LARKANA: The transmission of Frequency Modula-tion-101.4 Larkana has been off the air since its transmitter developed a fault two months ago.

Sources in Radio Pakistan Larkana said on Friday that the two kilowatt transmitter stopped working due to a glitch in its software. Local engineers tried to rectify it but failed and then the matter was conveyed to officials concerned at the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBS), said the sources.

Finally, the transmitter was dispatched to the PBS headquarters as per desire of the officials who were to remove the fault and make it functional again, said the sources, adding that technical staff also tried to rectify it online but remained unsuccessful.

Radio Station Larkana’s Director Syed Abid Shah contacted the head office on Monday and urged the officials concerned to repair the transmitter at the earliest and send it back so that so that regular transmission could be resumed but in vain, said the sources.

The FM-101.4 has the capacity to be heard within 50 to 60 kilometres radius. But for the past two months its transmission had been off-air, though the PBC headquarters was expected to send back the repaired transmitter within a week, said the sources.

The PBC headquarters had asked the station manager at Radio Pakistan Larkana to ensure uninterrupted supply of electricity to the transmitter to avoid faults. This device had been installed in the first week of May and developed fault in its software on June 15, said a source, adding that a medium transmitter was working well.

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2024