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Thursday, July 24, 2014

All India Radio: History, Status and Future

Courtesy:  www.orissadiary.com
Wednesday, July 23, 2014


By Amit Das, AIR (All India Radio) officially known as Akashvani has pioneered broadcasting right from the British days. The person responsible for the name of All India Radio is none other than Lionel Fieldon who was responsible for starting broadcasting in India.  AIR today is the division of Prasar Bharathi an autonomous corporation of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Government of India. The AIR used to be part of the government until recently when it was decided to give autonomy to free it from government control. 

The Doordarshan is the TV wing of Prasar Bharathi which was also owned by the Ministry but again to free it from government control, it was made autonomous. EARLY HISTORY   The history of news broadcasting in India is much older than that of All India Radio. The first ever news bulletin in the country went on the air from the Bombay Station on July 23, 1927 under a private company, the Indian  Broadcasting Company. A month later on August 26, 1927 another bulletin in Bengali was started from the Calcutta Station.  Until 1935, two bulletins, one each in English and Hindustani were broadcast from Bombay and a bulletin in Bengali was broadcast from Calcutta.  

The Indian Broadcasting Company went into liquidation in March, 1930 following which broadcasting came under the direct control of the Government of India.  The service was designated as the Indian State Broadcasting Service.  It was renamed All India Radio on June 8, 1936. DEVELOPMENT   The real breakthrough in news broadcasting came after January 1936 when the first news bulletin from the Delhi Station went on the air on January 19, 1936 coinciding with the starting of its transmission.  Besides, news bulletins in English and Hindustani, talks on current affairs were also started from the Station in both the languages. The Central News Organization was set up on August 1, 1937.  

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