A. PROJECT IDENTIFICATION 1. PROJECT TITLE DEVELOPMENT OF THIRD TIER OF BROADCASTING COMMUNITY RADIO IN BHUTAN 2. NUMBER IPDC/56 BHU/01

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1 BHUTAN A. PROJECT IDENTIFICATION 1. PROJECT TITLE DEVELOPMENT OF THIRD TIER OF BROADCASTING COMMUNITY RADIO IN BHUTAN 2. NUMBER IPDC/56 BHU/01 3. MEDIA DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS CATEGORY Category 2: Plurality and diversity of media, a level economic playing field and transparency of ownership 4. IPDC PRIORITY AREA Community media development 5. SCOPE National 6. TYPE OF ASSISTANCE REQUESTED Institutional capacity building and Training Support 7. TOTAL COST OF PROJECT US$ AMOUNT REQUESTED FROM US$ IPDC 9. BENEFICIARY BODY AMARC Asia Pacific Kathmandu, Nepal Phone: Fax: Mr Ashish Sen, President sen_ashish@yahoo.com 10. IMPLEMENTING OFFICE UNESCO New Delhi Office, India 11. PROJECT LOCATION Thimpu, Bhutan 12. PROJECT PREPARED BY AMARC Asian Chapter DECISION OF THE BUREAU: 126

2 B. PRESENTATION 1. PROJECT JUSTIFICATION: Media in Bhutan has undergone considerable growth after the establishment of democracy in Today, mass communication in Bhutan encompasses both traditional and New Media technologies, ranging from newspapers, radio and TV to mobile phones and the internet. According to a UNESCO-supported Media Development Assessment (MDA) conducted in Bhutan in 2010, there are vital elements missing in the media landscape which need to be addressed. These include policy and legal frameworks to support the growth of media; Right to Information laws to ensure transparency and good governance; Fiscal and infrastructural incentives to encourage the growth of media; and enabling spectrum and licensing policies for electronic media. The findings of the media assessment indicate that reach and scale have been critical bottlenecks for the media, resulting in media-clutter in urban areas within the country. For balanced growth of media in Bhutan, it is imperative that media should penetrate rural and remote areas, as well as marginalized and deprived communities to enable equal access to user-friendly and cost-effective communication means such as radio. Radio as a means of mass communication has the advantage of wide coverage, affordability, portability, the ability to operate on battery-power and with a low set-up cost. Radio provides easy access to information in remote and inaccessible regions. Unlike print or the internet, it does not require literacy or higher order technical skills to operate or to receive. The basic rationale of community radio is freedom of expression. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees freedom of opinion and expression and the freedom to receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. The Milan Declaration on Communication and Human Rights (1998) calls for international recognition of the community broadcasting sector as an essential public service and an important contributor to media pluralism and freedom of expression and information. According to the MDA (2010) Community media is a new idea in Bhutan and, to this end, the only community media is a radio that has been licensed to Sherubtse College. The Sherubtse campus radio is one of just half a dozen private FM radio stations in Bhutan. There are no separate laws and regulations for community radio in Bhutan. It is, therefore, important to recognize community radio as the third tier of broadcasting (along with public service and commercial radio), as a unique, not-for-profit sector in terms of licensing, but also in terms of the vital role it plays in democratization and equity, and to counterbalance the commercialization of media. This project aims to: Conduct feasibility studies for the establishment of community radio and pilot a few community radio stations; formulate policies and regulations for creating an enabling environment for community media based on the study; and encourage and collaborate with civil society organizations, including local communities, to promote community media. 2. DESCRIPTION OF THE TARGET GROUP: The target group is the staff of Bhutan InfoComm and Media Authority (BICMA) and the Division on Community Radios, Ministry of Information and Communication (MoIC). 3. DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVE: The goal is to build the professional capacities of the BIMCA and MoIC in tune with the best international and regional practices, in line with category 1 of the Media development Indicators so that they will contribute to an enabling environment of freedom of expression, pluralism and diversity of the media. 127

