Radio broadcasting in India – a service to the community

Smt. Sushma Singh*
*Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting


Radio broadcasting began in India in the early 1920’s. The Radio Club of Bombay broadcast thefirst programme in 1923. This was followed by the setting up of a Broadcasting Service thatbegan broadcasting on 23rd July 1927 on an experimental basis in Bombay and Calcutta, underan agreement between the then Government of India and a private company called the IndianBroadcasting Company Ltd. When this company went into liquidation in 1930, Indian StateBroadcasting Service under the Department of “Controller of Broadcasts” was constituted. TheIndian State Broadcasting Service was renamed as All India Radio in June, 1936. All India Radio also came to be known as Akashvani in 1956.
When India attained Independence in 1947, AIR had a network of six stations and 18 transmitters.
The coverage was 2.5 % of the area and just 11% of the population. AIR today has 231 radio
stations and 373 transmitters and its coverage extends to 91.79 % by area and 99.14 % by population. Operating in a multi-cultural, multi-linguistic country like India, AIR broadcasts in 24languages and 146 dialects, in its home service. In External Services, it covers 27 languagesincluding 16 foreign and 11 Indian languages. AIR operates its broadcasting services on MediumWave, Short Wave and FM. The FM Service uses a larger bandwidth to provide a programmeservice of high fidelity and lower noise distortion. AIR started the FM network with its channels viz.
AIR FM Gold, and AIR FM Rainbow,

Objective
In its programming and other activities AIR is guided by its motto “Bahujana Hitaya;
Bahujana Sukhaya” i.e to promote the happiness and welfare of the masses through information,education and entertainment. To realize its objectives, AIR has evolved a three-tier system ofbroadcasting – national, regional and local. It caters to the mass communication needs of thepeople through its various stations spread across the country. They provide music, spoken word,news and other programmes. Local stations meet the area specific needs of the listener.
At present All India Radio operates its services through:

? Primary Channels

? Commercial Broadcasting Service (Vividh Bharati)

? FM Channels (Rainbow and Gold)

? Local Radio Station (LRS)

? National Channel

? DTH

? External Services broadcast

? Other niche channels: Amrutha Varshini

Emergency Warning Broadcasting System (EWBS)

Broadcasting is a very effective medium for relaying life-saving information on the preventivemeasures to be taken and also about the rescue measures envisaged after the disaster hashappened. Japan has developed a technique in which a sleeping radio set can be switched onautomatically in case of emergency. All India radio has already tested the technique inMW/FM transmitters. Further work is proposed in coordination with National DisasterManagement Authority.
With the passage of time operating broadcasting services on Medium Wave and Short Wave, AIRhas had stepped into the larger bandwidth to provide a programme service of high fidelity andlower noise distortion and thus came the era of FM.
Expansion Of FM Through Private Participation
With the advent of liberalization in India. Government of India brought out a policy to expand FMRadio Network through participation of private agencies in 1999 and again a revised policy in2005. Accordingly, 21 channels were operationalised in various states in Phase- I and 236channels have been operationalised in Phase- II, out of the 266 channels for which licenses havebeen given. Government has received a sum of Rs.35.53 crores (approx.) license fee from these
channels during 2007- 08.
Community Radio Setup in India
After the success of the FM Radio Broadcasting, the Government of India approved a policy forthe grant of licenses for setting up of Community Radio Stations to well established educationalinstitutions including IITs/IIMs, Krishi Vikas Kendras, State Agricultural universities, Indian Council
of Agricultural Research institutions and ‘Non-profit’ organizations like civil society and voluntaryorganizations.

