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The National Channel of AIR is one of the premier channels of today, and broadcasts music, entertainment programs and News Bulletin for the country from 6:50 pm to 6:12 am in the morning. This is the only channel that operates after all the other channels have shut down. The National Channel broadcasts in various Indian languages like Hindi, English, Urdu and other regional languages, projecting the multi cultural diversity of India.
The quality of National Channel programs has made it very popular and it has extended it wings far and wide. Its recognition can be gauged from the following table.
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STATES
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100%
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Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Chandigarh, Delhi, Goa, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Orissa, Puducherry, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand
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50% & MORE
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Assam, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu
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30%
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FM- Himachal Pradesh
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All India Radio began broadcasting 'externally' in Pushtu, shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. Today, the External Services Division (ESD) of All India Radio serves as an important link between India and the world. Besides projecting the Indian point of view on matters of National and International importance through its various programs, the External Services Division also attempts to acquaint the listeners' abroad with the variegated cultural mosaic of India and its socio-economic milieu. ESD presently broadcasts in 27 languages, with a combined daily radio hours of 71 hours 30 minutes to about 100 countries.
The target areas of External Services Division span almost all the continents and include areas of East, North-East and South-East Asia, West Asia, West, North-West and East Africa, Australia, New Zealand, U.K., Europe and of course the Indian Sub-Continent.
News, music and spoken work programs constitute the three major pillars of AIR's programme composition. Inspired by the logical approach of BBC, the News Services Division (NSD) is now a reality and seeks to make the newsroom free, fair and responsible. The NSD produces 112 bulletins in 17 languages, which is relayed from various AIR stations and the External News bulletins are broadcasted in 25 different languages.
AIR also broadcasts other news programs. Some of them like "Spotlight" (English) and "Samayiki" (Hindi) deal with topical issues. Others such as "Current Affairs" discuss issues by experts on national and international events. "Charcha ka Vishai Hai" is a similar programme in Hindi. There are other news programs like "Samachar Prabhat" and "Morning News". "News on Phone" and "Phone in Sewa" is two round the clock news services.
Besides the above, AIR broadcasts other programs of quality quotient. Music includes classical, folk, light, devotional, film and western music programs. Talks, discussions, interviews are regularly arranged to provide a forum for all shades of opinion on outstanding national and international issues. Radio drama incorporates narration, music, drama, interviews, poetry, sound effects etc. There are also special programs that cater to the interests of the rural listeners, women and children. Besides these, Educational programs for primary, secondary, tertiary and university levels and Enrichment programs for teachers also constitute a major component of AIR. There is good news for the sports fans as well. One of AIR's important feature is the broadcast of programs on Sports. All the important sports events of international, national, regional and local levels are given due coverage through running commentaries, dispatches and radio reports. Apart from two 5-minute daily news bulletins, AIR also broadcasts two half-hour sports magazine programs.
"Yuva Vani" is another programs for the likes of the age group 15-30 years. These programs are in different formats such as talks, discussions, interviews, plays, features, music etc., and are produced and presented by the youth and for the youth. Other programs for various groups, like the senior citizens and industrial workers are broadcast every week. Interactive broadcasts like the Phone-in-Program, Radio Bridge and Voice Mail, are recent innovations in broadcasting. Voice Mail is another service facility, where people can telephone and record their requests, complaints, suggestions and appreciation, etc. 'Radio Bridge' is a program on special occasions and is broadcast live by up-linking AIR stations through satellite.
Using the satellite facility, AIR has made provision for 20 radio channels for cable distribution. The system became operational on April 1, 1994 to enable the subscribers to receive the Sky Radio Channel on their domestic FM receivers.
Hence much as food, clothing and shelter are a part of our lives, so is the radio. Slowly and silently, the radio has crept into our lives and is here to stay.
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Participants