals. Community radio’s most distinctive feature id to highly encourage the
participation of community people at all levels of programming, decision
making.Audience of these radio stations are engaged and used as Radio Jockeys,
Producers, Presenters, Financers, Marketeers. The popularity of this type of radio is
due to the fact that it is intended to work for marginalized people of society and those
who seek change but are far from traditional media.  (Birowo, 2010).

The community radios sole purpose is to priortize the community in general by

facilitating the discussion within the community so that issues they are facing can
come forward. Communication gap should reduce between the mass media and
people of that community. Main purpose of these radio station is to give voice to the
voiceless around the world. On the other hand, commercial radio misses those
opportunities and make little use of community penetration. (Berman, 2008).
Community radio broadcasting has emerged in Asia and plays an important role in the
development of small communities. With illiteracy, unemployment, ignorance and
many social and ethnic problems prevalent, it will take time to use radio as a vehicle
for social change. (Tahir, 2002). The importance of community radio is evidenced
by developing countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, India and Bangladesh which
have used this medium to give a voice to marginalized communities living in rural
areas with fewer opportunities and resources. The purpose of these
radio broadcasts was to ensure that people from marginalized communities had access
to indigenous and modern knowledge in their native languages. Community radio was
born from the realization of the radio's contribution to the socio-
economic development of the
communities that settled outside the large urban centers. In relation to this, All India
Radio has realized that the community radio sector plays a complementary role
in providing last mile access to remote, rural, and marginalized
communities (Nirmala, 2015).

An example of modern educational radio in Asia is a community radio station in rural

Kothmale, Sri Lanka. The station was established in 1989 by the Sri Lanka
Broadcasting Corporation to provide communication services to 3,000 families
displaced by the construction of a dam. With sponsorship from UNESCO, the
University of Colombo and others, the radio station project was expanded in 1998 to
include an Internet component. Three internet points were established so that radio
could act as a bridge between the World Wide Web and the rural community in
central Sri Lanka. Regular radio programs broadcast information found on the
Internet that is of interest to the local population. Additionally, listeners call
with questions and station employees search the web for answers. The radio station
now has its own website in three languages due to its staff's expertise in using the
Internet (Harvey-Carter, 2009).

Moreover, in Pakistan educational radio stations being governed by educational

institutes are working as community radio as well. Although, the two forms of radio
arequite distinct in nature and serve needs, educational radio providing basic or
advanced education and community radio enabling informal learning and social
transformation. Community radio typically draws on local cultures and is of a
 participatory nature, whereas educational radio generally has a national/ institutional
character. Ultimately, both aim to improve the quality of life.

2. Literature Review

The usefulness of radio as a means of transmitting information in support of

development, particularly rural development, is well established around the
world. Radio can be used to support the activities of development workers. There
are many ways to use communication media technology to advance education. In
several countries, educational radio and television programs are used to supplement
formal classroom instruction. (Jumani, 2009).

At the time of the establishment of Pakistan, Radio Pakistan was the main and only
electronic media available in the country. Radio was and still is an extraordinarily
persuasive and highly effective means of communication in the country. Radio is the
most powerful and useful information and education tool due to
its excellent reach compared to other electronic media (Tahir, 2002).

Radio can reach far places and radio can carry

messages and voices without discrimination between public, young or
old, literate, or illiterate, male, or female etc. the radio medium in
Pakistan (Chaudhary, 2020).

Community radio is now a global phenomenon. All over the

world, people have found a community radio that allows them to take control of a
communication tool accessible to as many people as possible. Ordinary people
around the world are making radio a collective enterprise for development.
Community radio is no longer a dream, the means of
communication between members of marginalized communities in remote
areas, far from major urban centers (Kanayama, 2021).
From the time of a disaster through the time of recovery and recovery, community
FM broadcasts can be an important source of information at the time of the disaster
and for recovery efforts in the affected region. During the Japan
earthquake, community radio played an important role in disseminating disaster
information and in the long-term recovery and resilience of communities. Emergency
FM (hereafter referred to as "EFM") broadcasts in disaster-affected areas became the
space for community members to gather and exchange information (Ouchi, 2018).

