National Broadcasting Day 2024: A Radio Legacy

History and Origin of National Broadcasting Day

• National Broadcasting Day celebrated annually on July 23rd in India
• Commemorates the first radio broadcast in the country on July 23, 1927
• Indian Broadcasting Company (IBC) made the first broadcast from Bombay
• IBC was later taken over by the government in 1930
• Renamed as Indian State Broadcasting Service (ISBS)
• Finally became All India Radio (AIR) on June 8, 1936
• Officially adopted the name "Akashvani" in 1956, inspired by Rabindranath Tagore's poem

Evolution of Radio Broadcasting in India

• Started as private initiatives in 1923 with radio clubs in Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras
• Government took control of broadcasting on April 1, 1930
• Experimental service became permanent in 1932
• New radio station established in Delhi in 1936
• AIR grew to become the core of national-level broadcasting
• Currently, AIR has 414 stations across the country
• Reaches 92% of India's area and 99.19% of the population
• Broadcasts in 23 languages and 146 dialects

Significance and Impact of Radio Broadcasting

• Played a crucial role in India's independence movement
• Azad Hind Radio led by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose inspired Indians against British rule
• Congress Radio mobilized people during the freedom struggle
• AIR supported Bangladesh's liberation struggle in the 1971 war
• Serves as a primary source of news and information, especially in rural areas
• Promotes social and cultural change
• Follows the motto "Bahujan Hitaya, Bahujana Sukhaya" (for the well-being and happiness of many)
• Emphasizes the importance of freedom of speech and expression

Prasar Bharati and Modern Broadcasting

• Prasar Bharati established as India's largest public broadcasting agency
• Created by an Act of Parliament
• Oversees Doordarshan Television Network and All India Radio
• AIR is one of the largest broadcasting organizations in the world
• Spectrum of socio-economic and cultural diversity in broadcasting
• Growth of private and public broadcasters offering radio, TV, and online streaming services
• Highlights the ongoing importance of broadcasting in shaping India's identity and future