The basic objective of the Community Radio broadcasting is to serve the cause of thecommunity in the service area by involving members of the community in the broadcast of theirprogrammes. These small Radio Stations set up by educational institutions, civil societyorganizations etc., would cater to the needs of the population in a range of 10-15 km and wouldhave programmes of immediate relevance to the community. The emphasis should be ondevelopmental, agricultural, health, educational, environmental, social welfare, communitydevelopment and cultural programmes. The programming should reflect the special interests andneeds of the local community and at least 50% of content shall be generated with the participation
of the local community, for which the station has been set up.
Challenge to AIR - Technological Advancements
With the advent of private channels in FM Radio, the Public Broadcaster’s monopoly hasbeen threatened. To compete with the upcoming channels the AIR also has been adopting newtechnologies and techniques to continue to reach out to the masses. AIR has added anotherfeather to its cap by making available the ‘SMS News on Mobile Phone’ service. Anyone can nowget news through SMS by sending a SMS – NEWS at 5676744.
The ‘News on Phone’ service is another landmark being presented by AIR. Anyone canget the latest news by simply making a phone call on the designated numbers and listen tonational / international news or regional news in English, Hindi and local language. The service isnow operational in 14 cities across the country including Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad,Patna, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Thiruvananthpuram.Utilizing the technological advancements, AIR has also launched its website for the news lovers.AIR News can be accessed through NSD website www.newsonair.com.
Introduction of Internet broadcasting by AIR has enabled its listeners in parts of the world likeUSA, Canada, West and South Africa to avail of AIR’s Services on Internet 24 hrs. 21 AIRchannels are also available through Doordarshan DTH services.
The External Services Division has started digital transmission from its new set up installed in theNew Broadcasting House. All modern gadgets and equipments are being used to attract as manylisteners as possible. Computer Hard Disc based recording, editing and playback system has already beenprovided at 76 AIR stations and is under implementation at 61 stations. Provision of Hard DiscBased System at 48 major stations of All India Radio is also currently in progress. Computerization of AIR stations and offices is in progress to facilitate online exchange ofinformation and improvement of efficiency.
Permanent Studios with digital equipment & Compterised hard disc based work stations forrecording, dubbing, editing & playback facilities etc. are being provided at AIR Leh, Dehradun,Mysore, Jaipur, & Tawang.
AIR has started “AIR RESOURCES” as one of its commercial arm to provide consultancy andturnkey solutions in the field of broadcasting. Its present activities include the following:
It is providing turnkey solutions to IGNOU in setting up FM Transmitters for their Gyan-Vanistations at 40 places in the country. Infrastructure like land, building and tower has also beenleased out to Gyan-Vani stations. 26 Gyan-Vani stations are already operational. Operation &maintenance of all the Gyan-Vani stations commissioned so far has also been undertaken.

All India Radio, with its reach to nearly the whole of population, continues in its effort tospread awareness among the people about the initiatives taken by the Government to improve thestandard of living of the common man. From its post Independence stature as channel associatednly with classical music it has graduated into a educational-cum-entertainment channel and isonce again looking forward to gain the ground it had lost to the private operators in the recent
past.

न्यू स्टिंग ओपरेशन ----- eye-shaped कैमरा
- Borrowing one of nature's best designs, U।S. scientists have built an eye-shaped camera using standard sensor materials and say it could improve the performance ofdigital cameras and enhance imaging of the human body.
The device might even lead to the development of prosthetic devices including a bionic eye, theysaid."This is the फर्स्ट camera on a curved surface to really make it look likea human eye," .
"Currently when you take photos, the middle part of the picture is very clear but when you go tothe edge, it is not so clear. "The curved technology will make the entire pictureclear."But the applications extend beyond taking better vacation photos.
"It really extends to all of the electronics that we use on humans. You want to have a curvedsurface to fit the human body. That is really the place it can be used," . It could even be used in thedevelopment of an artificial retina or a bionic eye.
"If you want to develop an eye to replace a human eye, certainly you want the shape to look like ahuman eye,"
"

