St Aloysius' Community Radio SARANG 107.8FM Starts Test Broadcast
Media Release by by Fr Richard Rego

Mangalore, Jul 10: SARANG 107.8 - St Aloysius College (Mangalore) CRS started its test transmission on 24 June. After completing all its formalities, SARANG was waiting to go on air - WOL pending, which came in the last week of June.

To begin with, SARANG Community Radio Station (CRS) has been test-broadcasting for two hours every day, from 6 to 8pm. But gradually it will increase the  broadcast time.

The SARANG 107.8FM signals are received over 20-25 km radius and cover large agricultural, fisher folk, and daily wage earners' communities, besides huge student population. Broadcasts include programmes on health and hygiene, farmers and agricultural issues, issues related to fisherfolk, children, and youth and students.

There has been a cordial reception to the SARANG CRS - community people eagerly coming forward to air their day to day life - problems and issues, folk elements and and joys and sorrows. 

The St Aloysius College Community Radio broadcasts in four different languages - Konkani, Tulu, Kannada and English. Beary language (mother tongue of local Muslim community) programmes also have been tried, though not on a regular basis. While Konkani, Tulu, and Beary languages are major languages of the local communities, Kannada and English happen to be languages of formal communication.

A formal launch of SARANG 107.8 is planned for after the monsoon season passes by. SARANG means the beautiful arrangement of colours symbolising harmonious living of many social, religious, linguiustic communities. SARANG is a musical instrument and a raga. It represents the national bird peacock, and also a spotted deer. In short, SARANG stands for St Aloysius RAdio, maNGalore. SARANG 107.8FM is a gift of St Aloysius College to the local communities; an earnest attempt to build bridges with the local population, a platform for their voices and concerns.

CEMCA (New Delhi) played a major role in securing the WOL.