3 4. IMMEDIATE OBJECTIVE: To develop the knowledge and skills of BIMCA and MoIC with the best regulatory, managing administrative practices of according to the highest international standards to establish a Policy on Community Radio and first Community Radio pilot projects in the country. 5. PROJECT OUTPUTS: Feasibility study report on potential of community radio in Bhutan Three day National Consultation on community radio Draft Policy on community radio One pilot community radio project At least 100 trained volunteers in community radio 6. ACTIVITIES: Conduct a feasibility study on development of Community Radio in Bhutan with recommendations Hold a three-day national consultation on Community Radio in Thimpu with all stakeholders Preparation of a draft Policy on Community Radio Conduct a 3-day workshop on community radio to train volunteers 7. PROJECT INPUTS: Two consultants in Community Radio (CR) to conduct the feasibility study, organize the National Consultation and help draft the CR Policy Technical assistance to conduct training workshops for CR volunteers and set up 1 pilot CR station. Temporary office space in Bhutan, preferably in Thimphu. 8. WORK PLAN: ACTIVITIES / MONTH Conduct feasibility study Plan National Consultation on CR Conduct 3-day National Consultation Discussions with stakeholders to develop draft CR policy Identify locations & civil soc. orgs. to set up 5 CR pilot projects CR training workshops, seek licenses Identify equipment manufacturers. Install equipment within 6 month period Continue training of CR volunteers Pilot projects handed over to local organizations 9. INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK: The World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) is an international non-governmental organization serving the community radio movement, with a grassroots membership base and with more than 4000 members including community radios, Federations and community media stakeholders in more than

4 countries. Its goal is to support and contribute to the development of community and participatory radio along the principals of solidarity and international cooperation. Through service to its members, networking and project implementation, AMARC s main global impact since its creation in 1983, has been to accompany and support the establishment of a worldwide community radio sector that has contributed to democratize the media sector in a number of countries across the world. AMARC advocates for the right to communicate at the international, national, local and community levels and defends and promotes the interests of the community radio movement through solidarity, networking and cooperation. 10. SUSTAINABILITY: AMARC is uniquely placed to support development of community broadcasting. It is the only grassroots NGO to focus specifically on community radio for development. It brings together a global movement with an unrivalled body of experience and expertise in community broadcasting practice and in communication for development. The Asia Pacific Chapter of AMARC has developed a regional action plan aimed at the support and development of a community broadcasting sector in the region. Based on that appropriate activities have been planned and implemented taking place 11. FRAMEWORK OF MONITORING: The Asia Pacific Chapter of AMARC will coordinate the project and its implementation with UNESCO New Delhi Office, to whom AMARC will submit its reports. 12. EVALUATIONS CARRIED OUT: The Media Development Assessment report initiated and supported by UNESCO in 2010 in Bhutan, in partnership with the Ministry of Information and Communication (MoIC), as well as with other media stakeholders in the country, provided critical insight and understanding of the media landscape in Bhutan. It was intended to serve as an operational guideline framework for evidence-based intervention by all stakeholders to promote and develop the media. More specifically, the assessment looks at the areas of media development, delineating the issues and challenges that the media industry is facing in Bhutan. The MDIs, developed by UNESCO-IPDC, provide specially-adapted methodological tools to assess Bhutan s media development. 13. FRAMEWORK OF BENEFICIARY AGENCY S REPORTING: The beneficiary agency undertakes to report on project progress on a fourth month basis. At the end of the project, a comprehensive narrative and financial report will be submitted to the donor agency. D. BUDGET BREAKDOWN OF IPDC CONTRIBUTION (in US dollars) Local travel for 10-day fact-finding mission to Bhutan for 1 consultant 500 Accommodation for fact-finding mission: $100 x 10 days Per diem for fact-finding mission: $25 x 10 days 250 Fee for fact-finding mission: $100 x 10 days Sub-total 10-day fact-finding mission Feasibility study National Consultation Budget 129

5 Training Workshops (x3): (3 days x 20 pp at $30 + Honorarium for 3 trainers: $1500) Equipment for Setting up of 1 CR station 1000W Transmitter Two bay vertical polarized FM antenna Feeder cable (6000m) + Connectors Voltage Regulator 5KVA Satellite Digital Receiver System 900 Receiver infosat DSR9500 and Disk 10'' Unit Audio Studio System Equipment 840 Audio mixer YAMAHA 12 Channels (x 1) 632 Soken DVD player (x 2) 474 Monitor Speaker (x 4) 190 Dynamic Microphone YAMAHA (x 6) Microphone Boom Stand (x 2) 218 Headphones (x 2) 231 M-Audio recorder with 1G memory (x 2) Tape cassette/radio Panasonic (x 1) Line Telephone bridge TH804B (x 1) 318 Cable and Connector accessories Suit 1 Installation and furniture Sub-Total Equipment Total US$ BREAKDOWN OF THE BENEFICIARY AGENCY S CONTRIBUTION (in US dollars) Project coordinator Communications and Narrative report preparation Financial report preparation 500 Total US$