MUMBAI: Kerala based Mar Athanasios College for Advanced Studies signed their GOPA (Grant of Permission Agreement) with Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on 16th June for setting up a community radio.

Letter of Intent had been issued to the Institute after recommendations of Inter Ministerial Committee and seeking requisite clearances from various Ministries. The college representatives signed their GOPA last week in Delhi and this agreement allows the institute to purchase a transmitter. The college has submitted relevant documents to obtain the WOL (Wireless Operating License).

To be set up in Tiruvalla, Kerala, MACFAST will broadcast agricultural, educational, consumer oriented, agricultural, micro-finance, women empowerment programmes.

Elaborates MACFAST director P K Abraham, We would develop educational and community oriented programming which would be non political and non-religious. The programmes would be mainly designed by the students within the campus, people from the community and women self-help groups in the adjoining areas....

The college would start broadcasting within three months and the content might be produced at the already existing fully functional studio in Tiruvalla. Tentatively called the �Tiruvalla Radio', this radio would be broadcasted from Tiruvalla and the reach would cover 15-20 kms which would cover the adjoining villages in this taluka. The language of broadcast would be 90 per cent in the local language Malayalam and 10 per cent in English.

The Tiruvalla College has several innovative programs, such as CAP (Community awareness program), SALT (Social Awareness and Leadership Training) programs which are aimed at sensitizing the student community about the needs and requirements of the society. The college also has an active forum called MSS (Macfast Service Scheme) which has conducted several programs like, clean and green campus drive, campaign to eradicate breeding areas of mosquitoes to prevent contagious disease like chikengunias and disseminating information regarding importance of water harvesting etc.

The Community Radio Station is expected to be operational within three months as per the agreement. With this, the number of CRS will increase to 46 in the country, according to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.