National Broadcasting Day observed across the country

23 July: National Broadcasting Day

National Broadcasting Day was observed on 23 July 2015 across the country. It is on this day in 1927, the Indian Broadcasting Company started radio broadcasting from Bombay station.

To mark the day, All India Radio (AIR) organized a symposium on the subject Creation of New India and Broadcasting Medium in New Delhi.

Colonel Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, speaking at the symposium, highlighted the role of Prasar Bharati in taking news of public interest to the length and breadth of the country and said that government is committed to the autonomy of Prasar Bharati.

Background

Broadcasting in India began in July 1923 with programmes by the Radio Club of Mumbai. According to an agreement of 23 July 1927, the private Indian Broadcasting Company LTD (IBC) was authorized to operate two radio stations; the Mumbai station began on 23 July 1927, and the Calcutta station followed on 26 August 1927.

The government took over the broadcasting facilities, beginning the Indian State Broadcasting Service (ISBS) on 1 April 1930 on an experimental basis for two years, and permanently in May 1932. On 8 June 1936; the ISBS was renamed All India Radio.

At present, AIR is one of the largest broadcasting organisations in the world in terms of the number of languages of broadcast, the spectrum of socio-economic and cultural diversity it serves.

AIR’s home service comprises 414 stations today located across the country, reaching nearly 92 per cent of the country’s area and 99.19 per cent of the total population. AIR originates programming in 23 languages and 146 dialects.

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