Smt. Sadhna Bhatt: A.I.R. is All About “Bahujan Hitaya, Bahujan Sukhaya”

Radio: Today and Tomorrow.

If I talk about today’s radio, it has a lot of possibilities. Radio is a modern tool for communication and at the same time it is extremely popular with the young generation. Youth has got busier these days and they have no time for the visual medium. They tune into the audio medium for faster information. Gujarat is an advanced state in terms of industries. Also there are a lot of people coming here for work; there are a lot of avenues too. And radio is a tool for the betterment of the people. So radio definitely has a brighter and wider scope, especially with reference to Gujarat.

How has Radio as a medium grown over the years?

Since last 75 years, we have conceived All India Radio. In the ancient times, i.e. in 1936, Radio had a different concept. The Maharajas of Mysore, Hyderabad, Vadodara and other places had their own Radio Transmitters. But now radio is a medium that is in the hands of the Common Man, it is a relation of give and take and a participatory medium. The listener has the option to interact and listen through even his/her mobile phones.

Journalism is rapidly being replaced by the online media. Do you think that anytime in recent future, online radio will gain more popularity?

Listeners already have the options of listening to the Radio through their mobile phones and the internet. They can listen as well as download the news through just a click. The programs too can be listened through Airnet. Also, when it comes to participation, you need to be one on one with the listeners, you need to build interaction and through this online medium, your listeners are not away, they can be with you.

Do you think Journalism and Radio are interlinked?

Infact radio is a part of journalism; we can say its audio journalism. Basically, journalism is divided into print, audio and video formats. So we can always say that radio is all about audio journalism. It covers everything that any other medium does.

What is your take on Commercialization of Radio for Entertainment?

Commercialization to some extent is good. Sometimes it becomes necessary for survival. But it should not be undertaken in a way that the basic motive of radio is marred. Also, commercialization has got certain specific norms all over the world. If one crosses those norms and is overdosing, then the very content of the program or entertainment is being murdered. So if these limits are followed then commercials are good for the awareness of the common man.

Do you think Privatization of Radio has adversely affected the popularity of A.I.R.?

In the beginning, privatization was taken as a challenge. Gradually we learnt to survive this competition in the audio world. However, A.I.R. has some positive points due to which it is much above the other private channels.

• It is a Public Broadcaster. So it is MASS oriented and not CLASS oriented
• It covers 99% of the population of India and 98% of the area, which is the widest reach in the entire world
• A.I.R. broadcasts in 29 languages, 46 dialects and 12-16 foreign languages

Thus we have an edge over the others due to all these strengths.

How is A.I.R. playing its role in the development of the State?

It definitely won’t be any exaggeration to say that whatever has happened in the country by means of awareness, education has been through A.I.R. Be it agriculture, green revolution, science or any other field – A.I.R. has been the first promoter. It has helped people to know various things and this way it has moved on. Any undertaking is not possible without people’s support and any one person cannot do anything.

How has A.I.R. met people’s expectations? 

This question reminds of a meeting soon after the 2001 Gujarat earthquake. All the officers present at the meeting decided that small TV sets should be provided to the rural areas as a part of disaster management. It was then that I put forward a request that instead of TV sets, transistors should prove a better option. TV sets require electricity which is often cut off in the aftermath of any disaster. Whereas radio is cheap, is easily accessible and does not require literacy unlike newspapers. So the point is even during any disasters, A.I.R. has stood the test of time and been the only source of communication for the people. Government messages, warnings and suggestions are broadcasted through this medium in times of emergencies.

Message from your desk for ‘The Namoleague Times’.

I wish that this e-paper becomes the most powerful and truthful voice for the common man. Truth includes journalism as well. It is above everything; it will surpass all and ultimately lead to victory of the common man. I wish Namoleague Times all the very best.
(From the interview with Smt. Sadhna Bhatt, Dy. Director, Regional Training Institute, A.I.R. Ahmedabad)

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Shri Ajay Umat: Content is the King

What according to you is E-Journalism and how do you find its future?
Journalism is definitely about the print media. As for the E-Journalism it refers to the internet, mobile phones, TV channels, blogs and other such media. This reminds me of an article by Rupert Murdoch which says that the challenges before the future editor are to bridge the gap between the digitally immigrant and the digitally native people. Those born in today’s digital age are technology
friendly. The growth of Internet has been amazing in the past ten years. While newspapers took a whooping 43 years to reach a mark of 5 crore readers, radio took 12 years, TV took 5 years; Internet took only 1 year. Journalism faces the challenges of its own bias and ideologies and lack of interaction. While E-Journalism will definitely take over if it provides good content.

How would you list the roles & responsibilities of media?
Media has to more responsible than it is today in our country. It needs to stop the media trials that it undertakes may be because of the peer group pressures. Be it any case, media tries to dictate judgments even without studying the facts and figures, just to score over their rivals. This is really an irresponsible behavior that leads to disservice to the society as it does not provide a complete picture of the story. JOURNO + ANALYSM instead of JOURNALISM will soon be the motto.

Gujarat: 5 years back and forth
Since the past 7-8 years Gujarat has been vibrant in the true sense of these 3 pillars: best infrastructure, powerful law and order system and remarkable economic growth. Shri Narendra Modi says ‘Invest a rupee in Gujarat and you get a dollar in return.’  Be it roads, infrastructure, water or electricity, Gujarat has witnessed a remarkable change over the years. There has been focus on the rural sector equally that led to higher girls education, rural development and human development in turn.

Do you think that leadership has a role to play in the development of any state?
Leaders always have a vision and if I talk about Shri Narendra Modi, he has a vision to provide equal opportunities to everyone. He is concerned for the down trodden and aims to wipe tears from every eye. That’s the reason he visits all villages and is worried about all the parameters of development. Development is ultimately not only GDP, but the social development of all the strata of the society.

Your message on the launch of “The Namoleague Times”
My best wishes are always there for this new venture. Time has come to go global. Also I am sure this E-Paper will serve as a platform for people to know the realities. Many people have the habit of bashing an individual unnecessarily, I hope through this stage lots of clarifications will come and show the other side of the story to the people.

(From the interview with Shri Ajay Umat, State Editor. Divya Bhaskar)

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