The future of the press
Fifty six percent of editors surveyed believed the future would be free newspapers, And only 45 per cent thought journalism’s quality would improve. An annual survey of editors commissioned by the WORLD EDITORS FORUM and REUTERS.
The global survey gathered the answers of more than 700 editors and senior news executives from 120 countries, and was conducted online in March 2008.Although some of the main findings of this year's Newsroom Barometer relate to trends of newsroom integration, the survey's results also revealed some major trends as to the future of the press and news in general.
The fact that a large share of editors believe the most common platform for news in the future will be online - and not print - is significant. It is also significant that a majority of them think the majority of news will be free in the future. Even more interesting though is the fact that these numbers have quickly grown since last year.
Among the main findings:
- A plurality - 44% - believe online will be the most common platform for reading news in the future, compared with 41% last year.
- Thirty-one cited print (down from 35% last year), 12% mobile and 7% e-paper. The rest were unsure.
- A majority of editors - 56%- believe news in the future will be free, up from 48% from last year's survey. Only one third believe the news will remain paid for, while 11% were unsure.
- Two-thirds believe some editorial functions will be outsourced, despite frequent newsroom opposition to the practice.
- Perhaps one of the sadder findings of this year's Barometer, as only 45% of editors think journalism's quality will improve.
Looking 10 years into the future, what do you think will be the most common way of reading the news in your country?
Editors increasingly see online as the platform of reference for news in the future (44% compared to 40% last year), now significantly more so than print (30.6% compared to 35% last year).
Overall, 63% thought a type of digital platform will be the most common format, including 11.5% for mobile and 7% for e-paper, a relatively high figure combined (18.5%) for technologies that are still relatively uncommon. Results for mobile and e-paper stayed stable, indicating that news executives perceived few major evolutions in these technologies over the last year.
Do you think that the majority of news (print and online) will be free in the future?
A clear majority of respondents (56%) believe that the majority of news will be free in the future, a significant evolution, as only 47% answered 'Yes' last year. Only a third of respondents (33%) believe news will remain paid for. The future of the paid-for model - paid by users directly - is increasingly put into question, even by those who produce it.
Respondents from Western Europe, the cradle of the paid-for model, were less likely to believe in free news (48%). North American respondents were on par with the average, at 58.5%. The shift towards the free news model is more apparent when it comes to 'emerging' newspaper markets: in South America, Eastern Europe, Russia, the Middle East and Asia combined, 61% of respondents believed news would be free.
One might have expected Western European and North American editors to be more open to the free news model (after giving birth to freesheets and free online news), but many still think that users should pay for a quality editorial product.
Do you think it very likely, somewhat likely, not very likely, or not all likely that in the future some traditional editorial functions will be outsourced?
Surprisingly, nearly two thirds of respondents (64%) believed that in the future traditional editorial functions will be outsourced, despite frequent newsroom resistance to such announcements. Granted, 44% of editors thought it be merely "somewhat likely," but this shows editors are conscious of - maybe not thrilled by - the growing trend of outsourcing.
One might have expected that North Americans and Europeans (West and East) particularly believe in the outsourcing trend (as the ones primarily concerned by outsourcing due to higher staff costs), but the results pointed in the opposite direction. On average, respondents from other regions of the world were more likely to believe in the outsourcing of editorial tasks in the future.
Over the next 10 years, do you think that the quality of journalism will improve:
A near majority thought that journalism's quality would improve (45% versus 27% who thought it would worsen). Yet while this is positive, it also means 65% of respondents didn't affirm that journalism would improve: the finding illustrates both the relative confidence and the uncertainties of this transitional period for the newspaper industry. Furthermore, this number is slightly down from last year, when 50% of respondents thought the quality of journalism would improve.
The hardships for the North American newspaper industry continue to be felt, as a mere 30% of respondents thought that journalism's quality would improve। Similarly, Russians and Eastern Europeans (34%) and West Europeans (45.5%) were skeptical.