In the age of information technology, radio remains a very useful and

effective means of communication. Due to its portability and ease of access, its
uniqueness should never be confused with other means of communication. Radio
is such a simple medium that it can even be removed while driving, studying or in
bed. In this era of revolution, the FM medium has gained tremendous popularity
and impact as it acts as a community radio, broadcasting programs in local and
regional languages, attracting the large population of the local community (Noreen,
2021).

Radio is a primary and vibrant medium in rural areas, especially where cable

and television broadcasting is not easily accessible. Radio is popular among people of
all ages, genders, and especially the youth. Radio has increased the social and cultural
awareness of the masses, especially the youth, as most of the radio listeners are young
people (Chaudhary, 2019).

FM radio not only entertains but also educates its listeners and is a medium that helps

solve various social and cultural issues. FM radio has also been used illegally as a
propaganda tool by extremists and militants to mobilize people in favor
of their plans. A large number of illegal radio stations were blocked/suspended by the
military during the operation in the insurgent areas. FM radio is a practical way to
promote cultural values and issues. It affects listeners whether they live in urban or
rural settings. The FM radio broadcasts programs on the cultural heritage of the
region, which are heard by the inhabitants of other regions/regions. People in remote
areas may remain ignorant of the cultural tribulations of other areas if FM radio
waves cannot reach them. (Obiymi, 2022).
Chowhan (2020) argues that radio is a cheaper mode of
communication that provides useful information to the public, especially farmers. In
addition, farmers benefit from the radio broadcast specially intended for them. Radio
programs respond to our cultural and social values that affect listeners.

Rahman-ullah (2018) describes that FM radios are

broadcasting education, information and entertainment to cater to the listeners
needs and requirements of Peshawar city. Members of the public listen to FM radio to
get the latest information. He further added that FM radio is seen as a viable and more
convenient community media, as it can discuss national and community issues
and promote regional and local voices. The non-sensationalism attitude makes FM
radios more reliable and trustworthy among the public than other electronic media in
the country, for example, cable, television, etc.

Radio is one of the oldest means of communication in the world. In Pakistan, it has

the same status. In the modern world of technology, you would think the radio has
lost its place. But this is not true. The facts are different.
In Pakistan, radio remains the best means of communication in rural and urban areas.
There are facts about radio which are a reality in the modern world of progress in
Pakistan. Evidence shows that majority of our rural areas still depend on this type of
communication for obtaining information and news and other social media for
recreation (Rehman, 2021).

The radio has the largest number of listeners in Sindh 60%. So, Sindh tops this

list. Follow respectively Baluchistan 53%, the KPK 52%and then the Punjab 19%.
It shows that there are still so many radio listeners in today's innovation world. The
reasons are easy to access, simple installation and most importantly, cost-effective
modes of communication (Salik, 2021).

Pakistani farmers have benefited greatly from government radio information to

protect their crops. That's why radio in Pakistan is still very important because you
take these facts into account. It cannot be replaced by modern technology (Zahid,
2021).
It has its own pace and recognition that television doesn't have. Over the past 10
years, the Government of Pakistan has initiated several programs with the
collaboration of Radio Pakistan to educate the rural population of Punjab
and make them aware of farming methods and pesticides.
It has brought them fruitful results. For this reason, the government
has launched distance education programs, both on radio and on television. It not
only provided rural people with an education but also brought social change to their
lives. They are very strict about their social norms, their culture and
especially their religion (Shehzad, 2019).

