Imagine life without television, cinema, smartphones and social media. Of course, world would not come crashing down and the entertainment still continues. But yes, within the confines of one’s home where people would often form into a group to tune into their favourite broadcast programme and listen to limited channels without touching a remote control.
That’s how radio used to be an integral part of several households decades ago. On the eve of the World Radio Day, let us take a peep into how the low cost medium continues to make an impact on many a life.
From Radio Club of Bombay that came into existence in 1923 to Indian Broadcasting Company started in 1927, Indian State Broadcasting Service that was launched in 1930 to All India Radio that was branded in 1936, the national broadcaster has gone a long way in reaching out to 99.19 per cent of the population across the country.
“It now has 414 stations covering a range of 92 per cent area across India. In Visakhapatnam, the transmitting centre was inaugurated at Aganampudi in 1963. Subsequently, an exclusive studio was set up at Siripuram in 1986,” explains D. Ramakrishna Prasad, Deputy Director General (Engineering) of AIR.
Disaster management
The radio channels are not just confined to broadcasting music and news bulletins. “It plays a crucial role in disaster management as well. With ‘Radio in Times of Emergency and Disaster’ as the theme of the year, the focus is on how the medium contributes to effective disaster management at a time when other networks fail to function,” says A. Malleswara Rao, Assistant Director of AIR.
It plays a crucial role in disaster management as well. With ‘Radio in Times of Emergency and Disaster’ as the theme of the year, the focus is on how the medium contributes to effective disaster management at a time when other networks fail to function
A. Malleswara Rao
Assistant Director, AIR
