Saturday, May 31, 2008

AIR Kargil waves to go across border

On May 30, All India Radio, Kargil, was put on 200 kilowatt high power transmitter to broaden its reach to all the districts of the state and the northern areas under occupation of Pakistan. This was mainly done to
propagate regional culture..
CJ: Rajesh Bhat ,  8 hours ago
IN YET another effort to strengthen radio network in the border state of Jammu and Kashmir, the All India Radio (AIR), Kargil, on May 30 was put on 200 kilowatt (KW) high power transmitter so that its broadcast could reach all the districts of the state and the northern areas under the occupation of Pakistan. The station was presently functioning with a strength of only one kilowatt and there was a dire need to upgrade the station to propagate the regional culture and also to counter the propaganda from across the border. Chief minister of J&K, Ghulam Nabi Azad, who inaugurated the upgraded transmitter from one to 200 KW, said that it was an important day for the people of the district as the station would now be heard in the entire region and across the border. "The upgradation of AIR Kargil Station would further help the government welfare and development measures reaching the people of the region and their separated brethren across the Line of Control (LoC),'' the chief minister said. The Prasar Bharati has, in the meantime, decided to extend the transmission hours of AIR Kargil from five hours to 10 hours. The chief minister said that five hours of transmission would be in local languages. While another five hours would be dedicated to Urdu, the state language. He said that Urdu connected the three regions of the state where people spoke different languages and dialects. He assured people that the upgraded radio station would promote local culture and languages. Azad also welcomed the assurance by the chief executive officer (CEO) of Prasar Bharati, BS Lalli, that local news bulletin would soon be broadcast from AIR Kargil. He said that the radio station was fitted with two generators of one megawatt each to augment power and ensure interruption free transmission. He said the pair of generators was the biggest for any radio station in the country. Lalli, on the occasion, said that apart from starting local news bulletin from AIR Kargil, Doordarshsn would shortly display temperature of this arid dessert region in national news bulletins. The Kargil station, along with other radio stations in J&K, have played a vital and significant role in promoting the art and culture of the area besides countering the enemy propaganda from across the border. During the wars and conflicts of 1947, 1962, 1965, 1971
and Kargil intrusion of 1999 and even during peace times and natural calamities, the radio stations in J&K have efficiently shouldered the responsibility in fighting the war of words. The first radio station in Jammu and Kashmir was set-up on December 1, 1947 at Jammu in the backdrop of the partition and tribal raid, when rumour mongers were calling shots and disturbing communal harmony in this sensitive border state. In the same year, the state had acceded to India on October 26, 1947 after the signing of the Instrument of Accession with the Union of India. Radio Kashmir, Srinagar, started operating from July 1, 1948.
http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=134960

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