Akashvani Dibrugarh- 43 Glorious Years On the Air Waves

Commissioned on February 15, 1969 by the then Union Information & Broadcasting (I&B) minister Nandini Satpathi, the station began working individually in a temporary studio at Lepetkota, near Dibrugarh. The station finally started full-fledged programme production from its present campus at Moloshubacha in 1974 and now playing a role of mirror to the people and culture of Upper Assam. This station is also associated with the lifeline of a major part of Arunachal Pradesh as before the establishment of the AIR station here, people in Arunachal Pradesh used to hear transmissions by Chinese radio which they could receive easily. However, after the establishment of AIR, Dibrugarh, people got to hear something Indian on their radio sets.

All India Radio Dibrugarh has now become like backbone for the cultural and educational practices in Upper Assam. With its variant entertaining and informative programs this station is providing excellent radio taste to the people of Assam. Many of the emerging musicians, play artist and journalists in Assam have began their professional journey from this station and many of the emerging artists are now associated with AIR Dibrugarh. Eminent personalities like like Lutfur Rehman, Syed Sadullah, Munin Bhuyan and Shyamananda Baishya once dedicated their entire for this station. The radio station here has earlier won national awards for legendary radio plays like Hati Aru Phandi by Munin Bhuyan, Rajani Bidur by Lutfur Rahman, Setu by Tarun Chandra Pamegam and Urukha by Syed Saadullah. During these 43 years, the radio station here has also aired several much-listened interviews with leading personalities like Khushwant Singh, BBC editor Rita Payne and drama personality Habib Tanvir, among others. In order to conserve the cultural ethnicity of the region, AIR Dibrugarh has collected samples of folk and tribal music of this region to preserve
them at National AIR Archive, New Delhi. 

Amidst the gradually growing threat of 'spicy' matters romping the airwaves, the Dibrugarh AIR station still maintains its public broadcasting identity by dwelling on need-based and people-oriented programmes. Of late, the station is embarking on revenue generation through public broadcasting. There is also a farmers' phone-in programme which is gaining popularity as it offers expert solution on various agricultural problems faced by farmers. Among the missionary programmes, "Aajir Dintoo" broadcasted every morning at 7:30 A.M. has established good rapport with listeners by targeting youth restlessness. This programme has a sub-component called Projujokor Chinta attempting employment generation among the rural youths by implementation of strategic and timely farming methods. Among other popular programs of Akashvani Dibrugarh some are Swastha Charcha (health related discussions), Hindi Sikkhar Pathdan (Hindi Learning class), Bidyarthir Onusthan (Educational program for students relayed from AIR Guwahati), Karpungpuli (Program for Missing listeners) and other ethnic language programs in, Kromsoh (series of Novel reading) and some of its entertaining musical programs like Gitanjali (program of Sugam Sangeet), Antara (program of Hindi film songs), Suror Satsori (program of popular Assamese songs), Hindi film song program for Defence persons and Indian Army, Western Music program at the afternoon are are very popular among listeners.

AIR Dibrugarh can be heard on 567 kHz mediumwave with three transmissions daily. The morning transmission of this station begins at 5:30 AM IST and run till 9:35 AM IST (Sundays 10:20 AM IST); Afternoon transmission begin at 12:00 PM IST and lasts till 15:00 PM IST and the evening transmission begins at 15:30 PM IST and ends at 22:30 PM IST. All India Radio Dibrugarh or Akashvani Dibrugarh with its 300 KW medium wave transmitter is one of the most powerful MW station in north east India and they frequently receives letters of appreciation from HAM radio operators as far as Netherlands and Finland. We hope in the coming years AIR Dibrugarh can be able to reach more milestones in the history of broadcast in India.....