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Thursday, October 29, 2009

A closer look at Radio Nepal

5005.03, Radio Nepal, Khumaltar (tentative) 0040-0050 UTC, Oct 24, faint vernacular talk, weak modulation, SINPO 15111. (Petersen)

It is already proven that the radio broadcasting is only one effective mass media, which reaches to people instantly. Because of such difficult terrain of Nepal, satellite radio broadcasting is only the means of media to educate, aware and entertains the People.
Today we are in the verge of a revolution in radio broadcasting since digital radio broadcasting is just around the corner. This new digital broadcasting service will ultimately replace the current AM and FM radio services that have filled the airwaves since the 1920’s for AM and the 60’s for FM. But this will not replace in short time, a lot of work has to take place in terms of technology development. Thus this satellite communication is to establish multi-channel radio broadcast network for terrestrial broadcast the means of Studio to transmitter link now later on it has aimed to establish direct satellite broadcast.
The regional station as well as the fill in station of Radio Nepal spread throughout the country are required to relay corresponding programs and news services which originated at the central studio i.e. Kathmandu.Thus to establish studio to transmitter link using satellite communication without any degradation of signal quality. This information includes the over view of system requirement for multi-channel digital radio broadcasting for Radio Nepal to rebroadcast by the relay station in their belonging regional language from the central studio i.e. Singhadarbar. As well as this is very much easy way to reduce the number of staff in the regional station as well as the effective means of media since aired in their own local language.

A brief History and Current Infrastructure of Radio Broadcast in Radio Nepal
The history of Radio Broadcast with the establishment of Radio Nepal on 1st April 1951 with 250Watt transmitter. Initially transmission was about 4.5 hours per day. Over the 43 years transmission Radio Nepal has strength its capacity technically as well as diversified itself in terms of programmed format. It is proved that radio broadcasting is the cheapest and quickest means of mass communication in Nepal and also has proved to be a very effective medium in disseminating information, educating and entertaining the people.
Radio Nepal air’s programs on AM - Short Wave and Medium Wave as well as on FM fill in stations where its signal is low. Radio Nepal transmits 18 hours everyday, which includes 2.15 hours of regional broadcasts 09.45 to 11.00 o’clock in the morning and 16:00 to 18:00 o’clock in the evening. Radio Nepal broadcast news and other awareness oriented programs in 20 different languages.

Radio Nepal transmits on MW frequency from each regional station (648 kHz (ER), 792 and 1143 kHz (MR), 684 kHz (WR), 576 kHz (MWR), 810 kHz (FWR)) and on SW (5005 kHz) from Lalitpur to cover whole nation and neighboring country…

Current coverage area of Radio Nepal is about 85% of total population and 70% of land approximately.

Regional Radio Stations:
No. Location Freq.(kHz) Mode Power Main/Standby On Airtime Region

1 Lalitpur* 5005/3232 SW 100 kW/100 kW 18 hr. Central * SW for National coverage
2 Kathmandu 792 MW 100 kW/10 kW 18 hr. Central
3 Kathmandu 100 MHz FM 1 kW/300 W 18 hr. Central
4 Dharan 648 MW 100 kW/10 kW 18 hr. Eastern
5 Bardibas 1143 MW 10 kW 18 hr. Eastern
6 Pokhara 684 MW 100 kW/10 kW 18 hr. Western
7 Surhket 576 MW 100 kW/10 kW 18 hr. Mid Western
8 Dipayal 810 MW 100 kW/10 kW 18 hr. Far Western…

After the restoration of democracy on 1990, government policy has opened the license for low power FM community as well as commercial transmission. And currently it is about more than 200 FM stations…

Radio Nepal has to broadcast via satellite six different programs, five for regional stations and one for national broadcasting station. The regional stations as well as corresponding fill in stations receive their corresponding programs and rebroadcast it.

All the regional broadcasting stations as well as their satellite FM fill in stations receives their corresponding programs from the central Studio Singhadarbar, Katmandu. (Excerpts from an article written by Krishna Chandra Paudel, Deputy Director, Regional Broadcasting Centre, Pokhara published in "Jhankar" Bi-annual newsletter of Radio Nepal, via Gupta, Oct 14)
(DSWCI/DX Window 388 via Anker Petersen)