Wednesday 25 September 2013

Radio is the medium, science the message

Radio is the medium, science the message
Madurai school children lend their voices to educate the masses out of superstitious practices

P. Karthik, M. Chitra Devi, P. Velumani and A. Siddarth may not be professional radio jockeys. But their voices, presentation skills, and dialogue delivery would make anyone believe they are. What adds sheen to their talents is the fact that they are all school children aged between 10 and 12.
These students of a government-aided middle school at Palkalai Nagar near here, whose parents are stone quarry workers, cattle rearers, taxi drivers and casual labourers, have been lending their voices to a number of science popularization programmes aired by All India Radio (AIR) across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

The programmes were produced by AIR- Madurai at the behest of Vigyan Prasar (VP), an organization set up under the Union Ministry of Science and Technology for promoting scientific and rational thinking. Groomed by their teacher K. Malarselvi, who scripts the programmes, the children are now set to be part of a new series to be broadcast next month, “It was my teacher who spotted my ability and encouraged me. I stay in the hostel attachment to the school and felt very happy on the day when my father, living in Thenpalanji, heard my voice on the radio and called me up to say that I spoke very well. I also feel very happy to disseminate scientific concept through folk performances such as ‘Villu Paatu”, Chitra Devi said.

T.V. Venkateswaran, academic head of VP, said that involving school and college students in the production process had helped the students hone their inherent skills. Describing his organization, a body comprising 50 scientists, as a facilitator, he said that the field work for developing a scientific temper among the people is left to students and science forums.
Radio audiences had grown and radio was still the best medium to reach the rural masses, he noted. “We aim to banish superstition and irrational practices”, he added.

However, the biggest challenge in taking scientific concepts to the masses is in making the programmes interesting. Though the programmes were produced in different languages and dialects, the prime concern was that they should not end up becoming boring discourses. That is why students, teacher and NGOs are involved in the task of making them interesting.

J. Balasubramaniam, head, Department of Journalism and Science Communication, Madurai Kamaraj University, said that his department had now been given the task of assessing the quality of education programmes that had been produced and aired so far by AIR. The assessment report would help VP in future programmes.

P. Rajamanickam, executive member of All India People’s Science Network (a conglomeration of science for a across the country) and principal investigator appointed by Vigyan Prasar for evaluating a series of 10 educational programmes aired so far, said that the programmes were programmes were produced with the sole aim of taking the message of science to the masses.
“Apart from students, teachers and NGOs, we have enlisted a fisherwoman to explain the process of making dry fish. Now we are going to assess if what we did was right or not, whether the language used in those programmes was effective and whether the principles of effective communication were followed in them”, he said.

S. Murugesa Pandian, programme executive of AIR- Madurai, said that natives of Madurai should be proud of the fact that the programmes were produced here and aired across the State. “From next month, we have planned to air a series of episodes on acclaimed mathematicians.


“Of the 26 episodes planned on the subject, the script for13 are ready. One of the scripts that is under consideration for the series has been prepared by Palakalai Nagar Middle School students on none other than Indian math genius Srinivasa Ramanujan. The episode will unravel many little known facts about the genius, including his fondness for munchies during his childhood,” he said with a smile. 

Thursday 5 September 2013

LUDHIANA FM GOLD BEGINS RELAY BROADCAST

The first FM radio station for Ludhiana FM Gold 100.1 Mhz began its services on Friday.
However, currently in the absence of a studio, programmes are being relayed from FM Gold Delhi and AIR Jalandhar.
Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Manish Tewari inaugurated the channel on the BSNL premises in Transport Nagar.
With this launch, Ludhiana has become the fifth city in the country after four metros of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata to have its own FM Gold Radio channel.
Ludhiana Newsline was the first to report that Ludhiana Gold FM would begin its services on August 16.
Addressing a function at Guru Nanak Dev Bhawan, Tewari said that by November this year, local programmes of two-hour duration, one hour each in the morning and evening, would be produced and aired from the FM Gold Ludhiana.
He said that being the largest and the most important industrial hub of Punjab, there was a long-pending demand for a local radio station in Ludhiana.
Tewari said that the current range of 20 km radius of this channel would be enhanced and studio-based programmes would be produced and broadcast from here. He congratulated the Prasar Bharti officials and engineers on having made FM Gold Ludhiana a reality within a short span of four months.
Jawahar Sirckar, CEO, Prasar Bharti, AIR DG L D Mandloi and engineering-in-chief Yuvraj Bajaj also addressed the gathering. 








A cultural programme was organised on the occasion at Guru Nanak Bhawan. Top Punjabi singer Jasbir Jassi performed during the cultural programme.

Reinhard Keune Memorial International Radio Award 2013

Reinhard Keune Memorial International Radio Award 2013 to Mr Biju Mathew:


Reinhard Keune Memorial International Radio Award 2013 to Mr Biju Mathew:
AIBD (Asia Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia present the Reinhard Keune Memorial International Radio Award 2013 to Mr Biju Mathew, Programme Excutive,
CBS, All India Radio.
The award was presented at the inaugural function of AIBD’s 39th Annual gathering/ 12th AIBD General Conference and Associated meetings held on 12th August 2013 at Parkroyal Hotel, Yangon, Myanmar.
Reinhard Keune Memorial International Radio Award 2013 competition was based on the theme Promoting rural development and programmes broadcast by various AIBD member organizations competed.
The programme ‘A village rejuvenated‘, written and produced by MR Biju Mathew, emerged as winner in this international competition, bringing laurels to All India Radio.
Union Information Minister of Myanmar Mr. U Aung Kyi presented the trophy and AIBD Director Mr. Yang Binyuan presented the certificate. Deputy Information Minister of Myanmar Mr. U Ye Htut, Yangon Region Chief Minister Mr. U Myint Swe and media heads from various countries were present.
Three more awards were presented in the function viz AIBD Radio award for the best radio programme on water conservation, AIBD TV award for best TV programme on cross-cultural exchange and best TV programme on economic recession and impact on developing countries.
The award presentation was on 12th August.

एक शाम "शिव कुमार बटालवी के नाम"

23.08.13, शुक्रवार को एक शाम "शिव कुमार बटालवी के नाम" कार्यक्रम का आयोजन, आकाशवाणी दिल्ली के स्टूडियो नंबर-1 में किया गया. इस कार्यक्रम में पंजाबी के प्रसिद्ध कवि शिव कुमार बटालवी द्वारा रचित कविताओं, गीतों को गायक और संगीतकार श्री आर डी कैले ने अपनी आवाज़ दी. कैले साहब शिव कुमार बटालवी की 55 रचनाओं को अपनी आवाज़ दे चुके हैं. "मैनू तेरा शबाब लै बैठा, रंग गोरा गुलाब ले बैठा", "माय नी माय मै एक शिकरा यार बनाया" जैसे कालजयी गीतों के अलावा आर डी कैले साहब ने शिव कुमार बटालवी की कई रचनाओं को अपनी सुमधुर आवाज़ में पेश किया लगभग २ घंटे चले इस संगीतमयी कार्यक्रम में श्रोताओं ने भरपूर आनंद उठाया।
गायक और संगीतकार, आर डी कैले 
                                    श्रोतागण