Community Radio in Nepal is a medium that transcends literacy, load shedding, poverty, even geography. It provides information, news, and entertainment to the public, but above all else, radio is effective media in Nepal because it is truly provide a space as well as it became a public voice medium after the succeeded of 2062/63 democratic movement.

1. Community Radio Harmi 105.4 mhz
Type : FM broadcasting
Country : Nepal
Broadcast area : Gorkha, Lamjung, Tanahun
Owned By : Harmi Community
Key People : Janardan Dhakal (Chairman)
Launch Date : July 2011
Station Location : Harmi –9, Gorkha
Official Website : Not available
Broadcast Schedule : (Morning 05:00 AM -10:00 AM)
: (Evening 05:00 PM - 10:00 PM)
Local’s voice - Community Radio Harmi (105.4MHZ)
Community Radio in Nepal is a medium that transcends literacy, load shedding,
poverty, even geography. It provides information, news, and entertainment to the
public, but above all else, radio is effective media in Nepal because it is truly provide
a space as well as it became a public voice medium after the succeeded of 2062/63
democratic movement. Among the 700 FM Radio studios in Nepal Community
Radio Harmi 105.4 mhz became a friend of voiceless people based on remote area
of Gorkha district. Since 2011, it had been established with more than 15 special
local based programs. It focus on informative program to provide information &
also contribute to human empowerment of the rural area.
Literature Function in the premises
of Community Radio Harmi 105.4
MHZ On 2072-07-08

2. According to the Radio Chairperson Mr. Janardan Dhakal, “thousands of Listeners
tune the radio in the evening time and the people always eager to listen what the
new things come today from the radio”. Dhakal also says “our announcers are
always ready to provide new agricultural ideas with sound of local ascent, so all the
villagers are satisfied with the effective information tools & they can easily
understand what is the message & how it listing. Sometimes, listeners are came to
studio and interact with the programmers & they suggest what they want in
programs”.
Again, Dhakal claim the main motto of station is to change society from the
tradition to modern community. The station is run by more than 20 dedicated
volunteers and a small team of professional staff with 500 weekly listeners around
Harmi VDC Gorkha. Radio Harmi, depends on its loyal community to support the
station’s activities through financial memberships and donations as well as
sponsorship.
Like that, Radio Station in-charge Mr. Bikash Dhakal also added that Radio Harmi
has 20 regular programs that go to air. Each program is programmed and
presented by a locals, related to livelihood & agriculture. Broadcaster who is
passionate about their particular type or place area of agriculture, and those
broadcasters have full independence over the program content.
Radio Harmi presents live interview of the local elders with the slogan of “past
events” twice in a week, In-charge Bikash said this types of program would be
helpful to know the past experience for the future. We also make space to conduct
interviews with farmers & other professionals like electrician, wood carpenter as
well. Typically about 5-7 local professionals find themselves at stations during any
given week. Being involved in a project that rewards a grass-roots local’s for their
creativity is a really good fit for this area around the radio station in-charge Dhakal
added.
The beauty of station is that it covers almost every aspect of local’s choices. A
regular listeners Mr Rudra Prasad Dhakal said that – “he station absolutely provide
the information about our daily life”. “We also enjoyed & entertain with the
programs & program presenters. All they are like our child & we can easily trust
their message as well as easy to implement in our daily work.” Community radio is

3. a vital forum for discussion and information. Since its inception, community radio
programming has tackled hot topics such as violence against women. “I have
learned a lot from the radio,” says Laxmi Nepali, a listener of the Radio. “Before my
husband would come home, having wasted his wages on alcohol, he would beat
me. From the radio, I learned that his treatment of me was violence. From the
radio, I learned of my condition and that I had the right not to be treated this way.
Community run radios represent the development process of the nation’s because
they provide equal access, opportunity and education for all audiences. With Nepali
society in a state of instability community-run FM radios play a vital role as both
models for their communities and mediators of change. Many of these stations
provide access and opportunities for people to be knowledge producers and
disseminators, giving them freedoms that they have never experienced before
Chairman Dhakal added.
MR Amrit Dhakal
Roll No : 21
MA First Semester
Journalism & Mass Communication
Ratna Rajya Laxmi Campus
Exhibition Road, Kathmandu, Nepal