Lok Sabha Question No. 1409 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-07
Subject: Closure of Radio Stations
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: L.S. Tejasvi Surya, Umesh G. Jadhav, Prathap Simha, B. Y. Raghavendra, Devendrappa Y, Sanganna Amarappa Karadi, Annasaheb Shankar Jolle

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1409

(TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.12.2021)

CLOSURE OF RADIO STATIONS

1409. SHRI L.S. TEJASVI SURYA:

DR. UMESH G. JADHAV:

SHRI PRATHAP SIMHA:

SHRI B.Y. RAGHAVENDRA:

SHRI Y. DEVENDRAPPA:

SHRI SANGANNA AMARAPPA:

SHRI ANNASAHEB SHANKAR JOLLE:

Will the Minister of INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING be pleased to state:

- (a) the  number  of  radio  stations  under  the  All  India  Radio  (AIR), State-wise/UT-wise, as on date;
- (b) whether the Government is in the process of merger or closure of  several radio stations/channels, if so, the reasons therefor and the details of the merged radio stations/channels;
- (c) the measures taken by the Government to ensure the broadcasting  of  regional/local  content  in  the  merged  radio station/channel;
- (d) the  estimated  expenditure  to  be  saved  by  the  Government through the above process per year; and
- (e) whether  the  AIR  has  closed  the  Amruthavarshini  FM  radio channel  in  Bengaluru,  if so, the details  thereof  and  the measures  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to  ensure preference to local artistes post-closure?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING; AND

## MINISTER OF YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS

## (SHRI ANURAG SINGH THAKUR)

- (a)  Prasar  Bharati  is  having  500  All  India  Radio  Broadcasting Centres across the country. State/UT-wise numbers of these centres are given at Annexure.
- (b) to (d) No, Sir. Prasar Bharati is not closing any Akashvani radio station in India. Obsolete analog transmitters are phased out from time to time with the availability of alternate transmission technologies such as FM, Satellite Radio through DTH and Internet Streaming.

Further,  Content  Reforms  are  undertaken  from  time  to  time  to ensure that the National, Regional and Local Services of Akashvani serve  diversity  of  content,  while  optimally  leveraging  the  scarce resources,  giving  opportunity  to  local  talent  and  improving  quality without duplication of content. The operational expenditure of these services is being met through the Internal and Extra-Budgetary Resources (IEBR) of Prasar Bharati. (e) No, Sir. Prasar Bharati has not closed AIR FM Radio Channel at 100.1MHz  in  Bengaluru.  Instead,  its  broadcasting  transmission hours  have  been  increased  to  about  17  hours  by  incorporating programmes from the Raagam 24x7 National Radio Service dedicated to Indian Classical Music. Multiple  Akashvani  stations  including  AIR  Bengaluru  contribute several hours of classical music content daily to Raagam 24x7 thus providing opportunities to artists from respective cities/regions.

## ANNEXURE

## ANNEXURE AS REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1409 FOR ANSWER ON 07.12.2021

## STATE/UT-WISE NUMBERS OF AIR BROADCASTING STATIONS

| S. No.          | States                                | Total AIR Stations   |
|-----------------|---------------------------------------|----------------------|
| 1.              | Andhra Pradesh                        | 14                   |
| 2.              | Arunachal Pradesh                     | 39                   |
| 3.              | Assam                                 | 23                   |
| 4.              | Bihar                                 | 16                   |
| 5.              | Chhattisgarh                          | 13                   |
| 6.              | Goa                                   | 1                    |
| 7.              | Gujarat                               | 17                   |
| 8.              | Haryana                               | 5                    |
| 9.              | Himachal Pradesh                      | 16                   |
| 10.             | Jharkhand                             | 14                   |
| 11.             | Karnataka                             | 20                   |
| 12.             | Kerala                                | 12                   |
| 13.             | Madhya Pradesh                        | 25                   |
| 14.             | Maharashtra                           | 30                   |
| 15.             | Manipur                               | 9                    |
| 16.             | Meghalaya                             | 7                    |
| 17.             | Mizoram                               | 13                   |
| 18.             | Nagaland                              | 10                   |
| 19.             | Odisha                                | 21                   |
| 20.             | Punjab                                | 8                    |
| 21.             | Rajasthan                             | 26                   |
| 22.             | Sikkim                                | 16                   |
| 23.             | Tamilnadu                             | 15                   |
| 24.             | Telangana                             | 11                   |
| 25.             | Tripura                               | 18                   |
| 26.             | Uttar Pradesh                         | 29                   |
| 27.             | Uttarakhand                           | 22                   |
| 28.             | West Bengal                           | 16                   |
| Union Territory | Union Territory                       |                      |
| 29.             | UT (A & N Island)                     | 1                    |
| 30.             | UT(Delhi)                             | 1                    |
| 31.             | UT (Chandigarh)                       | 1                    |
| 32.             | UT (Dadra, Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu) | 3                    |
| 33.             | UT (L&M Island)                       | 1                    |
| 34.             | UT(Pudducherry)                       | 2                    |
| 35.             | UT (Jammu & Kashmir)                  | 16                   |
| 36.             | UT (Ladakh)                           | 9                    |
| Total           | Total                                 | 500                  |