While television has made it challenging to draw people to radio at prime time on Sundays, a drawback for Geetmala is that it has a duration of 20 minutes as against the full hour that listeners were accustomed to. In fact, before we came on Vividh Bharati this time we had a 13-week run of Geetmala on the primary channel. We switched to Vividh Bharati because this channel asks for lesser rates. Of course, there is talk about the duration being increased but one cannot commit to it yet. Mr Sayani retains faith in the power of radio to do wonders provided its potential is harnessed.
Radio has a vast reach.
But if one has to translate this reach into listenership, one has to ensure that the programmes are good and well-knit, and one has to promote the medium. Here is where producers and advertising agencies think AIR falls short. But they need to keep adding to it, and feeding their station so it doesn't starve. One has to allow variety and creativity to flourish. The man whose strength lies in his voice and delivery says the secret of good broadcasting lies in not sounding like one were reading from a prepared script.