In order to gain more connectivity with mobile phone users and for greater accessibility in local areas All India Radio (AIR) will soon simulcast content aired on several of its Medium Wave stations in FM mode as well.
This was stated by Minister of Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday while inaugurating free SMS news service of AIR in Assamese, Gujarati, Tamil and Malayalam.The Minister acknowledged the problems on receptivity of programmes aired by Medium Wave stations of AIR in local/nearby areas of the cities from where they are broadcast even if it can be heard well by people in remote areas or outside the cities. Turning to FM mode can however solve the problem, he said adding that if such medium wave stations are available on FM, the broadcast can also reach mobile phone users.
He said over 100 such stations have been prioritised where work would soon commence in this regard.He further said that Phase III of FM radio expansion, would be completed before March next year. Private FM Radio Stations would be allowed to run the news broadcast by AIR using their own news readers. The Ministry would also consider on allowing these radio stations to pick up news from agencies as UNI and PTI.
The five language SMS service in Hindi, Marathi, Dogri, Sanskrit and Nepali had already been launched by AIR on September 19 to provide AIR News on mobile sets to its subscribers free of cost.The free SMS service of AIR in various Indian languages, is yet another effort on the part of the Government to reach out to more people through innovative approaches in multi media platforms, said the Minister.
According to sources, the service has already touched over three lakh subscribers. In the days to come, it would be started in more Indian languages.