Team members of 90.8 Hills FM along with guests and invitees during the celebration of its one year anniversary at their office premises located at Hotel Sente, Golaghat Road Dimapur on September 8. (Morung Photo)
Morung Express News
Dimapur | September 8
Nagaland’s first and only community radio station, 90.8 Hills FM celebrated its one year anniversary at its office premises located at Hotel Sente, Golaghat Road Dimapur on September 8. To mark the occasion, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Dimapur, Sachin Jaiswal was invited as the guest of honour while Dr Yan Murry, Chief Executive of Pinnacle Skills and Director, Global Peers Skilling- Development Initiatives Private Limited as the special guest.
Hills FM had first been initiated by a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) called the Faith Ministry Society with a vision to be ‘the Voice of Change.’ Over the past one year of its existence, it has provided a crucial listening space for the people on topics ranging from women empowerment, local music, music reviews, mental health awareness, disability issues, awareness of government schemes, doctor’s corner, community welfare, among many others.
Speaking on the occasion, the DC lauded the team members for their efforts in bringing awareness on several key issues faced by the people and partnering with government departments such as Task Force for Music & Arts (TaFMA) to feature local young artists in their programme.
He viewed that as a community radio station, they can contribute more towards ongoing issues such as dengue: pros and cons of fogging, hygiene and vaccination by teaming up with the district administration. “Although there are some limitations, the canvas is quite broad for the team to explore in the future,” he said.
Special guest, Dr Murry meanwhile mentioned that to get a license for opening a radio station was no easy feature as it required getting through several strict government clearances. “As such, you guys have done a commendable job and truly are agents of change,” he said.
On the other hand, he noted that for any private company or organization, sustainability was always an issue including getting the required funds. For which, collaborations and partnerships should be looked into throughout the process, he added.
Anniversary greeting was shared by Imali Hesso, Managing Director of Hills FM. She admitted that the journey thus far has not been easy with numerous ups and downs. Nevertheless it has also been filled with learning experiences, she added. “Our radio station has grown immeasurably and we will continue to serve the community,” she said. As the saying goes, slow and steady wins the race and as a fledgling startup, she called upon the people to support them continuously in each of their efforts.
Among several of its initiatives undertaken over the last one year, the team has had on its programmes, school children for ‘Hills Book Vlub,’ college students dubbed ‘Hills Campus,’ along with organizing charity events and karaoke nights. In addition, they have also been able to partner with FachShala to spread awareness on misinformation, with TaFMA to promote local artists through ‘TaFMA Thursday,’ and the Nagaland Pollution Control Board (NPCB) to broadcast pollution-related information and other environmental issues.
