KASARGOD: The Kasargod district administration is launching an internet radio to take on widespread misinformation on social messaging apps and networking sites, said collector Jeevan Babu K. "It will also broadcast news people can use and announcements of the government," he said.
The radio will be launched by revenue minister E Chandrasekharan on December 23, the collector said.
Fake news attributed to the district administration and the collector often goes viral on WhatsApp and Facebook, causing confusion among the people. "People can now log on to thejaswiniradio.com and check the veracity of such news," he said.
The government announcements, announcements from health, tourism and police departments and district news roundup, and events of the district administration and youth clubs would make up the bulletin. "The news bulletins would be broadcast twice in a day, at 7.30 am and 11.30 am. The audio bulletins would play in a loop, and is downloadable in a sharable format," he said. The bulletins would be available on the radio for one week, he said.
The collector said the programmes would initially be in Malayalam, and later Kannada bulletins too would be introduced. "We have tapped the students of the Malayalam department of Central University of Kerala to bring out the bulletins," he said.
The radio— supported by Rotary Club — would be played at Akshya centres, village and panchayat offices, bus stands, libraries, schools, mini civil station and the collectorate, he said.
The internet radio has been developed by Kochi-based Xtrios Innovations Pvt Ltd.
"Smartphone app of Thejaswini Radio is also ready. We will make them available on the store after gauging the response to the web-based radio," said the collector.
The theme music of the radio was scored by Hariprasad, senior clerk of Irrigation Division Office in Kasargod and logo was designed by designer Mohammed Nafid, he added.