July 23 is observed as National Broadcasting day every year. On this day in 1927, Indian Broadcasting Company (IBC) began organized radio broadcasting from Bombay station.
Radio Broadcasting in India began during the British rule in 1923 under the imitative of the Radio Club of Bombay. Later in 1927, IBC which was a private entity was granted permission by British Government to operate two radio stations in Mumbai and Kolkata. Since then it has gained immense popularity and had changed the socio-economic life of people.
In 1930, British Government took over radio broadcasting and started the Indian State Broadcasting Service (ISBS). Later it was changed to All India Radio (AIR) in 1936 and Akashwani in 1957.
All India Radio
- AIR is one of the largest public broadcasting organisations in the world.
- It is largest in terms of the spectrum of socio-economic, the number of languages of broadcasts and cultural diversity it serves.
- AIR service now comprises around 414 stations located across the country with reach to the 99.19 per cent of the total population and 92 per cent of the country’s area in 23 languages and 146 dialects.
