FM Radio Stations of Nepal: Directory by Province & Frequency

Nepal is one of South Asia's most radio-dense countries. Following the opening of the airwaves to private and community broadcasters in the 1990s, the licensing authority has granted well over 700 FM radio broadcast licences. Nepali media, citing the then Ministry of Information and Communication, reported that about 736 FM licences had been issued in the roughly two decades after the sector opened; not all licensed stations are on air at any given time, as some never launch and others go silent. The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MoCIT) is today the government body responsible for broadcasting policy and licensing.

All of these stations broadcast on the internationally standard FM band, which in Nepal runs from 88 to 108 MHz. Frequencies are allocated so that neighbouring stations do not interfere with one another; planning guidance has generally reserved the lower part of the band for primary broadcasting and the upper edge for studio-to-transmitter links and relays. Because a single popular station can hold different frequencies in different regions, one broadcaster may appear more than once in a frequency table.

This page is a practical directory. It explains who licenses radio, what the three broadcaster categories are, and lists the best-known stations with their frequencies before organising the picture province by province. Because the full licensed list numbers several hundred entries and changes as licences are issued, renewed or cancelled, the authoritative and up-to-date master list is held by MoCIT; the stations named here are the largest and most widely received.

Independent broadcasting in Nepal rests on the National Broadcasting Act, 2049 BS (1993 AD) and the National Broadcasting Regulation, 2052 BS (1995 AD). Passed after the 1990 political change and the 1992 communication policy, the Act ended the state's monopoly on the airwaves and made it legally possible for private companies, non-governmental organisations and community groups to run FM stations. It sets out how licences are granted, the conditions broadcasters must meet, and the powers of the regulator.

The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MoCIT), previously the Ministry of Information and Communication (MoIC), is the policymaking and licensing authority. It formulates broadcasting regulations, issues and renews FM licences, assigns frequencies in coordination with the frequency regulator, and enforces content and technical standards. Applicants must register a company or eligible organisation, meet financial and technical requirements, and pay licence and annual renewal fees before a frequency is allocated.

A licence specifies the assigned frequency, the transmitter power and the geographic coverage permitted. Higher-power licences allow regional or near-national coverage, while low-power community licences are meant to serve a single district or cluster of districts. This tiered approach is why some networks reach most of the country while a village radio may be audible only within a valley.

Nepal's FM sector is usually described in three categories, and understanding them makes the directory easier to read. Each category serves a different audience and operates under a different funding model, although all share the same 88-108 MHz band and the same licensing framework.

State broadcasting is represented by Radio Nepal, the government's public-service broadcaster, which reaches the widest area through a national network of medium-wave and FM transmitters. Commercial FM stations are privately owned, funded mainly by advertising, and concentrated in cities where audiences and advertisers are largest. Community radio is run on a not-for-profit basis by cooperatives, NGOs and local groups, prioritising local language programming, agriculture, health, education and civic information for rural and marginalised listeners.

Community radio is a defining feature of Nepal's media landscape. The Association of Community Radio Broadcasters Nepal (ACORAB), founded in 2002, coordinates the sector; various counts put the number of community stations at roughly 300 or more, spread across most of the country's districts. These stations were widely praised for their role during disasters such as the 2015 (2072 BS) earthquakes, when local FM was often the fastest source of relief and safety information.

Radio Nepal, established on 2 April 1951 (Chaitra 20, 2007 BS), is the country's oldest and most far-reaching broadcaster. It began with a 250-watt short-wave transmitter airing a few hours a day and grew into a national public-service network broadcasting around the clock from its headquarters at Singha Durbar, Kathmandu. It transmits on both medium wave (AM) and FM, giving it coverage in remote areas that FM alone cannot reach.

Radio Nepal also launched Nepal's very first FM service: FM Kathmandu went on air in November 1995 on 100 MHz, using a 3-kilowatt stereo transmitter installed at Khumaltar, Lalitpur. In the capital the station is best known on 100 MHz FM and 792 kHz medium wave. Across the provinces it operates regional stations and relay transmitters, so its frequency differs by location, for example medium wave at Pokhara (684 kHz), Dharan/Sunsari (648 kHz), Surkhet (576 kHz) and Dipayal (810 kHz), alongside regional FM outlets.

