RADIO NEPAL

Radio Nepal was established on 1st April 1951. Initially, the transmission covered duration of 4 hours and 30 minutes through a 250 Watt SW transmitter. Over the years, Radio Nepal has strengthened its institutional capacity considerably and diversified itself in terms of programme format, technical efficiency and coverage. Radio Nepal airs programmes on Short Wave, Medium Wave and FM frequencies. Regular broadcasts cover duration of 18 hours everyday which includes about 2 hours of regional broadcasts 09:45 hrs. to 11:00 hrs. in the morning and 18:00 hrs 18:30 hrs in the evening. FM Kathmandu, the first FM-Channel covering Kathmandu valley and adjoining areas was started in 1995 from its premises at Singh Durbar, Kathmandu.

PROGRAMMING

Regional Programme:
Regional programme for audience in different regions is transmitted from regional stations simultaneously from 09:45 hrs to 11:00 hrs and 18:00 hrs to 18:30 hrs every day.
National Programmes:
National programme is Broadcast for a duration of about 16 hours everyday (05:00-23:00 hrs.) excluding the regional programme transmission period. Special entertainment programme goes on air in the day time during 11:00-13:00.
Radio Nepal uses a wide range of formats including features, documentaries, docu-dramas, dramas, talk shows, interviews, music shows, live commentaries etc. Recognizing the citizen's right to be informed under a multi-party democracy, Radio Nepal attempts to provide informative, educational as well as entertainment programmes.
The major programme highlights include:
Educational:
Programmes on religion, literature, science and technology, agriculture, distance learning, women , health and sanitation, public health, children and youth.

Entertainment:
Music: Nepali songs, Hindi songs and Gazals and Western music.
Songs in the different national languages.
Radio dramas and comedy shows.

Information:
» News and Current Affairs.
» Phone-in for Parliamentarians.
» Radio Reports.
» Review of the press.
» Developmental Programmes.

RADIO NEPAL: FM – KATHMANDU

In consonance with the policy of forging ahead in tune with the changing broadcasting scenario, Radio Nepal launched the first FM Channel in Nepal on he 30th of Kartik 2052 B.S.(16th Nov.1995). The FM Channel airs programmes on 100 MHz on the FM band through a 1 KW stereo transmitter installed at Khumaltar, Lalitpur. A fairly well equipped studio with stereo facilities has been established at Singh Durbar. This studio along with the provision of a standby studio has made it possible to broadcast programmes live. Radio Nepal has a policy of leasing out its air time to private parties to broadcast programmes on its FM channel by permitting private operators to use their own staff. These programmes have proved to be very popular among the urban youth of Kathmandu.


NEWS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS

Radio Nepal broadcasts news bulletins in at regular intervals (hourly) from 06:00 hrs until the close of the transmission. News bulletins in English are broadcast at 08:00 hrs, 14:00 hrs and 20:00 hrs everyday.In additional to the news in Nepali and English, there are bulletins in other languages at various timings. They are Magar, Gurung, Tamang, Rai Bantawa, Limbu, Newari, Bhojpuri, Hindi, Urdu, Tharu East and Tharu West, Avadhi, Sherpa, Maithili, Sanskrit, Kham Magar and Doteli. Special news bulletins on SAARC related contents (SAARC News) and news for Children (Bal Samachar) have been broadcast as well. Radio Nepal attempts to provide prompt and accurate coverage of all national and international news including political, economic and social highlights in a balanced and objective manner. It attempts to safeguard the basic principle of public interest and the public's right to be informed as the prime public broadcaster of the country. The station has designated stringer reporters in more than 50 districts for coverage of news and information.


COMPUTERIZATION OF THE NEWS ROOM

In its effort to utilize the advances in modern technology and introduce useful changes in its broadcast environment, Radio Nepal has recently launched a project called "Newsroom Computerization Project". The overall concept of the project is to eventually make a paperless newsroom. A special broadcast software, NewsBoss, developed by Desktop technologies, Australia has been initially licensed to seven workstations linked-up within a local area networking system. With the support from UNESCO, Radio Nepal is proud to be among the few radio stations in Asia trying to turn the news system digital. The main features of the system are:
» Text Editing
» Audio Editing
» Auto recording
» Wire Service
» Prompter for the news delivery
» Archiving
It is a pilot project and is implemented in the central newsroom. Upon the satisfactory performance of this system, Radio Nepal has a plan to computerize its regional stations' newsrooms and interconnect them to the central grid.