The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Madurai News : TNAU-IGNOU tie-up for FM radio station

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 18, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Madurai

TNAU-IGNOU tie-up for FM radio station

By Shastry V. Mallady

MADURAI, FEB. 17. Farmers in Madurai district will soon reap a good harvest of knowledge in agriculture and farming techniques as the Tamil Nadu Agriculture University (TNAU), Coimbatore is entering into collaboration with the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) for setting up an FM radio station in Madurai.

With educational broadcasting being the sole purpose, it is seen as a `farm school on air.' The `Gyan Vani' FM Radio Station is expected to come up at the Agricultural College and Research Institute campus after a formal signing of MoU between IGNOU and TNAU in the next few weeks.

The TNAU has `in principle' agreed to the proposal of being a host institute for the educational broadcasting programmes of IGNOU and share the time slots on the proposed radio that would cover a radius of 70 km in the district.

Several interesting and educative programmes for the farmers have been suggested for incorporation in the agreement and the programme structure is now being discussed and negotiated.

The ACRI Dean, N. Kempu Chetty, told The Hindu on Tuesday that a preliminary meeting was held at Coimbatore early this month when the proposal was accepted in principle. Stating that the process for commissioning the radio was underway, he said that broadcasting of programmes would be done every day for a few hours. The TNAU had sought a professional producer for the farmers' programmes.

Interaction with agriculture scientists, success stories of farmers and their on-field experiences, lessons for wasteland development, details about seeds and crops will figure in the programmes. "It is a farm school on air with complete focus on the farmer," he said. Currently, the TNAU authorities are working out the details for the FM radio project.

The Deputy Director of IGNOU sub-regional centre, M. Shanmugam, said the two partners and also other institutions that want to avail the facility would share the time slots.

A steering committee is being formed to decide on the programmes to be broadcast. While there would be an eight-hour broadcast daily, the IGNOU is likely to take four hours. The Union Ministry for Human Resources Development will fund the FM radio project. The IGNOU would air its educational courses to distance education students.

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