M Ramachandran, renowned news anchorperson of All India Radio is no more. He passed away at his house in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday. Ramachandran (91) was rated as the Melville de Mellow and Surajit Sen of Malayalam radio broadcasting  for his diction, articulation, pronunciation and modulation while presenting news bulletins. De Mellow and Surjit Sen were pioneers of Radio broadcasting in the country. 

During the 1960s to 1990s Ramachandran was the Malayalees’ window to the outside world. “Let it be regional, national or international news, Ramachandran had a distinct style of presentation and this made listeners drawn towards his news reading,” said former colleague, broadcaster and literary critic Dr M Rajeev Kumar.

Dr Kumar said that his knowledge of Malayalam language and how to use words, sentences and phrases in its correct perspective made him quite different from other radio broadcasters. Ramachandran was the brain behind Kouthuka Varthakal, a bulletin featuring persons, places and events of cultural and historical importance. “His radio news reels based on the day’s important events were a treat to the ears and mind,” reminiscences Dr Rajeev Kumar.

When there were no round-the-clock TV news channels, Ramachandran and his team of broadcasters offered the listeners a birds eye view of the happenings in the world. “The election news bulletins presented by Ramachandran were held in high esteem by political leaders across the spectrum. His news bulletins were as popular as the Malayalam film songs broadcast by the stations of AIR,” said M K Harikumar, Malayalam writer and a long-time fan of Ramachandran.

There were many Malayalam films in which Ramachandran’s news reading was mimicked by lead stars marking his stature as an iconic figure. Ramachandran is survived by his wife Vijayalakshmi and two children.