17 community radio stations & two community visual radio stations have received the COVID-19 emergency funding through the Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio & Communication (BNNRC). The COVID-19: Misinformation, Prevention and Health Campaign through Community Radios in Bangladesh initiative is supported by the American Center, US Embassy of Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Community radio is an increasingly important part of the Bangladesh media landscape. Around 19 not-for-profit stations based throughout in Bangladesh and 1000 youth and youth women broadcasters largely by volunteers, broadcast 165 hours daily to up to 7 million rural communities are giving a voice and provide life-saving information.
BNNRC has been mobilizing all community radios for developing and broadcasting awareness building programs on COVID-19: contamination to protect lives and livelihoods since March 1, 2020 to 31 May 2020. During March 1, 2020 to 31 May 2020 BNNRC has been working on COVID -19 covering the following issues: Animate CSOs, Government, health service providers and communities for reinforcing collective action in pre and during COVID-19, Response for achieving keeping community people’s daily life normal and livelihood function and Mobilize further cooperation among government, CSOs, local market and communities’ response
During the Covid-19 pandemic, community radio stations have provided valuable program, local news, hello doctor and support to seven million of rural people in line with information saves lives and livelihood.
During COVID-19, community stations in Bangladesh are facing significant financial challenges as a result of cancelled activities and a downturn in advertising revenue, fundraising process have been cancelled and revenues such as advertising income are drying up overnight resulting in immediate cash flow problems, cuts in grant-funded projects & many community radio stations have few or no cash reserve to tide them over situations like this. Still many have also faced severe financial challenges.
In response, the emergency, the American Center, US Embassy of Dhaka funding to contribute them meet the level of degree costs of continuing to provide these vital services to rural communities and addressing the challenges of COVID – 19 adaptations with the New Normal.
17 community radio stations & two community visual radio stations have received fund totaling just over BDT 19 lac in US $ 22,353. However, that amount to around $ 1176 in support on average per community radio station. A relatively small amount of funding for the community radio sector are going a long way to support stations keeping their rural disadvantaged communities connected and informed during the COVID -19 crisis and adaptation process.
From 1st June, 2020 BNNRC has developed COVID-19: Adaptation Initiative and Intervention according to Technical Instructions of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh on COVID-19 Pandemic to Protect and Control Social and Institutional Contamination that can help to look at the response through an equity lens, focus on people’s enhanced capabilities & follow a coherent multidimensional approach for achieving of the four specific objectives.
Objectives are enhance the capabilities of affected communities through an equity lens for adapting/coping/surviving with the new normal situation, focus on enhanced capabilities of Broadcasters and Stakeholders for exercising new normal and building resilience, accelerate of ICT applications for benefitting community people in all aspects of life and effective access to reliable information through ICT and media for countering infodemic and keeping lives & livelihood easy.
Community Radio stations have been developing and broadcasting program on COVID – 19 to make the people conscious by rejecting misinformation and disinformation & highlighting the local challenges & way forward. Community people and local policy maker have easy access to the radio programs for setting and discussing local agenda. Sharing information with special groups such as persons with disabilities (PWD) dalits and disadvantaged people, preparedness to deal with pandemics and fighting disinformation are among many other prevailing challenges.