World Radio Day – 2019

A cursory glance at our social fabric today reveals a story that’s far from pleasant. What meets the eye is an increasingly alarming tendency to embrace one-upmanship, intolerance and conflict. And this malaise has assumed global proportions, fueled by a burgeoning population, disparity in distribution of resources and skewed revenue models adopted by multinational corporations, as they unleash their wares. Can a parallel be drawn between this phenomenon on the one hand and on the other, the systematic step-motherly treatment being meted out to the medium of Radio, especially Public Service Broadcasters of the world, subjecting them to the tyranny of market forces? A specialist may be able to place the analogy in chronological perspective.

Radio has played a crucial, stellar role over the past nine decades or so in shaping up our collective existence, so to say. Reams can be filled up on the role of radio during and after World War II, since it was a powerful medium for propaganda, as well as re-uniting efforts for the displaced ; it was a medium palatable even for the semi-literate. The plethora of programming formats that comprised the medium was able to cater to one and all, doing justice to its intended objective of informing, educating, and entertaining. 

All India Radio and its vast network is possibly one of the few broadcasting organisations of the world which still cater to audiences using time tested formats such as Talks, Interviews, News, Sports and non-sports Commentaries, Discussions, Drama, Features/Documentaries and Radio Magazines, ensuring last mile inclusivity with altruistic underpinnings.

Of course there are critics… and there should be. But those who have an increasing tendency of saying, “Times have changed!” seem to be oblivious of the fact that superficial facets of human beings may have undergone a sea of change over the decades, but internally our core value system remains pretty much the same, with virtues such as Dialogue, Tolerance and Peace closest to our hearts. Ask any family, you’ll get the answer. And it is only the world’s Public Service Broadcasters who have the pedigree and the wherewithal to re-propagate these virtues subtly into society, using creative ways.  World Radio Day is but a grim reminder to people and governments to set this powerful tool in order, before forces driven by ‘smart’ motives create points of no return.

It’s time to re-visit and re-create sounds of sanity, before it’s too late. For humanity.

By: Manoj Mainkar, Programme Executive, Central Hindi Features Unit, All India Radio

ISBS to AIR :82 years on...

“Splendid!” I said, “And what beautiful initials!” The Viceroy concluded that he had invented it. And there was no more trouble.

          Thus All India Radio was born.”

Organized broadcasting in India began in Bombay when the first station of the Indian Broadcasting Company (IBC) was inaugurated by the British Viceroy of India, Lord Irwin on July 23^rd 1927. Calcutta soon got its own station on August 26, 1927. These stations operated on medium wave of 1.5 kw of power. Radio Broadcasts by the end of the year reached about 3500 license holders.

However in a tragic turn of events, the IBC went bankrupt owing to under-capitalisation and high price of receiving sets. The liquidation of the company led to many representations to the government for the continuance of the service.  The government decided to take over the stations at Bombay and Calcutta at the depreciated value of its assets and staff at the existing terms of the company.  Thus from April 1, 1930 broadcasting in India came under the direct control of the government.  It was placed in the Department of Industries and Labour under the designation ‘Indian Broadcasting Service’. Faced with financial stringency, the government reduced IBC’s monthly expenditure to Rs. 2400 and then further to Rs. 2200.  Faced with ‘recession’, the government eventually decided to close down the broadcasting service. 

The decision naturally caused widespread resentment and certain amount of agitation especially in Bengal.  The Government of India therefore decided to continue its broadcasting service by increasing duty on the Receiving Sets from the existing 25% to 50 %.

By the end of 1932 when the BBC started its Empire Service, the number of people opting for receivers steadily increased from 8000 to 11000 approximately. The number jumped to 16000 by the end of 1934, when the government embarked on a policy of development of broadcasting by sanctioning Rs. 2.50 lakhs for the establishment of a radio station in Delhi.

In September 1935, broadcasting began in the princely state of Mysore with the name AKASHVANI (the voice from the sky).  Dr. Gopalaswamy, Professor of Psychology at the Mysore University had set up a 30 watt transmitter at his house.  A 250 watt transmitter was later imported.  It continued with support from the public and the Mysore Municipality till it was taken over by the Mysore State in 1941. 

The Delhi station of the Indian State Broadcasting Service went on the air on January 1, 1936, from the temporary studios in 18 Alipur Road.  The 20 kw mw transmitter was located at Mall Road.  By now Controller Lionel Fielden, was able to persuade the Viceroy Lord Linlithgow to adopt the name ALL INDIA RADIO despite opposition from the Secretariat.  The new name was adopted from June 8, 1936.

(*-Extract from an interview with Sir Lionel Fielden, the first Controller General of AIR on the name All India Radio, his creation.)