Despite a packed schedule on Day One of his arrival on January 25, US President Barack Obama will take time out to record a radio programme with Prime Minister Narendra Modi later in the evening at Hyderabad House. The programme Mann Ki Baat will, however, be aired on January 27 at 8 pm, at a time when Obama will be in Riyadh. In fact, Obama will be on the airwaves and TV channels even before that, on the same morning before his departure from here. His speech on India and America: The Future We Can Build Together — organised by the US Government — at the Siri Fort Auditorium will be broadcast/telecast live on radio and TV.
While the names of the media persons covering the event have been approved by the White House in advance, elaborate security arrangements have been made for Obama’s Siri Fort speech as well. The media has been asked to reach the venue as early as 7.30 in the morning for the President’s speech at 10.40 am.
The electronic media staff will have to come even earlier — between 3.30 am and 5.30 am — to set up their equipment, OB vans and undergo frisking. The TV crew will not have access to their equipment during the security sweeps between 5am and 7 am. On Sunday too, at the Hyderabad House where Obama and Modi will hold bilateral talks, audiovisual media will have has to report nearly two-and-half hours while print journalists will have to reach one-and-a-half hours before the 3 pm media interaction.
For his part, President Pranab Mukherjee will address the nation on Sunday, on the eve of the 66th Republic Day. The address will be broadcast from 7 pm on All India Radio (AIR) and telecast over Doordarshan in English followed by Hindi and regional versions.