National Broadcasting Day is annually observed across India on 23 July to commemorate the establishment of the Indian Broadcasting Company (IBC), a Bombay (now Mumbai, Maharashtra)-based private radio station, which came into existence on 23 July 1927.
- Aim: To celebrate the radio, which served as the only broadcasting medium before Television (TV) for News and Entertainment.
- 2024 marks the 97th anniversary of establishing the All India Radio (AIR), formerly IBC.
Background:
i.Radio broadcasting started in India under British rule in 1922 which consisted of programmes by the Bombay Presidency Radio Club.
- In June 1923, the Radio Club of Bombay made India’s first-ever broadcast.
ii.The journey of the IBC began on 23 July 1927 as a private company named the Indian Broadcasting Company Limited (IBC), becoming the 1st radio company in India.
iii.On 1 March 1930, the IBC went into liquidation, following which the British government in India took charge of the broadcasting facilities, establishing the Indian State Broadcasting Service (ISBS).
iv.On 1 April 1930, the ISBS, under the Department of Industries and Labour (now the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoIB)) commenced on an experimental basis.
v.On 8 June 1936, the ISBS became All India Radio (AIR) and the phenomenal growth achieved by the AIR has made it one of the largest media organisations in the world.
vi.When India attained independence, there were 6 radio stations in India, at Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta (now Kolkata, West Bengal), Madras (now Chennai, Tamil Nadu), Tiruchirapalli (Tamil Nadu), and Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh).
- There were 3 in Pakistan (Peshawar, Lahore, and Dacca).
- On 23 July 1977, the first-ever FM (Frequency Modulation) Service was inaugurated from Madras.
v.The journey of broadcasting in India took a significant turn with the introduction of television. On September 15, 1959, Doordarshan, India’s public service broadcaster, made its first television broadcast from a makeshift studio in New Delhi.
About All India Radio (AIR):
i.AIR is one of the largest broadcasting organisations in the world in terms of the number of languages, social-economic, and cultural diversity.
ii.AIR, India’s Public Service Broadcaster, expanded rapidly, adopting the name “Akashvani” (meaning ‘voice from the sky’ in Sanskrit) in 1956.
- The name Akashvani was inspired by Rabindranath Tagore‘s 1938 poem of the same name, written for the inauguration of Kolkata’s 1st short-wave radio station.
iii.It is the Radio vertical of Prasar Bharati and is the sister service of Doordarshan, an Indian TV broadcaster owned by Prasar Bharati.
iv.It’s home service comprises 591 Broadcasting centers across India, covering nearly 90% of India’s area and 98% of the total population.
- Terrestrially, AIR originates programming in 23 languages and 179 dialects.
v.The motto of AIR is ‘Bahujan Hitaya: Bahujan Sukhaya’ (meaning ‘for the happiness and welfare of all’ in Sanskrit), serving to inform, educate, and entertain its audiences since its inception.
vi.Today, AIR operates 591 stations, reaching 98% of India’s population and broadcasting in 23 languages and 146 dialects.
National Broadcasting Policy (NBP), 2024:
i.The National Broadcasting Policy (NBP), 2024, initiated by the MoIB, is set to transform India’s broadcasting sector.
ii.The objectives are to define a robust future for the broadcasting sector; promote India’s cultural diversity; and support the transition to a digital economy.
iii.The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) issued a pre-consultation paper in September 2023. The process culminated in a Consultation Paper (CP) which synthesises inputs and outlines strategic directions for the NBP.
About Prasar Bharati:
Prasar Bharati, India’s Public Service Broadcaster, was established under the Prasar Bharati Act of 1990 and came into existence on 23rd November 1997.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- Gaurav Dwivedi
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