Birowo (2009) highlighted the role of community radio during natural disasters in

Indonesia. He added that community radio can serve as a medium to raise awareness
about disaster risk management. A consequence of the close relationship between
media such as community radio and the community is that those involved understand
the issues of the community. Therefore, community radio is used by people on the
ground when dealing with natural disaster management. Community radios have
proven that they can provide specific information to specific communities, especially
in areas affected by natural disasters. Later, these radio stations evolved as media
for restoration and construction. In some areas, community radio stations support
community disaster preparedness by bringing timely and early warning information to
people.

The floods in Pakistan have left a devastating toll: nearly 1,700 people have died,
more than two million homes have been destroyed and more than 20 million people
are in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the UN. In addition, much of the
vital infrastructure, such as roads, sanitation and health facilities, has been destroyed,
particularly in Sindh province. Drinking water has been contaminated. People are
witnessing the next humanitarian catastrophe. People are drinking contaminated water
and getting diarrheal diseases. Mosquitoes are nesting in the water residue and more
and more people are getting infected with malaria and dengue fever.

As of 30 September, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has

recorded nearly 1,700 deaths and more than 12,800 injuries since mid-June. The
highest death rates were recorded in Sindh (747), Balochistan (325) and Khyber
 Pakhtunkhwa (307). More than 2 million houses have been damaged or destroyed and
around 7.9 million people are reportedly displaced, including some 598,000 people
living in relief camps, according to reports by the Provincial Disaster Management
Authorities (PDMA) of the affected provinces. Estimates indicate that more than
7,000 schools are currently being used to host displaced populations, while an
estimated 25,100 schools have been damaged.

In addition to that this study will examines the role of educational radio working as
community radio in Sindh. For the purpose of study Mehran University’s radio station
will be selected. The study will focus on following research objectives and research
questions.

3. Research Objectives
The objectives of the study are:

1. To study why radio is still the best mode of communication in rural areas.
2. To know the background of Mehran University Radio station.
3. To investigate the educational role of Mehran University Radio.
4. To explore how MUET Radio served as community radio in flood affected areas
of Sindh.

4. Research Questions

These main questions are my focus in examining the role of community radio as
media communication of people at grassroots level in facing flood disaster. This study
will contribute to new knowledge about the educational radio serving as community
development, specifically during natural disasters.

1. Why Radio is still the best mode of communication in rural areas of Pakistan?
2. What is the purpose of creation and background of MUET Radio station?
3. What is the educational role of MUET Radio station?
4. How MUET Radio served as community radio in flood affected areas of Sindh?

5. Research Design
The focus of the study id to examine the role of educational Radio of Mehran
University as community radio during flood in Sindh, Pakistan 2022. A case study
will be conducted to document the importance and role of MUET Radio station
during recent flood disaster in Sindh, Pakistan 2022.

4.1. Time Duration

For the purpose of the study MUET Radio transmission from August 2022 (date when
rain started in Sindh) October 31st, 2022, will be analysed. All the transmission related
to flood including talk shows, discussion programs, news, public service message,
flood relief announcements and telethon will be analysed.

5.2. Research Methodology

The study will be qualitative in nature. In which radio transmission of MUET from
August till October 31st, 2022, will be analysed. A case study will be presented which
will be a detailed document of role of MUET Radio station as community radio
during flood disaster in Sindh, Pakistan.
6. References

