NEW DELHI: Operational community radio stations have become entitled to empanelment with the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity for getting government advertisements.

Following this decision by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, the DAVP has drawn up guidelines for these radio stations.
 
The CRS should have completed three months of continuous operation for a minimum of two hours broadcasting per day on the date of applying for empanelment.

The empanelment of CRS will be considered by DG, DAVP on case to case basis as and when an application is received.

The application shall be processed in accordance with the eligibility criteria laid down in the guidelines and a decision will be taken about the empanelment within 30 days from the date of receipt of complete application from the organisation.
 
The copy of Grant of Permission Agreement (GOPA) signed with the I&B Ministry, copy of valid Wireless Operating License (WOL) issued by WPC Wing of the Communication & IT Ministry, and a CD containing the content telecast for the last three months, apart from a self-certification by the head of CRS certifying that the CRS is functional and is continuously broadcasting at least two hours of programmes per day since last three months will be required for empanelment.

The spot rate for CRS empanelled with DAVP will be Rs 1 per second till further orders, though the guidelines say empanelment does not guarantee any business from DAVP.
 
Community Radio Stations will undertake in writing that DAVP approved rates accepted by them are their lowest rates and exclusive to DAVP; they can‘t be offered to any other agency. DAVP reserves the right to review empanelment rates if this condition is violated.

A channel may be debarred from getting government advertisements from DAVP if at any time it refuses to accept and carry advertisements issued by DAVP on behalf of the Ministries/Departments of the Central Government, public sector undertakings and autonomous bodies, on more than two occasions.