India's first radio "Q Radio" channel especially for the lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual (LGTB) community was launched in Bangalore last month.
Q Radio "out and proud" is a channel which is managed by radiowalla.in, an online portal which runs more than 35 radio channels. The radio station was launched on 11 September and is available 24x7 for the listeners. The channel is easily accessible via any broadband connected device and mobile phones with a Data plan.
Anil Srivatsa, the CEO and co-founder of Radiowalla, started the station after a talk show "Between the Sheets" he hosted three years ago for the LGBT got excellent response.
"One of the main objectives of Radiowalla.in, as a platform, is to cater to special interests of a population not being addressed by mainstream media adequately and that of INCLUSION of all through the diverse channels offered on this radio platform. I believe that the Gay and Lesbian population can benefit from a space of their own," Srivatsa said on Facebook page
"This community has style, they are upwardly mobile, they are coming out to show the nation that they belong and have to be accepted and it is about time they get a voice of their own in the national discourse. I am delighted at this decision to have their participation as part of our offering."
The channel also aspires to draw attention of the listeners from outside the LGBT community in order to help and understand about the LGBT community.
At present, the channel is run by three dedicated members and freelancers who host seven shows throughout the week in English and Hindi.
The funding of the channel comes from individuals through subscriptions, grants from NGOs and corporations.
"We have not approached mainstream advertisers as this is too early to engage with them. However, if we find a vrand willing to invest in the community from ground up like we are, we would love to work with them and I am sure they will win the undying loyalty of the LGBT community for this," Srivatsa told Press Trust of India.
