Profile of BFBS GUrkha Radio

BFBS Gurkha Radio    

BFBS Radio

BFBS denotes British Forces Broadcasting Service which provides radio and television programmes for Her Majesty's Armed Forces, and their dependents worldwide. The BFBS was established by the British War Office (now the Ministry of Defence) in 1943. Since the 1980s, BFBS has formed part of the Services Sound and Vision Corporation (SSVC), a registered charity, which is also responsible for the British Defence Film Library, SSVC Cinemas, and Combined Services Entertainment, providing entertainment for HM Forces around the world. BFBS Radio has three networks broadcasting pop and speech radio 24 hours a day, combining the best of local radio from eight overseas locations with a service relayed from the UK to places around the world wherever significant numbers of Service personnel are based. BFBS Radio currently broadcasts to 23 countries.

BFBS Gurkha Radio

BFBS is only for army, BFBS and army are very much closed. BFBS Gurkha Radio exists to connect the British Forces community. That’s all three services: Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force. BFBS Gurkha Radio has helped in bringing the Nepalese together in one platform. BFBS Gurkha Radio is available on AM in ten locations across the UK as well as on FM in the Brunei, Falkland Islands, Afghanistan and online, on FM in Nepal, Brunei and Afghanistan, online at www.bfbs.com and via the free BFBS smart phone app. BFBS Gurkha Radio official website is www.bfbs.com founded in August 27, 1996. This radio can be heard in Kathmandu on FM 105.7 MHz. It has low output of 50 watt around the station in Kathmandu. This service is for everyone with a connection to the British Forces, whether they're serving, relatives, friends or just supporters of the work done by the men and women who take the Queen's shilling and deploy to carry out the requirements of the British government. We're proud of what we do - and we're proud of what our audience does.

BFBS Gurkha Radio: for Nepalese all around the world

BFBS Gurkha Radio was started from Singapore in 1952 with the name of British Sainik Akashbani Singapore. The radio was started with 2 hours daily program in Singapore where majority of Gurkha forces were there. The credit goes to Ms. Leena Devraj, school teacher who started to run the radio. The radio used to broadcast phone in programs, request songs and Nepali messages through the source of Gorkhapatra. Gorkhapatra used to reach there from ship after many days though that was fresh news for them.

In 1970, British Forces shifted from Singapore to Hongkong. Radio also came to Hongkong as Hongkong was the territory of British at a time. Then the BFBS Gurkha radio established in Hongkong with initiation of ex-gurkha army Mr. Kishor Gurung. Programs were related to spiritual themes playing Nepali and Hindi vajan songs. Gradually, the civilians also started to enjoy radio. Transmission was very nice for coverage. Another branch of BFBS radio was in Brunei. Shelf-off system studio was there and still running this technology in BFBS studios. The live commentaries, sports, entertainment programs were on air at that time. RJs were the serving members, who were in service.

Retired Gurkha army Mr. KB Rai used to send Nepali news materials from Nepal through teleprinter. He was the key and first supporter for BFBS Nepali service. He used to send interview of artists, songs and news as soon as possible being Nepal representative. After some years he started to use fax also. He used to record in DAT system. Small office was inside British Camp. He sent through cassettes not in CD. Later on, as technology developed gradually, the news of 6 months came into two, two months news decreased into one and one into week, week into days and days into hour and now within a second.

In 1996, when British handover Hongkong to China, Hongkong BFBS closed in October 1996 as British Forces were not remained there anymore. Now, Brunei became the focus point for BFBS Gurkha Radio. Kishor Gurung returned back to Nepal and he got responsibility to support Brunei, collect material for Brunei and to help KB Rai. But immediately, BFBS Gurkha Radio office in Nepal established in 1997 around British Camp. BFBS Gurkha Radio in Nepal formed with wonderful team with Kishor Gurung, Rupa Rana, KB Rai and other retired armies and locals like Subas Pradhan, Asha Pun and other freelancers Suryakumari Panta, Sarajraj Gautam and Ramesh Paudyal. Their work was not to broadcast but record programs for Brunei in analog system. They used to record one hrs program daily for a week and used to send though they had to send news daily.

BFBS UK established in 2001 and on aired from 2002 by Khem Gurung who went from Brunei. In 2003, they succeeded to establish satellite and run the live programs in month of November. Then they started to on air lively to Brunei and UK. Thus, BFBS Gurkha Radio on aired together from UK, Brunei and Nepal. Kishor Gurung was manager of BFBS Gukha Radio Nepal, Khem Gurung from UK and Binod Khadka from Brunei. Khem Gurung was the senior manager of all stations as UK was the head station. The numbers of target audiences were in UK.

