Bangalore: A Christian College in Mangalore has launched a community radio station that apart from being educative will vie to spread communal harmony in the backdrop of conflicts between religious groups.

Karnataka Governor H R Bharadhwaj launched the Community Radio Sarang 107.8 FM at St Aloysius College (SAC) in the city on Wednesday, September 23, 2009.

Addressing the gathering, Bharadhwaj said, the community radio should be utilized for promoting social harmony and welfare of the community.

“In fact, it is the media and the judiciary that have to judge the functioning of the government. Hence, strengthening media was essential in public interest,” he said, according to the Times of India.

Others who took part in the function include, Union law minister M Veerappa Moily and state home minister V S Acharya.

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has assigned a frequency of 107.8 MHz to Sarang, and will air programmes in Tulu, Kannada, Konkani, English, Malayalam and in Beary languages.

Radio station director Richard Rego says Sarang will focus more on community issues. Also programmes on issues related to health and hygiene, agriculture, fisherfolk and children will be included, he said.

Sarang will broadcast programmes for six hours a day 6.30 am to 9.30 am and 5.30 am to 8.30 pm.