Bureaucracy killing the radio star
FREDERICK NORONHA
Are you one of the few oldtimers who misses the radio waves when your favourite programmes are not available? Do you have the habit of tuning to radio stations, from far and near, since your younger days? The recent FM boom has built a new set of fans for radio; but for others like myself, it is a habit going down decades.
February 13 was World Radio Day. Two friends reminded me about this, perhaps knowing that there is a shrinking number of people who still take radio seriously.
The year 2020 has been a roller-coaster ride for radio in India. Mostly going downhill. At the start of the pandemic, in March 2020, when we were all cooped up at home (and still not used to it), the radio came in as a useful distraction. More than that, it actually kept us company.