All India Radio curtails it's services due to lock down in India
On 22nd March, 2020 Government of India announced complete lockdown in 75 cities all across India upto 31st March, in a bid to contain the further spread of the Covid-19 virus . It's an unprecedented situation wherein except essential services, all shops, offices,factories are closed and prohibitory orders issued for general public.
In view of this following orders have been being issued with immediate effect across all stations of All India Radio :
1. The national spectrum of broadcast will be limited to Vividh Bharati Service originating from VBS Mumbai and News Services originating from AIR Delhi.
2. Regional services can relay content as related to above ( SL number 1) with local news, subject to feasibility.
3. All National Programmes of Spoken Word, Music, Sports & other categories stand cancelled till further orders.
4. All other services of All India Radio stands in abeyance until further orders.
5. All ESD (External Service Division) services and all transmitters dedicated to ESD stands suspended with immediate effect.
6. All Pure DRM mode operations suspended, DRM transmitters may be operated on analogue / simulcast mode to relay the National News Service subject to local circumstances and conditions
8月16日、BBCのHindiがいつもより放送時間が延長されている。昨日は1430に終了していた、9460、9510、11795、11995kHzの4波が30分延長し1500まで出ている。実際には上記の4波が確認できた。
BBC Hindi August 16, 2019~
1400-1500 9460, 9510, 11795, 11995 (ex.1400-1430)
19日からは、Hindi以外にもUrduや英語放送も増加するようである。
BBCのサイトを見たら以下のような記載があった。8月15日のBBC報道資料から。
BBC World Service steps up shortwave broadcasts in Kashmir during media shutdown The BBC World Service has extended output on shortwave radio in Indian-administered Kashmir to provide reliable news and information.
The Director of the BBC World Service, Jamie Angus, says: “The provision of independent and trusted news in places of conflict and tension is one of the core purposes of the World Service.
"Given the shutdown of digital services and phone lines in the region, it’s right for us to try and increase the provision of news on our short wave radio services. Audiences in both India and Pakistan trust the BBC to speak with an independent voice, and we know that our reporting through several moments of crisis this year has been popular and valued by audiences who turn to us when tensions are highest.”
BBC News Hindi radio output (9515 and 11995kHz) will be extended by 30 minutes from Friday 16 August. The full one-hour news programme will be on air from 7.30pm to 8.30pm local time.
On Monday 19 August, BBC News Urdu will launch a 15-minute daily programme, Neemroz. Broadcast at 12.30pm local time on 15310kHz and 13650kHz, the programme will focus on news coming from Kashmir and the developments around the issue, and include global news roundup tailored for audiences in Kashmir.
BBC World Service English broadcasts (11795kHz, 9670kHz, 9580kHz, 7345kHz, 6040kHz) will be expanded, with the morning programming extended by an hour, ending at 8.30am local time; and the afternoon and evening programming starting an hour earlier, at 4.30pm local time.
The shutdown has left people with very few options for accessing news at this time. However, news services from the BBC continue to be available in the region - through shortwave radio transmissions in English, Urdu, Hindi, Dari and Pashto. As well as providing an important source of news to the region, the South Asian language services have brought added depth to the BBC’s coverage of the Kashmir story.
The recent introduction of four new languages services for India - Gujarati, Marathi, Punjabi and Telugu, following additional investment from the UK Government - has enabled the BBC to offer a wider portfolio of languages and distribution methods to a region that is geographically diverse as well as politically tense. This year’s Global Audience Measure for the BBC showed that India is now the World Service’s largest market, with a weekly audience of 50m.