On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated 91 FM transmitters virtually in 84 districts spanning 18 states and two union territories.
Prime Minister said, “When it comes to radio and FM, my relationship with it is that of a passionate listener as well as that of a host.” “Today the expansion of All India Radio’s (AIR) FM service is a big and important step towards becoming All India FM. This launch of 91 FM transmitters of All India FM is like a gift for 2 crore people in 85 districts of the country,” PM Modi said.
Speaking on occasion, Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur said, “This is a historic move. This will be very helpful in transmitting information related to entertainment, sports, and farming to the local people. Mann Ki Baat increased the popularity of radio.”
The 91 new 100 Watt FM transmitters have been installed in 84 districts across 18 states and two union territories, according to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s office.
According to the statement, a special focus of this expansion has been on improving coverage in Aspirational Districts and border areas.
“The States and UTs covered include Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Ladakh and Andaman and Nicobar Islands,” PMO stated.
The PMO further said, “With this expansion of AIR’s FM service, an additional 2 crore people, who did not have access to the medium, will now be covered. It will result in an expansion of coverage in about 35,000 sq km area.” Prime Minister has firmly believed in radio’s important role in reaching out to the masses.
The Prime Minister launched the Mann ki Baat programme to capitalise on the medium’s unique strengths in order to reach the broadest possible audience, according to the statement.
