Before smartphones and streaming apps took over our lives, there was a time when the entire nation paused to tune into a single voice on the radio. That voice brought news, songs, cricket commentary, and even bedtime stories — all packed in crackling sound waves that connected cities to villages, the government to the people, and strangers to stories.
Every year, on July 23, we celebrate National Broadcasting Day — a tribute to the day India first tuned in. It was on this day in 1927 that radio broadcasting began in India. Back then, it was called the Indian Broadcasting Company (IBC), a name not many remember today. But what followed changed Indian media forever.
The IBC later became All India Radio (AIR) — a household name for generations. From airing freedom struggle speeches to popular Bollywood songs, from devotional music in the morning to dramas in the evening, AIR became the heartbeat of Indian homes.
Radio wasn’t just about entertainment. It was India’s first mic to the masses. It carried messages to the remotest corners of the country, reached people who had never read a newspaper, and brought voices to those who couldn’t afford a television.
Even today, in an age of flashy screens, radio quietly holds its ground. In small towns, villages, farms, and roadside tea stalls — it continues to play, inform, and comfort. It’s a friend to truck drivers on highways, farmers in fields, and students preparing for exams.
But behind that comforting voice is a team — the real heroes of radio. The RJs, announcers, scriptwriters, technicians, and editors who work tirelessly to bring us news, joy, and music — one broadcast at a time.
So on this National Broadcasting Day, let’s tune in and thank them. Thank them for decades of memories, melodies, and moments.
Because long before we swiped, tapped, or clicked — we listened. And radio spoke.
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