Kathmandu, September 9

The Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development has issued model ‘FM Radio (Management and Operation) Procedure, 2017 for the purpose of local levels to license, renew and regulate FM radios.

The model procedure was developed and issued to bring about uniformity in governance of FM radios. The power to administer FM radios is among 22 powers conferred by the constitution on local levels.

According to the procedure, rural municipalities and municipality may issue licence for FM radio with radiated power of up to 100 watt within the concerned local levels. Even the FM radios which are being operated by obtaining licence prior to the commencement of this procedure shall also be brought within the ambit of the local levels.

No one shall be allowed to operate FM radios the rural municipalities and municipalities without obtaining licence under this procedure. “The competent authority of the local levels may, on the recommendation of a coordination and monitoring committee, shut down any FM radio operating in an unauthorised way. However, the concerned radio station will be provided with a reasonable opportunity of defence,” read the procedure.

However, the amount of fine to be imposed on the erring FM radio stations shall be fixed by the local levels themselves. Any person or corporate body willing to obtain licence for the shall submit an application, accompanied by a report related to financial, technical and professional aspects, to the local levels.

“Upon receipt of the application along with necessary particulars, the concerned local level shall forward it to the Ministry of Information and Communications to ascertain whether or not the applicant is eligible to obtain licence,” the procedure reads. If the MoIC deems it reasonable to approve the application and other documents, the concerned local level shall issue licence. The validity period of the licence shall not exceed one fiscal year. The person or corporate body licensed to operate FM radio shall also obtain permission to purchase radio equipment, including FM transmitter, STL link and BBC receiver. The licence shall be renewed before the expiry of the one-year validity period. If the licence is not renewed within one year from the date of expiry of the validity period, it shall be automatically cancelled.

The FM radios shall abide by the laws in related to broadcast of news, views and other programmes.