The Hindu : 24-hour AIR news channel from April

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Nov 02, 2003

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24-hour AIR news channel from April

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI NOV. 1. At a time when broadcasters worldover are phasing out short wave transmission, the Prasar Bharati Board has decided to launch a 24-hour news channel from the All India Radio platform on this wavelength from April next. While the Board has cited the growing demand for news at all times as the rationale for taking this decision, the move is apparently driven by the need to put into use the surplus short wave transmitters that have become idle following the closure of various overseas services.

No survey has been done to assess whether there is a demand for 24-hour news on radio, and the News Service Division of AIR is planning to suggest that such a study be conducted to see if there is, indeed, a need for such a service. This apart, the NSD feels that AIR should also attempt to estimate the percentage of the population accessing short wave as the reception is particularly poor.

While the Division is opposed to the decision as it is short-staffed and ill-equipped to respond to the demands of a round-the-clock news channel, the view within is that if the Board is determined to go ahead with the plan then it would be better to launch such a service on medium wave as many of the transmitters are sparingly used.

Upset by the manner in which the decision has been thrust on the news division to protect the interests of the engineering staff, insiders said no effort had been made in the weeks since the decision was taken to plan the new channel though the Prasar Bharati Chief Executive Officer, K. S. Sarma, reiterated the decision to launch a 24-hour news channel on AIR from April on Friday while unveiling Doordarshan News.

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