Role of Radio in Rural and Agricultural development

Agricultural extension services and electronic media play an important role in the adoption of new agricultural technologies. Among many reasons, one of the foremost reasons is the communication gap between government policies and common masses as people largely remain ignorant. In order to bridge this gap, media are excellent tools to increase knowledge. The local communities’ needs are often neglected by the mainstream media and commercial channels but the radio understands their needs. Even if the radio is an "old-fashioned" medium in the current information age, in rural areas it is still the most widespread, accessible and affordable mass medium. In recent years, many small FM stations with distinct local content and audience appeared in rural areas. Rural Radio can empower communities to participate in dialogue and decisionmaking that influences their social, economic and cultural environment. Rural Radio gives the opportunity to be both part of the audience and member of the team of producers. This form of communication has proved to be very successful as a tool for social development at grass root level.