Newspaper circulations climb despite Internett.
Newspaper circulations worldwide rose 2.3 percent in 2006 with Indian sales increasing most with12.93 percent, the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) said .Newspaper sales increased inAsia, Europe, Africa and South America, with North America the only continent to register adecline. Advertising revenues in paid dailies were up 3.77 percent last year,China, Japan and India account for 60 of the world`s 100 best-selling dailies, while the five largestmarkets for newspapers are China, India, Japan, the US and Germany.When free dailies are added to the paid newspaper circulation, global circulation increased 4.61percent. Free dailies now account for nearly 8 percent of all global newspaper circulation.The data from WAN`s annual survey of world press trends was released to more than 1,600publishers, editors and other senior newspaper executives from 109 countries at the 60th WorldNewspaper Congress and the 14th World Editors` Forum in Cape Town.?These results are even better than we expected,? said Timothy Balding, chief executive officer ofParis-based WAN. ?Newspapers are alive and well and exhibiting enormous innovation andenergy to maintain their place as the news media of preference for hundreds of millions of peopledaily.? The trend is defying the rise of the Internet. ?As the digital tide gathers strength, it isremarkable that the press in print continues to be the media of preference for the majority ofreaders,? Balding said.Yet, at the same time, newspapers were ?exploiting to the full all the new opportunities providedby the digital distribution channels to increase their audiences?, he added.Rising circulation figures in 2006 took global sales to a new high, with more than 515 millionpeople buying a newspaper every day.With free dailies included, daily circulation increased to nearly 556 million. Average readership isestimated to be more than 1.4 billion people each day, with most copies read by more than oneperson.In Europe, daily newspaper circulation was up overall, with 10 EU countries increasingtheir circulation, headed by Romania with 25.7 percent, Austria with 9.43 percent, and Portugalwith 8.95 percent.Estonia, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Poland and Slovakia also increased sales, with circulationremaining stable in Cyprus.Another 15 EU countries reported losses. The Slovenian market was hit worst with 18.9 percent,followed by Latvia with 7.8 percent and Greece with 4.9 percent. Belgium, the Czech Republic,Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, Swedenand Britain also reported losses.Elsewhere in Europe, circulation increased in Turkey and Croatia, while declining in Norway and inSwitzerland.In the US, the circulation of dailies fell 1.9 percent, with most of the decline coming in eveningdailies. In Latin America, Brazilian newspaper sales were up 6.5 percent and Colombian salesincreased 3.2 percent.In Asia, circulation was up 3.61 percent over the previous year. Indian sales increased most with12.93 percent. Elsewhere in Asia, sales were up in China, Malaysia, Singapore, Bangladesh andKorea, and down in Taiwan and Japan.Sales in Australia recorded an increase of 2.95 percent, while New Zealand newspaper saleswere down 1.1 percent.In Africa, sales were up 8.24 percent in South Africa and stable in Nigeriaand Kenya.The Japanese remain the world`s greatest newspaper buyers, while Belgians spendthe most time reading them - an average of 54 minutes a day - followed by the Chinese, Finnsand Brazilians, with 48 minutes each.Sunday newspaper circulations declined 3.69 percent, with the US and Britain remaining thelargest markets for Sunday papers by far. Circulation for non-daily newspapers rose 7.29 percent.Free daily newspapers saw a circulation increase of 55 percent in one year, with a total of 287free titles distributing 40.7 million copies a day - most of them in Europe.The five largest free dailies are Metro in Britain, Leggo in Italy as well as 20 Minutos, Que! andADN in Spain.

newspapers in india

India newspaper publication began in Calcutta in the 1780's and by 1800 there were several dozen publications in English, with the numbers increasing periodically. Now, the progress has been so much that every major newspaper from india has an internet edition and you can read an india newspaper online.
There are approximately 5,525 newspapers in India. Official figures are not readily available, but a conservative estimate would be that there are an additional 4,000 titles published elsewhere in India.
Each week, National Readership Survey (NRS) says, the print news media reaches 242 million readers. These enormous numbers, the survey suggests, represent a chain of growth, driven both by expanding literacy and improved living standards
Broadly, NRS shows that newspaper and magazine readership have continued to grow in both urban and rural areas of the country. During the last 5 years, the percentage of adults who read a newspaper or magazine grew by four percentage points, from 45 to 49.
Assuming a population of 620 million adults over the age of 15, as NRS does, that means well over 25 million people in India have begun to read a newspaper or magazine for the first time in these two years.
However, since NRS based its readership figures entirely on urban residents, without surveying the rural areas, the real growth of print media audiences could in fact be larger than the data at first suggest. While 62 per cent of the 183 million in urban areas read a newspaper or magazine each week, NRS records, only 29 per cent of the 437 million rural residents do so. This lower rural reach was not factored into NRS.
The number of adults who read a daily overall grew by one percentage point from, reaching 42 per cent of all adults or some 260 million people. By contrast, eveningers, popular in urban centres, showed a decline in circulation. But the real growth in the print media was marked by magazines; many adults took to reading a magazine for the first time. Magazine readers as a percentage of all adults rose from 25 per cent in 1997 to 28 per cent, which in absolute terms means there are some 174 million magazine readers today. The growth in magazine audiences was driven by news, general interest and subject-specific publications, while business magazines performed relatively poorly.
The largest publications in the country, true to the findings of earlier NRS surveys, are regional language publications, not their more high-profile English counterparts. Not a single one of the english publications figures as one of the top 10 in the country.

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