1. Berman, S. D. (2008). 62. The return of educational radio?. International Review of

Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 9(2), 1-8.
2. Birowo, M. A. (2010). The use of community radio in managing natural disaster in
Indonesia. Bulletin of the American Society for Information Science and
Technology, 36(5), 18-21.
3. Saleem, A., Rizvi, W. R., & Saleem, M. (2019). Role of Radio Pakistan in advancing
socio-economic development in rural areas. Saleem, A., Rizvi, WRR, & Saleem, M.
(2019, Spring). Role of Radio Pakistan in advancing socio-economic development in
rural areas. Global Regional Review (GRR), IV (II), 359-63.
4. Chaudhary, M. U., &Paracha, S. A. Social & Cultural Impact of FM Radio in
Pakistan.
5. Jumani, N. B. (2009). Study on role of radio for rural education in Pakistan. Turkish
online journal of Distance Education, 10(4), 176-187.
6. Tahir, S. N. (2002). Community radio a tool of social change: Still a far cry in
Pakistan. University of Punjab, 19.
7. KANAYAMA, T., & OGAWA, A. (2020). Collective Memories of Disaster through
Community Radio A Case Study of the Great East Japan Earthquake. Journal of
Information and Communication Research, 38(2), 67-80.
8. Nirmala, Y. (2015). The role of community radio in empowering women in
India. Media Asia, 42(1-2), 41-46.
9. Harvey-Carter, L. (2009). Kothmale community radio interorg project: true
community radio or feel-good propaganda?. International Review of Research in
Open and Distributed Learning, 10(1).
10. Chaudhary, M. U., Ghani, A., Saeed, R., Khan, M. K., & Tanveer, A. (2020).
Effectiveness of campus FM radios in promotion of education and awareness in
Pakistan. Ilkogretim Online, 19(3), 3981-3989.
11. Kanayama, T. (2021). Community Radio Broadcasting. In Perspectives on the
Japanese Media and Content Policies (pp. 95-111). Springer, Singapore.
12. Hatsukade, B., Kohno, K., Yamaguchi, Y., Umehata, H., Ao, Y., Aretxaga, I., ... &
Yun, M. S. (2018). ALMA twenty-six arcmin2 survey of GOODS-S at one millimeter
(ASAGAO): Source catalog and number counts. Publications of the Astronomical
Society of Japan, 70(6), 105.
13. Noreen, M., Rawan, B., &Azeema, N. (2021). Assessing Role of Campus Radio in
Pakistan: A Study of Rawalpindi/Islamabad Universities. Elementary Education
Online, 20(5), 6921-6921.
14. Obiyemi, O., Thakur, S., &Adetiba, E. (2022). Radio as a Complementary Tool for
enhancing Equitable Education for all: A Case Study of the UNIOSUN FM. Adeleke
University Journal of Engineering and Technology, 5(1), 08-15.
15. Chowhan, S., & Ghosh, S. R. (2020). Role of ICT on agriculture and its future scope
in Bangladesh. Journal of Scientific Research and Reports, 26(5), 20-35.
16. Mudanya, J. (2020). SUSTAINABILITY OF FM RADIO STATIONS IN A
COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT AMONG SELECTED FM RADIO STATIONS IN
BUNGOMA COUNTY, KENYA (Doctoral dissertation, MMUST).
17. Ullah, R. (2018). ROLE OF FM RADIOS IN NEWS AND INFORMATION: A
STUDY OF FM RADIOS IN PESHAWAR, KHYBER
PAKHTUNKHWA. International Journal of Communication Research, 8(2).
18. Rahman, S. I., Sial, N., & Moazzam, S. (2021). Role of frequency modulation radio in
disaster communication: A case study of Pakistan earthquake. Jàmbá: Journal of
Disaster Risk Studies, 13(1).
19. Salik, M. H., Tanwir, F., Saboor, A., Akram, M. B., Anjum, F., Mehdi, M., ... &
Asghar, K. (2021). ROLE OF RADIO COMMUNICATION AND ADOPTION OF
MODERN AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY: A STUDY OF FARMERS IN
DISTRICT JHANG, PUNJAB-PAKISTAN. Pakistan Journal of Agricultural
Sciences, 58(2).
20. Zahid, A., Qinghe, Z., &Sohail, A. (2021). Effectiveness of the Campus FM Radios
for the Promotion of Formal Education and Awareness among Pakistani
Youths. European Online Journal of Natural and Social Sciences, 10(3), pp-356.
21. Shehzad, H., Raza, M. R., & Zahra, S. (2019). Licensed to Learn: A Case of TV and
Radio Channels in Pakistani Universities. International Journal of Distance
Education and E-Learning, 5(1), 57-67.