World Radio Day is observed every year on February 13 in a bid to celebrate radio as a forum for entertainment and information, and to raise awareness about the importance of radio. It is used as a bridge of communication for remote communities which helps in empowering people.
This year, the UNESCO theme for World Radio Day is “Radio in Times of Emergency and Disaster”.
The All India Radio News Twitter handle @airnewsalerts is busy spreading the joy through voices from all over the world:
Here’s how you can get your story featured as well:
Check out all the love being shared:
Here’s a tribute to the nightingale of India:
And here’s the iconic Binaca Geetmala host:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his favourite mode of communication:
Of course, #MannKiBaat features as well:
Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik was busy at work:
Some facts for you to ponder over while you turn up the music:
- Radio broadcasting has its roots in India in the early 1920’s.
- The first programme was aired by the Radio club of Bombay in 1923.
- Two Broadcasting Services were set up in Mumbai (then Bombay) and Kolkata (then Calcutta).
- The radio operation started functioning under the name of Indian Broadcasting Service after government took over the transmitters in 1930.
- Later it was changed to All India Radio (AIR) in 1936 and renamed as Akashvani in 1957.
- There are at present 231 Radio Stations.
- All India Radio has now become one the largest broadcasting networks in the world.