How This Radio Channel Inspiring Change Through Impactful Stories

Listening to stories of inspiring people and highlighting voice of kindness have a ripple effect on others in motivating them to follow suit. TALRadio, headquartered in Texas, USA, with operations in the US and India, features non-profits, change-makers, and experts who inspire and educate.

The web and app-based radio, is one of the verticals of Touch-A-Life Foundation, a CSR initiative of Solix Technologies and Emagia, led by Bay Area entrepreneurs and husband-wife duo, Sai Gundavelli and Veena Gundavelli. Managing Director of TALRadio, Rama Iragavarapu speaks to Bizz Buzz about the importance of supporting organisations that are helping the society

What was the idea behind founding TAL?

During Covid, the information circulating around us was on the negative side. To bring in positivity and hope in people’s life, TALRadio was started. The vision of Touch-A-Life is to help people who are helping the society. The radio channel runs news and information about people and their good deeds. Our other services include support to non-profits in the form of building apps or websites, providing media support, we have TAL Leaders who extend their experience by going onboard as Board of Directors, and we also provide volunteers. We aspire to become the bridge between non-profits and their needs.

What is the presence of TALRadio?

TALRadio is available in English, Telugu, and Hindi. We will be expanding with the launch of a Kannada channel in March 2025, and next year a Tamil channel to further localise the impact. TALRadio is available on-demand through Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other streaming services, but our main presence is as a 24x7 radio channel available on our website and as a mobile application. Through the radio channel we are looking to amplify the voice of non-profits and change-makers who have committed their service for uplifting the society.

What is the content covered on the radio channel?

In one of our shows, we stream the good news or kind deeds that took place around the world, packaged with good film songs. The second show is about region-specific news streamed online alongwith good music. Being a global radio we had restricted our format to recorded shows but going ahead we plan to go live and we are working on it. Despite being recorded, an interactive platform mechanism is in place that lets listeners from the US and India contribute and suggest feedback. Our listeners can also drop a message to refer a story or person on any of our social media handles or they themselves can record a video or podcast, and we will carry it.

What can organisations expect after connecting with TAL?

Any non-profit or social entrepreneur looking for free marketing support can reach out to TALRadio. We cover their interview and feature their work. We hold event promotions across our platforms and design promotional materials. The content format also includes podcasts, blogs sharing impactful stories of social change, YouTube documentaries showcasing their journeys, reels and videos highlighting inspiring acts that are uploaded on our Instagram, LinkedIn, and FaceBook page. Non-profits like Sristi Foundation (Pondicherry), Beggars Corporation (Varanasi), CWC (USA), and Saloni Foundation (USA) are among the many that have partnered with TALRadio.

What has been the reach of TALRadio, since its launch?

The impact created in the last four years is that we have covered about 434 non-profits through interviews, blogs, and videos. We have reached over 20 million listeners through radio, podcasts, blogs, and social media. We have top professionals volunteer their time to empower people with knowledge. Prasad Kaipa and Chris Salem, executive coaches from the US, have voluntarily hosted more than 250 episodes. Then there is Roopa Sunku’s ‘Mentor Loop’ series that helps young professionals with resume building, elevator pitches, and interview preparation.

What is the due diligence undertaken before featuring any non-profit?

We have a research wing wherein volunteers contribute their time to research about the non-profit before we decide on working with them or highlighting them. We have two seniors and two interns in the research team here. We do not touch organisations that are associated or linked with politics or religion. We believe in humanity, so we highlight human interest stories only.

Besides features on non-profits, can you throw light on the expert talks?

We want to educate, enlighten and empower our listeners. These days abundant information is available online. Our shows cut down the noise created in today’s social media age by providing tailor-made and accurate content targeted to our listeners groups. We have radio shows about building a startup, a social enterprise, how to become a good leader, tips for taking care of mental health, health-related shows covering Ayurveda to Homeopathy, among others. During Covid, we aired a show called as ‘Amma Kosum,’ for mothers who had given birth during the pandemic. We got in experts to guide them about the care to be taken. We received mails from mothers-to-be who wanted to clarify their doubts.

Which show has gained high traction among Telugu listeners?

We have a show called as ‘Spoorthi Kiranalu,’ where unsung heroes are covered and ‘Vijetha’ is about women achievers. We had once featured a person who built a library at his home in the remote villages of Kakinada. He inspires children and youngsters to write stories and inculcate reading as a hobby. A person from Kakinada informed us about him and that is how we got to know about that person. Our subjects for the story do not have to be big achievers as even the smallest act does matter. In Vijetha, we had featured one woman who visits government offices before going to her workplace. At these government offices she helps elderly and digitally illiterate people with filling out the forms. I had also interviewed GHMC workers who start their day before others and try to balance duties towards their family and work. In a gist, I can say that we cover small deeds of common people.

How do you draw the line between sensationalising a story and covering genuine stories?

One example I can give is from my personal experience. After attending a conference in Bangalore I landed at the airport here. There is a cab booking service facilitated by the police. In the queue of drivers, it was the turn of a female driver, but people were asking for a male cab driver. When it was my turn to book the cab I asked for her service. During the ride I asked Aruna about her experience as a female cab driver. Her story is truly inspiring. Aruna, aged about 56 years was instructed by people to take up work as a maid or cook as no one believed in her driving skills to give a cab drivers job. Through her persistence she landed an auto drivers job around 15 years back. Now, she earns well as a cab driver. During Covid, she literally lived in the airport driving travellers back to their homes. Aruna’s one minute video attracted 56 lakh views. Hence, the stories we cover generates inspiration. I have covered handloom weavers, tailors and so on.

Being a CSR initiative, how many volunteers and permanent team member’s work for TALRadio?

We have experts like Kalpana Sampath from Bangalore, Sunitha from Singapore who hosts a radio show in Telugu. Majority of our radio hosts are volunteers while we hire the technical team. To work for our podcasts, radio and blogs across English, Telugu and Hindi, we have 32 volunteers and 30 permanent employees. RJ’s and hosts need not have media experience. We have homemakers hosting radio shows and podcasts. We have invited mothers to interview a parent educationist and nutritionist. A guest lecturer in B-Schools got in touch with us eager to offer his time for the expert advice show so that he can reach out to youngsters aspiring to become businesspersons in remote villages. Recently I was in Bangalore exhibiting TALRadio, there we were able to sign-in about 56 volunteers eager to host and showcase non-profits. Student volunteers in the US receive a recommendation letter and certificate from us, while in India we provide them with internship letter. We do not ask for monetary donations, TALRadio welcomes people who want to donate their time.

Does TALRadio have the reach on par with other radio channels?

To create awareness about the radio channel we have initiated the plan of starting TALRadio Club in schools and colleges. TALYouth is one of the verticals of the Foundation under which social innovation and social advocacy is promoted. The youngsters who do not want to pursue innovation they can take up social advocacy which is a powerful tool a student can have to raise their voice about a concerned topic. We want to provide a platform to these students where they can hold panel discussions and express their views. Interested schools and colleges can register as TALRadio Club member. We will provide them with the training needed to host a radio show, write a blog, and shoot a documentary or reel. These students can record a one hour show for which we will extend support in recording, editing and featuring it on our channel. So far we have three schools, one in the US, Hyderabad and Andhra Pradesh, who have registered. Our plan is to start 24 radio clubs in this year.

Any other plan lined-up…

As mentioned we want to expand into more regional languages and regions to increase accessibility. We also want to enhance our interactive content with live sessions and panel discussions. Definitely we are looking at strengthening our partnerships with global non-profits and change-makers. In conclusion, we want to grow our digital presence to make TALRadio as the go-to platform for daily positivity.