All India Radio (AIR) programmes can now be heard in regions of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as well as in other parts of the neighbouring country. This move comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comments on 15 August where he flagged concerns about the Baloch peoples’ condition in Pakistan.
The Centre boosted the signal capacity of AIR transmission by installing a new 300 KV Digital Radio Mondial (DRM) transmitter in Jammu, official sources said today. The range of programmes transmitted from Jammu station of AIR can now be heard beyond PoK and areas of Pakistan’s Punjab province, they said.
AIR, which already has a service in Balochi since 1974, will now augment the news bulletin component with new programs in the language in a bid to woo Baloch hearts.
The All India Radio (AIR) already has a service in Balochi language which airs various programmes and also news. But now an enhanced news bulletin is being planned in Balochi language.Senior AIR Official
Another remarkable development in expanding radio reach is the decision to set up an AIR station at Udhampur, which had been a long-pending demand for several decades.
It was for the first time the disturbed areas in the control of Pakistan were mentioned by any Prime Minister during his Independence speech. Earlier, DD News had also sent a team to Geneva to interview Brahumdagh Bugti, leader of Baloch Republican Party.
The External Services Division (ESD) of All India Radio already broadcasts daily in 57 transmissions covering over 108 countries in 27 languages. Out of these, 15 are foreign including Balochi language.
(With inputs from PTI)
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