Radio in India

Radio Record, Volume V, Issue 4, 7 August 1931, Page 12

Radio in India

Suggested Service improvements SUGGESTION S of great interest for the basis of a satisfactory broadcasting service in India are contained in an article by Professor G. ‘R. .Toshniwal, of Allahabad University, which was published in "The Pioneer," a leading Indian newspaper. Dealing with the present conditions he states that the Indian Broadcasting Company, which was floated in 1927, suffered heavy loss, and had to go into liquidation in 1930. Now both the Indian stations are run by the Government, probably at a loss. He gives as the reason for this lamentable state of affairs the fact that there are only a few thousand listeners in the country» the population of which is 300 lions. He therefore considers that the first essential moves are the production of a cheap and simple set, and the building of a large number of transmitters so that adequate volume can be obtained from such a set. One of the greatest difficulties in connection with transmission is atmospherics and man-made "static"; in Allahabad signals from Calcutta and Bombay, are not only equal in strength to the interference, and in summer the signals are almost drowned. For diversity of programmes and long distance reception he suggests that each station can be supplied with a low power short-wave transmitter which he states could be done. "at a little extra cost." To finance this scheme he considers the Government should either start / State factories or subsidise a private company for the manufacture of wireless apparatus, and should impose heavy duties on imported goods. In his opinion each of these factories could maintain a transmitter which would lend its service to business firms for sponsored programmes. In this connection he states: "Hven in England, such ‘sponsored programmes’ were the only foundation for a self-sustaining radio broadcasting service." While this is true for America, the other example he-gives, it is not so for Iingland, as we never have sponsored programmes, °. Continuing, he advocates the employment, by manufacturing concerns, of foreign skilled labour on a contract basis, and the training of Indians to replace it. For the programmes he suggest music, lectures, talks, and non-secta ian religious discourses "which will cultivate a sense of toleration and mutual understanding among the various Indian communities," He thinks public demonstrations in the use of radio sets should be given and sets should be installed in schools and colleges to interest the younger generation. Subsidies should be given for transmitters in each of the colleges where wireless courses have been taught for the past few years.