Last updated on Jan 26, 2012.
Last year, Kantipur Television introduced lantern bulletin to highlight powercut in the country. Though the aim was to pressurize the government, power cut hasn’t decreased in Nepal. Instead it is increasing. (Here is a video report brodcasted on NTDTV about Nepal power shortage.)

Moreover televisions are facing a major problem because of the power cut. KTV has again launched lantern bulletin this year as well on Jan 24, 2012. So far 34 television channels have got license to operate/broadcast in Nepal and a dozen are currently on air.

Power/Electricity is the main source for television. Without electricity we cannot imagine television. It doesn’t work. Audience cannot see/watch the content. But every year in the winter Nepal is going through power cut. Nepalese are facing 13 hrs of powercut everyday. But it’s clear that when the water level is low in the rivers the load shedding will reach up to 18 hrs a day.

Though very few are watching television with the help of inverters most of the Nepalese cannot afford it. Hence, most of the news and other programs go unwatched. It’s even difficult for the television stations to manage fuel for their generators during the petrol/diesel hike. This is the utter reality and no one could escape it.

What could be the way out? This is the million dollar question at the moment. My professor Stephen Quinn in an online class said “solar energy” could be an option. As the loadshedding problem will continue in the years to come, why not install solar system at home if it is possible. It will still be a big challenge for many middle class Nepalese to get the solars.

Another idea that clicked my mind when i am writing about audience, television and power cut is that isn’t it possible to run a television station using solar energy?

Here is a multimedia that i produced on how the power cut is affecting students?