Raghu Mainali

Raghu Mainali is a "founder of Radio Sagarmatha in Nepal and now executive director of the Community Radio Support Centre". also see

"Mainali set up Community Radio Support Centre (CRSC) two years ago to “demystify” radio. Mainali maps out “strategic” villages with cultural and linguistic distinctness where a small FM radio station can make real impact and gets the community fired up about the idea. CRSC has identified Humla and Namche Bazar as areas with huge potential for local FM stations. Communities there are now working on plans to set up their own radio with help from CRSC which helps with technical feasibility and other training. “By helping communities establish their own media we want to help them preserve cultural richness and indigenous knowledge,” says Mainali. CRSC also helps prospective radio station owners with lobbying in the labyrinths of the Kathmandu ministries with paper work for licensing as well as lining up donors for specific projects. So far, Mainali’s group has already helped non-profit stations like Radio Lumbini, Radio Madanpokhara, Swargadwari FM in Dang and Himchuli FM. Mainali told us:“Private commercial stations are mainly urban-centered. They ignore social issues which they think are not popular with listeners. Someone has to step in to fill the gap in content between commercial stations and state radio.”"