All India Radio has launched a 24-hour satellite classical music channel, ‘Raagam’, which will be available via DTH (with no transmitter support as with its other channels) and mobile app (All India Radio Live), and will also be streamed at www.airbengaluru.com.
For the first time in its history, the public broadcasting corporation will have a 24-hour channel with classical Carnatic and Hindustani programmes. It can be accessed not just in India but the world over. About 42 per cent of the music will be Hindustani and 58 per cent, Carnatic.
“It is a matter of pride that Bengaluru will be involved in the technical broadcast and content management of the national channel even as 14 other stations will be officially contributing to its programming,” said Dr. A. Suryaprakash, chairman, Prasar Bharati, after inaugurating the channel at Town Hall.
The one-minute signature tune of ‘Raagam’ is composed by Bengaluru-based mridangist Anoor Ananthakrishna Sharma. Sudha Murthy of the Infosys Foundation, who was part of the inaugural event, said she “wished the channel was available a few decades ago” as she could have grown up with it.
