NEW DELHI: Capable of radiating right round the earth and representing the highest power in use anywhere in short-wave radio transmissions, two 100-K.W. stations are now engaged in All-India Radio’s round-the-clock broadcasting from Delhi, says a Press note.

As a result of this expansion of transmitting facilities, it is now possible to put out from Delhi as many as nine programmes using different wave-lengths at one time. In actual practice a much smaller number of programmes are on the air simultaneously, for some programmes are broadcast on a number of wave-lengths depending upon the directions of the destination zones. The two transmitters are in operation from 7.0 a.m. to 5.0 a.m. the following day, using for the most part of the period different beams.

India’s participation in international broadcasting began with a daily news service in Persian which was started from All-India Radio, Delhi, in December 1939. This was followed by a gradual expansion of external services which today include daily programmes in European, Mid-Eastern and Far-Eastern languages totalling 17, programmes in six Indian languages for Indians overseas; messages to prisoners of war, etc. consist of specially arranged items of music, talks and news. (Dawn, Delhi)

Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2014