Because it combines high-power medium wave with a web of FM relays, Radio Nepal remains the reference broadcaster for national news, emergency alerts and provincial programming. Listeners tuning across the country will find a Radio Nepal signal on 100 MHz in several urban centres, though the exact frequency should always be checked locally.

The most-searched query in this area is simply a station's frequency, and the largest names are consistent across the country's main cities. Radio Kantipur (Kantipur FM), launched in October 1998 and part of the Kantipur media group, is the most listened-to private station; it broadcasts nationwide on two frequencies, 96.1 MHz in the eastern and central regions and 101.8 MHz in the west, and claims coverage of a large share of the population from its Pulchowk, Lalitpur base.

Kathmandu's commercial dial is crowded with established names. Image FM, on 97.9 MHz, launched on 7 January 1999 (23 Poush 2055 BS) and was originally known as Kath FM. Hits FM broadcasts on 91.2 MHz, and Ujyaalo 90 Network, the news arm of Communications Corner, anchors 90.0 MHz and syndicates bulletins to partner stations nationwide. On the community side, Radio Sagarmatha on 102.4 MHz holds a special place: founded in May 1997 by the Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalists, it was the first independent community radio station in South Asia.

Outside the valley, large regional stations command big audiences. Kalika FM, broadcasting from Bharatpur-10, Chitwan on 95.2 MHz (and 91.0 MHz), is among the most-listened stations beyond Kathmandu and reaches across the central Tarai and inner hills. The list below gives quick-reference frequencies for the flagship stations most listeners search for.

Nepal is divided into seven provinces, and FM coverage broadly follows population and geography: dense in the Kathmandu Valley and the Tarai cities, thinner in the high mountains where community and Radio Nepal relays fill the gap. The overview below groups well-known, verifiable stations by province. It is a starting map rather than a complete register; every province has dozens of additional local FM and community stations licensed by MoCIT.

Bagmati Province, which contains the Kathmandu Valley, has the greatest concentration of stations, including Radio Nepal (100 MHz), Radio Kantipur (96.1 MHz), Image FM (97.9 MHz), Hits FM (91.2 MHz), Ujyaalo 90 Network (90.0 MHz) and Radio Sagarmatha (102.4 MHz) in the valley, plus Kalika FM (95.2 MHz) in Chitwan. Lumbini Province in the western Tarai includes long-running community stations such as Radio Lumbini (96.8 MHz) in Rupandehi near Butwal, alongside many stations serving Butwal, Nepalgunj and Dang.

In the other provinces, Radio Nepal's regional network provides the reliable anchor while private and community stations add local voices. Koshi Province in the east is served from centres such as Biratnagar, Dharan and Itahari (Radio Nepal Dharan broadcasts on 98 MHz FM). Gandaki Province centres on Pokhara, where Radio Nepal operates on 100 MHz FM. Madhesh Province is served from Tarai hubs such as Janakpur and Birgunj. Karnali Province, the most sparsely populated, relies heavily on community radio and Radio Nepal's Surkhet-based transmitters, and Sudurpashchim Province is anchored by Radio Nepal's Dipayal and Dhangadhi outlets. For remote districts, always confirm the local frequency, as low-power community stations use frequencies specific to their coverage area.

To find the right frequency, remember that Nepal's FM dial runs from 88 to 108 MHz and that big networks change frequency by region, so the number that works in Kathmandu may differ in Pokhara or Biratnagar. The most reliable printed source is the licence list maintained by MoCIT, while station websites and the on-air identification announcements confirm current frequencies. Aggregators and mobile apps also list Nepali stations, but station-run and government sources should be trusted over third-party directories for exact figures.

Most major stations now also stream online, which is useful for the large Nepali diaspora and for districts outside a station's FM footprint. Radio Nepal, Radio Kantipur, Image FM, Hits FM, Ujyaalo 90 Network and Radio Sagarmatha all offer live internet streams in addition to their FM broadcasts, and community stations increasingly stream through networks such as ACORAB.

Because licences are added, renewed and occasionally cancelled, any directory is a snapshot. Treat the frequencies here as accurate for the flagship stations at the time of writing, and verify a specific local or community station against MoCIT records or the station itself before relying on it.