National Broadcasting Day is celebrated annually on July 23 in India. The purpose of the day is to remind Indian citizens of the importance of radio in our lives. In this article, we will look at the history and significance of National Broadcasting Day in India.
National Broadcasting Day: History
Akashvani, also known as All India Radio (AIR), is India’s national radio broadcasting service that reaches millions of homes across the country. AIR is a Prasar Bharati division that was previously under government control but is now an autonomous body established by an Act of Parliament.
Prasar Bharati also includes Doordarshan, the well-known national television network that broadcast hit drama series such as Ramayan as well as educational programmes such as Surabhi. Unlike Doordarshan, AIR was founded in British India.
The Bombay Presidency Radio Club, along with other clubs, began radio broadcasting in India in June 1923. On July 23, 1927, All India Radio was founded as a private company called Indian Broadcasting Company ltd (IBC). This is why July 23 is designated as National Broadcasting Day.
On June 8, 1936, the British Raj took over the Indian Broadcasting Company Ltd (IBC) and transformed it into All India Radio (AIR). According to historian Chandrika Kaul, the name Akashvani, which means “voice or announcement from the skies,” was formally adopted for the national broadcaster in 1956 and was based on a poem of the same name written by Rabindranath Tagore in 1938 for the inauguration of Kolkata’s first short-wave radio station.
It is not just spoken words, but sounds and music, which became vital to the radio experience back then. It was Czech composer Walter Kaufmann who composed the opening signature tune of AIR, based on Raga Shivaranjini of Indian classical music.
National Broadcasting Day: Significance
Indian radio had a huge impact on the establishment of an independent India. Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s Azad Hind Radio and Congress Radio both helped rouse Indians against the British prior to independence. In the 1971 war, Akashvani was also instrumental in helping Bangladesh gain independence from an oppressive Pakistan. This makes National Broadcasting Day 2022 a historic occasion for our country.
