Electronic Journalism

Lesson 04 : Expansion of All India Radio

Vividh Bharati

The Vividh Bharati was started on 2nd October 1957, as a service of 'light entertainment' to compete with Radio Cylon, which had begin directing a commercial service to India on powerful short wave transmitters. At present there are 30 Vividh Bharati and commercial Broadcasting stations in the country. Sixty per cent of the time of the stations is devoted to film music and the rest is earmarked for devotional music, light music and spoken word programmes in the form of shol1 plays, talks interviews, etc. Sponsorships are also accepted for these programmes. Vividh Bharati service increased the popularity of radio as a mass communication medium. At present this service is on the air for 12 hours and 45 minutes every day with an extra hour and a quarter on Sundays and holidays.