Jalandhar, May 8
It was on this day, on June 8th 1936, the Indian State Broadcasting Service was renamed All India Radio (AIR). This red-letter day marks a special moment in the cultural, information and broadcasting history of the country, where a voice was born that would echo through generations.
On June 7th 1936, the front page of The Indian Listener, the then official magazine of All India Radio announced AIR to the world and inscribed a day before the magic began. A moment frozen in time. A legacy that lives on. The humble Delhi Station of Akashvani became a centre where voices found wings and history found a mic. From these quiet walls emerged echoes that shaped a nation that has since remained timeless, soulful and unforgettable.
Akashvani’s Punjab Cluster Head and Deputy Director General (Engineering), Ranjeet Meena said that to celebrate 9 decades of uninterrupted service to the Nation, Akashvani Jalandhar and Patiala stations in Punjab are organizing a ‘Walkathon’ tomorrow on May 9th. Announcers, artists along with staff members are participating in it. Many listeners are also participating to make the event a memorable one.
Post-independence, AIR expanded rapidly, adopting the name “Akashvani” in 1956. Today, Akashvani operates 591 stations, reaching 98 percent of India’s population, broadcasting in 23 languages and 146 dialects. Living up to its noble ideals of “Bahujan Hitaya, Bahujan Sukhaya”, the News Services Division (NSD) of AIR strives to provide news and views to every dweller in this vast country in varied terrains, 24X7, in all major languages and dialects, while adhering to highest professional ethics and standards in Radio Broadcasting.
