Tamil Nadu   

Finding a fantastic companion in radio

There have been days when he kept listening throughout the night and forgot to sleep,says Srikanth

Visually challenged Srikant, who has made radio a constant companion, tells Meera Srinivasan about several proud moments he experienced while participating in shows featuring an array of global personalities such as Hilary Clinton, Benazir Butto and Mark Knopfler.

But for the radio, I wouldn't be speaking in English," says K. Srikanth.

Srikanth, who works for the Food Corporation of India as telephone operator, has grown up listening to BBC, Voice of America and National Public Radio.

He stopped going to school after his seventh grade.

"After my eye surgery, I was advised rest for two months. That was when I started fiddling with my father's Murphy radio," says Srikanth.

Voice of America was covering the fall of Skylab, a US space station, extensively. Being an astronomy buff, Srikanth was totally fascinated by this coverage.

He slowly started listening to other stations and eventually found himself in total awe of the medium. "I would get so excited when I heard BBC's signature tune (Lilli Bolero)," he says, with the excitement of a 10-year-old speaking about his favourite toy.

Srikanth who wasn't well versed in English then, started listening to BBC's broadcast in Tamil. This way, he could find out what most of the English words meant.

"When I got comfortable with English, the haze began to disappear slowly. I was fascinated by Robert Robinson's language, he casts a magical spell you know," says Srikanth, who gradually moved on to magazine shows, sports shows and shows on music.

`Off The Shelf' is one of the shows he enjoyed the most. In 15-minute reading sessions everyday, a book would be completed in 20 shows.

"I was really moved when I read Mandela's `Long Walk To Freedom' on this show," he says. He recalls with pride his participation in several radio shows, when he got to speak to people like Hilary Clinton, Benazir Butto and Mark Knopfler over the phone.

Srikanth speaks of his favourite presenters Pete Myers or Robert Greene with great affection and admiration.

"I believe whatever Pete says. Such is the conviction I have in him; such is the conviction he has in himself, rather," he says. "Oh Pete Myers knows how to make you laugh and cry," he adds.

He also enjoys Tenkachi Swaminathan's talks and Ajay's (Radio Mirchi) `Madras Tamil'.

"The greatest joy for me is to listen to a story, however long," says Srikanth, who says, that there were days when he kept listening throughout the night and forgot to sleep.

Though Srikanth initially looked at the radio as a medium that would educate him and equip him, now, it's his tool to achieve his goal.

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