AIR embarks on nationwide upgradation and expansion

By Staff
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Kolkata, Jan 6 (UNI) To achieve 100 per cent coverage across the country, All India Radio (AIR) has decided to open 18 more stations within the next three years and convert the transmission mode into fully digital one, AIR Director General Brijeshwar Singh said here today.

Speaking to newspersons on the eve of ''Akashvani Annual Awards Ceremony for 2005'', Mr Singh said during the eleventh Plan period the Centre had allocated a whopping Rs 8,000 crores for upgradation and expansion of the government controlled media houses, like AIR and Doordarshan during the next five years.

Referring to AIR's all India expansion programme, he said most of the new stations would come up in Tier II and Tier III cities including Malda, Asansol and Purulia and Mindapore in West Bengal.

To increase the national coverage of FM transmission from 38 per cent to over 80 per cent within the next four to five years the AIR have decided to upgrade the transmission facilities in the hilly areas of the East and the North East along with several smaller towns across the country, he added.

Citing examples Mr Singh said the Kurseong station, which also broadcast the Rainbow FM channel, would soon be upgraded to a more powerful station in terms of transmission coverage, while two new stations cum transmission centres would be set up on Rajamalhal Hills in Malda district and atop Sushunia hills in Bankura district to bring several backward and bordering districts of Bihar and Jharkhand under the purview of AIR FM coverage soon.

''We are also looking for suitable sites in Purulia, Burdwan and Midapore districts for setting up transmission towers to beam AIR FM programmes in several other far flung areas,'' Mr Singh informed.

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