Medium wave needs a new lease of life
THE 1930s and subsequent decades witnessed the dominance of the medium-wave radio spectrum in India. Now, the plug is being unceremoniously pulled on medium-wave transmission across the country. Prior to the onset of the crisp, sharp FM (frequency modulation) sound, the medium wave ruled the airwaves across the US and Europe. During a tour to the US in 1979, I spotted AM/FM radios in every home I visited. Most of the households of poor Americans had black-and-white televisions and AM/FM transistor radios. In India, I saw cheap, hand-held three-band radios, with a couple of shortwave bands and one medium-wave band. FM radio, along with its state-of-the-art high-fidelity stereo sound, was then just a dream in India.
The All India Radio (Akashvani) made its debut in the 1930s in Calcutta, Bombay, Madras, New Delhi and Lahore. All these cities received 5-kilowatt medium-wave transmitters with a 25-mile daytime range. Peshawar, due to its proximity to Afghanistan, received a 10-kilowatt transmitter primarily for night-time use in the Pakhtoon areas. These transmitters served the local city and suburban areas during the daytime and the surrounding provinces received the signal at night.
Although not as clear and sharp as the modern-day FM transmission, the medium wave has all along been a versatile workhorse. Only in bad weather does its signal clarity get compromised. During the early part of my career, there were local MW transmitters in Jalandhar and Amritsar. I lived in Kapurthala, which was closer to Jalandhar than Amritsar, and the reception was clearer there. During stormy weather, the Amritsar transmitter was prone to emit a more disturbed sound. Later, we shifted to Chandigarh, where the problems were similar. Only while in New Delhi could we pick up a fairly strong medium-wave signal.
It was the FM, introduced in the 1990s, which resolved the issue of signal clarity during inclement weather. This FM broadcasting mode was first introduced on LRS (local radio service) stations. It later replaced the nationwide Vividh Bharati stations. Now, barring some primary service channels, the medium wave has slowly been disappearing from the scene.
Another reason for the decline of the medium wave in India is that it has remained closed to the corporate sector and community radio stations. These two sectors can save the medium wave. America and Europe have kept the medium wave open to corporates, leading to good results. If India has to keep its medium wave alive, it has to open it up without strings attached; otherwise, it will be gone for good. Just like in the US, the upper limit of the radiated power can be fixed at 100 kilowatts. In the meantime, all incomplete FM towers should be restored to their designated height and operationalised at the earliest. This inordinate delay is draining the exchequer.
