Akashvani Srinagar Celebrates 90 Years of Broadcasting with Grand Musical Concert

The musical evening featured mesmerizing performances by noted Kashmiri musicians Waheed Jeelani, Manzoor Ahmad Shah, and Shafi Sopori, who enthralled the audience with soulful renditions of traditional and contemporary Kashmiri music. Their performances were warmly appreciated by the audience and added colour to the celebrations.

Among the distinguished guests present on the occasion were Col. Sambit Das, Anil Yadav, Anurag Bishnoi, Satish Vimal, and Abdul Rehman Bhat, besides a galaxy of renowned artists, broadcasters, former radio personalities, and admirers of the rich broadcasting heritage of Akashvani Srinagar. Their presence added further grace and significance to the celebrations marking 90 years of public service broadcasting.

Speaking on the occasion, Gurbinder Singh, Deputy Director General and Cluster Head, expressed immense pleasure over the successful celebration and highlighted the invaluable contribution of Akashvani towards nation building during the last nine decades. He recalled several important milestones in modern Indian history and observed that Akashvani has not only been a witness to these transformative events but has also played a crucial role in shaping public discourse and strengthening the democratic and cultural fabric of the nation.

Referring specifically to Kashmir, he emphasized the significant contribution of Akashvani Srinagar in preserving and promoting Kashmiri language, literature, art, culture, and music. He said that Akashvani Srinagar has established a strong network of transmitters covering the entire Kashmir Valley and areas across the Line of Control. He further added that Akashvani Srinagar originates news bulletins in all major languages and dialects spoken in the Valley, thereby ensuring inclusive communication and outreach to diverse communities.

Akashvani today has a network of 591 stations spread across the country, covering nearly 92 percent of the geographical area and reaching 99.2 percent of the population of India. Akashvani produces daily programmes in 23 languages and 184 dialects, thereby preserving and promoting the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of the nation.

Akashvani broadcasts programmes covering a wide range of genres including health, agriculture, music, news, youth affairs, education, culture, and public awareness. Apart from conventional radio broadcasting, Akashvani has significantly expanded its digital presence through social media platforms, the NewsOnAir app, Waves OTT platform, and DTH services to connect with newer generations of listeners.

Head of Programme, Ghulam Rasool Akhoon also addressed the gathering and spoke about the deep emotional bond shared by the people of Kashmir with Akashvani Srinagar. He stated that the institution remains committed to fulfilling the expectations of its listeners by providing credible information, quality entertainment, and culturally enriching content.

He further observed that although the rapidly evolving modern media landscape has posed challenges to traditional radio broadcasting, radio as an audio medium is continuously reinventing itself and steadily reclaiming its relevance and glory in the digital age. He underlined the growing importance of digital streaming, social media integration, and community-centric programming in expanding the reach of public broadcasting.

The programme concluded with a vote of thanks and renewed commitment towards strengthening the legacy of public service broadcasting while preserving the cultural heritage of Kashmir through meaningful and inclusive programming.(PIB)