state of Radio in Nepal

In Nepal, the first Radio station Radio Nepal was established in 1950. However, it can be estimated that even before 1950, the people had been possibly experiencing the taste of listening to the radio from the stations of neighboring countries.India had already started broadcasting by 1923, and hence it is assumed that Nepalese working there certainly listened to Indian radio broadcasts. After the establishment of radio stations in India, the radio became popular in elite circles in Nepal too. However, without the ruler’s assent, nobody was allowed to have a radio set.In July 1946, the then Prime Minister Padma Shamser Rana declared that people could have personal radios. He also arranged to broadcast native radio, Nepal Broadcasting from Bijuli Adda in January 1948. But this could not last long. Padma Shamser Rana resigned from the post of the prime minister and a few months later, this transmission was also halted. This was not to last for long and in August 1948 it was revived again. Mohan Shamser, then Prime Minister, made arrangements to bring two transmitters in order to improve transmission.In 1950, the Nepali Congress Party was fighting against the Rana autocracy and freedom fighters had also begun to run radio transmissions called Prajatantra Nepal Radio from Biratnagar.On 31 March 1996, the station that would become Radio Sagarmatha aired its first test signals on FM 102.4 Mhz without a license.When NEFEJ finally received a broadcasting license on 18 May 1997, Radio Sagarmatha became the first fully independent radio station in the country.By 2005 there were some 50 FM stations on the air with more than one third of these operating on a non-profit basis (the basic criteria to be considered as a community radio).Some 150 licenses were granted between April 2006 and July 2007, including more than 65 to non-profit groups. In August 2007, ACORAB listed its membership at 90 radio stations with 33 broadcasters on air. However, according to UNESCO, 216 licenses had been issued by the Government of Nepal, as of July 2007 with 78 FM stations broadcasting. The growth of community radio has been equally large with 93 licenses issued beginning May 2007 and 35 stations on air.

As by the date 10th November, 2008, the status of FM radio is as the following:
Number of FM radio licenses issued: 299
Operational Fm radio stations : 172
Operational Fm radio transmitters: 195
Multiple channel FM broadcasters: 4
Multiple site FM broadcasters: 5
FM broadcasters with satellite uplink: 5

In Nepal, all types of radio are already in use but it hasn’t been classified in proper way. However, FM radio stations can still be divided into commercial radio, public radio, community radio and pirated radio. Pirated radio is mostly against government. Nepal Government licensed private radios are called commercial and community radio. The government owned radio is called public radio. There is still difference in classification of radios. Operational radios and televisions as permitted by National Broadcasting Act 2049 and National Broadcasting law 2052 has classified into same group.

Radio Broadcasting Associations
Association Of Community Radio Broadcasters’ (ACORAB)
Broadcasting Association of Nepal (BAN)
Far-Western FM Radio Broadcasters' Forum
Kathmandu Valley FM Radio Broadcasters' Forum
World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC).