Hummingbird News Desk
NEW DELHI, 23 JULY: Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur said on Saturday that the media needs to introspect its role if wrong perceptions are being created.
Thakur was speaking at a function on the occasion of National Broadcasting Day, which is celebrated every year on July 23 to mark the first-ever radio broadcast in India that went on air from the Bombay Station under the Indian Broadcasting Company in 1927.
Sounding a cautious note to the media, Thakur said, “If somewhere a wrong perception is getting created about private media with utterances of ‘media trails’, we need to introspect about our functioning.”
Addressing the gathered audience Union Minister Shri Anurag Thakur said that when some people surmised that Radio was going to have an existential crisis with the advent of Television and subsequently internet, radio has identified its audience and not just maintained its relevance but also its credibility.
He added that today, when people want to listen to unbiased news, they naturally tune in to All India Radio and Doordarshan news. That 92 percent of the country’s geography and over 99 percent of people are covered by All India Radio is a commendable achievement, he said.
Speaking on the importance of Radio as a platform Thakur said that many Prime Ministers have come but none saw the value of Radio as Prime Minister Narendra Modi who made it a platform of choice for his monthly Mann Ki Baat, to connect directly with the people of the country.
Crediting the role of the two entities All India Radio and Doordarshan in delivering on the essence of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the Minister said that when the education system since independence did not mention the role of many regional freedom fighters, Radio and Doordarshan curated information about over five hundred unsung heroes from the remotest corners of the country and presented it to the nation celebrating their contribution to the freedom struggle.
The Minister underlined the importance of content for the two agencies and said that it was content that drew people to the channel and no amount of reach through towers can match the importance of content. He further expressed hope that in the digital age, Radio is going to strengthen its presence among the people.
The Minister released promos of new serials on Doordarshan- Corporate Sarpanch: Beti Desh Ki, Jai Bharati, Suron ka Eklavya and Ye Dil Mange More as well as promo of Startup Champions 2.0.
The Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Dr L. Murugan conveyed his best wishes to the audience on the occasion of National Broadcasting Day. Murugan highlighted the important role played by Radio during freedom struggle when many freedom fighters employed it as a tool for communication against the British imperial government. He recognized the role played by radio in connecting the remotest corners of the country and expressed pride in Prasar Bharti being the biggest public broadcaster in the world.
Chief Executive Officer, Prasar Bharti, Mayank Agarwal underlined the importance of the two mediums viz Television and Radio and said that the news content on the platforms has fared better that private media in trustworthiness and this has been brought out by various surveys.
Director General, All India Radio N. Venudhar Reddy, senior officials of Prasar Bharti, Doordarshan and All India Radio were also present on the occasion.
Tags: #AnuragThakur #Media #AllIndiaRadio #Doordarshan #PrasarBharti #Television #NationalBroadcastingDay
