All India Radio, Tiruchi, has taken steps to start relay stations in Pudukottai and Karur districts for expanding the reach of its FM Rainbow channel.
Five acres of land is required for each relay station for installing a 100 watt transmitter and creating other infrastructure to cover 20 km surroundings.
Written requests have been made to the district collectors specifying the AIR’s land requirements and their response is awaited, according to G. Jayalal, Additional Director General, Programme and Administration, Doordarshan, and AIR, South. At present, the reach of the 10 KW transmitter for the Rainbow FM channel is 60 km and parts of Thanjavur and Pudukottai districts are covered. Mr. Jayalal said the work on setting up relay stations in the two districts would be initiated once the AIR takes possession of the required land. He was responding to a request made earlier during the start of the platinum jubilee celebrations of AIR Tiruchi on Thursday by P. Kumar, Tiruchi MP, for extending the reach of the Rainbow FM channel to Pudukottai district since, he said, it was a part of the Tiruchi Lok Sabha Constituency.
Having completed 74 years, AIR Tiruchi has scope to develop keeping pace with scientific developments.
The AIR plays a pivotal role in explaining the schemes of the Union and State governments to the deserving sections of society, for their educational and social uplift, Mr. Kumar said.
S.K. Agarwal, Additional Director General-Engineering, T. Periyasamy, Deputy Director General-Engineering, Writer Prema Nandakumar, and Jothimani Elangovan, Programme Head, AIR, Tiruchi, offered felicitations.
Natyanjali by students of Bala Kala Vidanam; folk performances by Thanjavur 'Kalaimamani' T.A.R. Nadi Rao troupe; and Jugalbandhi by Mysore M. Manjunath on violin, Pravin Godkhindi on flute, Arjun Kumar on Mridangam, and Dharwad Rajendra Nakod on tabla mesmerised the audience comprising music and art lovers.
