Greater visibility to tribal identity:

Radio Mattoli is the only electronic media in Kerala airing programs daily in indigenous dialects. It has given greater visibility, recognition and respect to tribal dialects, culture and identity. As a result, for the first time in the State’s history, electioneering was done in Adivasi dialects also in Wayanad District, during the Panchayath Raj elections of 2010.

Posters denigrating women removed:

In one of the Jan Vani programs, we aired a written complaint from one of our regular listeners who was justifiably agitated against cinema posters in bus waiting sheds and on the walls of the Panchayath Bus Stand. Broadcasting the content with comments in Jan Vani, brought in pressure on authorities concerned and the grievance was promptly redressed, with compliance report to Mattoli in writing. All the posters were removed and walls were repainted, giving the Bus stand a facelift.
Letter to Sub Collector
Reply from Sub Inspector

Small farmers get Rubber Board subsidy:

Eight revenue villages in Wayanad district was denied Rubber Board subsidy for re-plantation of rubber, for reasons best known to the concerned officials themselves. When Jan Vãni took up the matter in public interest, quickly came the response from the Rubber Board, extending the scheme to the deprived too. We had a pleasant surprise when a farmer having received a grant of Rs.25,000 came to Mattoli for thanking us.
Letter to rubber board

Reshma, a living testimony to Radio Mattoli:

Wayanad district faced unabated farmers’ suicide in the last decade, mainly due to unprecedented depression in the Farm sector due to crops failure and price crash. A radio drama we broadcasted instilled new hope and motivation for this young lady to hold on to life despite heavy odds. In an anonymous letter to the Station Director she said: “The very day I planned my suicide, Mattoli broadcasted that radio drama, and it is only because of Mattoli, I am alive today”. After exactly an year later she wrote again partially revealing her identity, saying that now she is happily married and is employed as a teacher in the neighboring district. She requested us to repeat that episode in a week specified, as she had planned home holidays then. We repeated it not once, but thrice; to make sure that Reshma did not miss it..
Letter from Reshma

Programs:

Programs aired are of immediate relevance to the community and focus on issues relating to education, culture, health, environment, agriculture, animal husbandry, and rural and community development. Programs are aired in the local language Malayalam and local Indigenous dialects. Community volunteers are given training for radio program making. Due participation is given to marginalized communities for self-expression through their engagement in planning the content, developing the script, deciding the format and broadcasting the program.

Program Innovation:

‘Mattoli School Clubs’open up avenues for school children to express their concerns, hopes, aspirations and talents. ‘Jan Vãni’ programs help the neglected and the victims heard aloud and compel the duty bearers for interventions. Daily broadcasts on historic importance of the day (Dina Vrithantham) and special programs on national and international commemoration days/weeks are widely listened to. ‘Letter Box’ is a fortnightly episode that broadcasts feedbacks received from listeners. ‘VanithaMãttoli’ a program of women is prepared by women from local community. ‘ThudiChetham’ is a daily program in indigenous dialects prepared and broadcasted by Adivasis volunteers themselves. Cultural diversity and rich experiences of Adivasis are given prominence in this.