All India Radio:The Public Broadcaster

The broadcasting House in Parliament Street, New Delhi
stands in the service of people of India




If we go back to the history of All India Radio, we will find that it was started to entertain the affluent groups of elite Indians to listen to the Operas and News. The first broadcast, as it is popularly known, went on air from the terrace of Times of India in Mumbai under the banner of Bombay Radio Club.

It was Mr. Fielden from BBC who took reins of this privately owned set-up in 1936 and gave this name, All India Radio (AIR). At the time of partition of the country, six radio stations remained with India and other three went to Pakistan.The responsibility of INFORMING and EDUCATING the people of independent India was the prime responsibility of the newly form government.Hence radio was the only effective tool in the hands of Government of India to reach to maximum number of people. Thus started the role of AIR as the Public Broadcaster of India with a motto to Educate, to Inform and to Entertain. On completion of 50 years, AIR came under Prasar Bharati with an intention to to make it free from government's patronage.

AIR is fulfilling the role of a public broadcaster by way of including the voices of commonest of the common people and informing them effectively in their own differnt languages and dialect.