Alfaz-e-Mewat FM 107.8

About Alfaz-e-Mewat FM 107.8

The story of Alfaz-e-Mewat FM 107.8

Alfaz-e-Mewat community radio station at the foothills of Aravallis in Haryana and is housed in a community center in village Ghaghas, which holds village level trainings and field demonstrations. The station covers villages within 20 kms radius, originating from the broadcasting tower placed at 30 meters height from the ground. Within this footprint fall hundreds of villages, many of which have never had access to mainstream media.

S.M. Sehgal Foundation applied for the community radio license in August 2009. In May 2010 we received the Letter of Intent (LOI) from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoIB). Later Alfaz-e-Mewat was allocated 107.8 MHz as its broadcast frequency.

An expression of interest was floated through which we received over fifty applications from the community including teachers, farmers, students and unemployed youth. Eventually 19 people completed the six month long training, with just one woman trainee. Getting women participation was a challenge at the field level but today we have a woman from the Meo community who has been trained to lead the community radio team.

"After a fairly lengthy process of application, screening, and paperwork, Alfaz-e-Mewat launched its test broadcast on January 10, 2012 setting the stage for our inroads into the formal phase of broadcasting. All through the test broadcast, there was a lot of participation from community members; they came forward to contribute in giving shape to their own communication medium. We have been approached by local talent to be associated with the station and be a part of the day to the day programming. Within a short span of 3 months, the station is broadcasting for 8.5 hours in a day," says Pooja O. Murada, Director Communications.

The community radio station, Alfaz-e-Mewat FM 107.8 has been supported under the Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA) scheme of the Ministry of Agriculture, GoI.

Since the needs of the communities are varied and diverse, Alfaz-e-Mewat offers a unique blend of programs on agriculture, water, soil health, local culture, school kids, governance and village based institutions. These needs have been identified through various baseline, needs assessment surveys and community mobilization. The signature programme of Alfaz-e-Mewat FM 107.8 is "Tohfa-e-Kudrat: Jal Jangal Zameen" (Water, Soil, Forests). The station has also partnered with Galli Galli Sim Sim and other radio stations.

Mailing Address:

Alfaz-e-Mewat, Ghaghas Village
Nagina Block
Mewat
Haryana
India
122108