BFBS Gurkha Radio is currently located at Manbhawan, Lalitpur. This is the headquarter of whole Gurkha Network. BFBS Gurkha Radio is the welfare radio like community radios here. This is the one and only worldwide Nepali radio lively broadcasted from satellite. The target listeners of this radio are British forces, their families, friends, well wishers and relatives around the world. The branches of this radio are in Kathmandu, Brunei and UK. This radio had started to live one hour program at first, then 2 hours in 2006 and three hours from 2010 and five hours from 2012 to till date. In Gurkha Network's 24 hour cycle, these three station on air 6/7 hours each. 18 news bulletins currently broadcast from  5:45 am to 11:45pm, only one bulletin is of 10 minutes of 8 am UK prime time(12:45 pm). They started to broadcast 5 minutes news bulletin for 12 hours a day from 2012. They have now 18 hours news in a day. This radio sets its schedule with the stations from UK and Brunei. But the news only goes from BFBS Nepal. Sarajraj Gautam is working as news head. In total, BFBS radio broadcast 24/7, but time standard is different as per the countries time, though BFBS Nepal read news bulletins according to the time of UK and Brunei. This radio has varieties of 9 hours programs like film, music, entertainment, literature etc. Radio designs programs according to the request and demand of listeners. This radio is plying vital role to connect the language, culture, value systems amongst all Nepalese around the world and intact with ethos values as they do love their birthplace.

Program Details:

Chalchitra Sangit - it's all about Nepali and Hindi Cinema

Sangeet Ganga- it is about Nepali songs

Dharmik karyakram- including all religions even the Muslim Gurus give speeches. This program doesn't only talk about religious things but also inspirational and spiritual, good and bad things, way of life. The stations of UK and Brunei broadcast this program in their appropriate time. Brunei is faster than Nepal and Nepal is faster than UK. The people in internet can listen any time.

Nepal Darpan: this program talks about the cultural phenomena of whole Nepal from east to west. 

Pardeshiko Sandesh- This is the popular and mostly demanded weekly program. It broadcast two times in Saturday and Sunday as per the request of listeners. We can listen this program from Radio Nepal as well on every Sunday 3:30 to 4:30 pm.

Dovan: this is one hour literary program.

Manoranjan EK Saath: about Nepali cinema, theatre artists gossip and activities, related to performing art,

Chinari: program for new artists.

Sangeet Sagar:  We can listen old classical but soul music of 70's, 80's both Nepali and Hindi hit songs.

Nepal Calling: This is the unique program that broad the important glimpses of whole day programs by filtering the important talks, news, messages, reports by mixing songs. If someone missed their favorite program or RJ's can listen this program.

 

This radio doesn't play any kind of commercial advertisements but broadcast public service ad and notices related to health, education and their event announcements.

BFBS Gurkha Radio also broadcasts BBC Nepali Service live of 6:45am and 7:45 pm news. All the Nepalese get chance to listen BBC news worldwide through the BFBS Gurkha Radio because people from UK don't get chance to listen BBC radio.

Staffs in Kathmandu

Regular Staff: Seven (Administration and Broadcast team)

Part time staff: 9

News team: 5

Freelancer: 8

(Only 3 staffs in Brunei station and 3 staffs in UK are running radio.)

Online Research:

According to the Station Manager, one lakh forty seven thousand people listen the BFBS Gurkha Radio regularly especially UK and Hongkong.

Reporters:

This radio takes 3 reports in a day. Radio has 16 reporters from different regions in Nepal for news and feature where majority of the Gurkha soldiers' family population is there.

Reporters:-

1	Chhabi pandey	Butwal
2	Khem Saru	Pokhara
3	Dhruba Sharma	Chitwan
4	Ash Gurung	Lamjung
5	Nilipha Subba	Dharan
6	Nagendra Rai	Dhankuta
7	Prem Adhikary	Ilam
8	Sharan Karmacharya	Nepalgunj
9	Chitranga Thapa	Mahendranagar
10	Amrit Sunuwar	Ramechhap
11	Sulochana Gautam	Dang
12	Manish Thapa	Baglung
13	Abatar Rai	Bhojpur
14	Kumbharaj Rai	Okhaldhunga
15	Buddharaj Bahing	Solukhumbu
16	Ramdhan Rai	Khotang

Funding:

MOD- Ministry of Defence, SSVC

The Services Sound and Vision Corporation (SSVC) is a registered charity set up to entertain and inform Britain's Armed Forces around the world.
Its mission is to be the preferred provider of entertainment and information to service personnel and their families worldwide.

Station Manager/Network Director:  Binod Dhoj Khadka

Mr. Binod Dhoj Khadka is an Ex-British Army. He worked as an army for twenty years then he was posted into BFBS Gurkha Radio Brunei in 1999 as a program presenter then station manager from 2001 to 2006. Then he went to UK and worked as a Network Program Director of UK, Brunei and Kathmandu from 2006 to 2010. He came back to Nepal in September 2010 and working as Network Program Director and Station Manager till date.

For local frequency at:  www.bfbs.com/radio/how-to-listen

To listen online on to: www.bfbs.com/radio/stations/gurkha-radio

Postal Address:

BFBS Gurkha Radio

P.O. Box: 5095, Manbhawan, Lalitpur

 

Note: I prepared this profile of BFBS Gurkha Radio with help of websites, frequent radio station visit, reading articles and personal communication with station manager Mr. Binod Dhoj Khadka and Mr. KB Rai.