Nepal has almost a decade of experience in taking initiative in community radio broadcasting; in fact Sagarmatha FM was the first independent radio in South Asia; it broadcasts BBC world news and Nepali programmes regularly.Now there are 70 FM stations network spread all over the rural terrain, and duing the recent insurgency many pirate FM stations opertated. There is a wide range of fequency distribution 5 watt to 1000 watt;some FM aspires to be a national broadcasting system while some face the problem of sustainable growth. The Kathmandu is saturated with FM broadcasters;no frequency is now available for this geographic capital region.There is no monitoring of FM brodcasting,no ad available from government;lacks trained manpower,and Nepal-India border FMs programmes have grave implications for national integrity and independence of operations.The role of FM broadcasting content and national radio satellite broadcasiting content offer a variety of progammes choices for illiterate mass of people.There is howwever no coherent audience research to indicate the effectiveness of community radion broadcasting network.There is a long-term radio broadcasting policy.It embraces the concept of institutional developmentof radio broadcasting system in public-private partnership with allowance for foreign equity upto 25 per cent.While national broadcaster Radio Nepal itself has a network of FM stations there are more than 50 independent FMs braodcasters competiting with it. The policy envisages establishement of a broadcasting academcy ,while convertingthe existing state-woned braodcasting system ino a national broadcasting institution; it also envisages fomulation of clear policy and regulatory system keeping in view the convergence of information and communication technology.The policy is positive about identifying and regulating state intiative in providing all facilities to the community while being alert about the threats to national interests from the international/global radio broadcasting domination.

ldrai Kathmandu