Radio Macfast-90.4, State’s first campus-based community radio service (CRS), is celebrating its decennial anniversary.
It was launched on Kerala Formation Day on November 1, 2009 by the Mar Athanasios College for Advanced Studies in Thiruvalla.
Credit goes to Metropolitan Archbishop of Thiruvalla Thomas Mar Koorilos and its founder principal-cum-director Fr. Abraham Mulamoottil.
The FM radio station covers an aerial distance of 20 km. The CRS focusses on news updates on socially relevant issues, women empowerment, healthcare, agriculture, education, environment and rural development, imparting value education among children and youth. It also airs entertainment programmes.
College Principal Fr. Cherian J. Kottayil and radio station manager Fr. Thomaskutty Pathinettil said the CRS pursued a low cost and low return pattern of operation, educating and entertaining the rural community in and around Thiruvalla, using their own idioms and language.
Fr. Kottayil said Radio Macfast had gone a long way in strengthening democratic institutions and practice, giving the common people access to information.
Station director Ramesh Mathew, highlighting the relevance of the CRS, said the mainstream media were unable to cater to the true information needs of the community as they were market-driven.
Radio Macfast, under its founder-station director V.George Mathew, has carved a niche for itself in terms of localisation of content, participation and involvement of the community, narrowing down the differences between the broadcaster and the audience.
True to its punchline ‘Naattukarku koottayi’, Radio Macfast has become a partner friend of the local populace in their endeavours over the past 10 years.
