Friday, August 25, 2006

Digital Broadcasters | Akashvani Stations - What is in a Name?

India's state digital broadcaster, Akashvani (All India Radio as it is known in Hindi) last year started to rename its radio stations, in face of commercial FM radio station competition to be more friendly sounding.

They started in the state of Rajasthan.

Do you think it worked?

"Akashvani Jaipur" became corporately known as "Radio Amer" while the AIR FM station in the city became "FM Radio Pink City" (After the Fabulous deep pink stone of the city).

Incidentally, AIR Jaipur has completely converted from analog to digital so the new local AIR production center is the first on the vast AIR network outside of New Delhi to do so.

"Akashvani Udaipur" is now "Radio Lake City". (Famous city for the Maharaja's palace on the lake).

The western Rajasthan town of Jodhpur is "Radio Sun City". ( a desert like climate for much of the year)

Sawai Madhopur Radio, serves the area where the famous tiger reserve - Project Tiger National Park (Ranthambhore) is located. But as "The Hindu" newspaper commented, surprisingly "Radio Ranthambhore" was the name chosen. Radio Tiger has a better ring to it.

Akashvani station in Suratgarh, a western border town with Pakistan is aptly named, "Radio Cotton City". Cotton is the local staple crop.

In Bikaner, the AIR station has been named after the legendary lovers of the desert, Dhola and Maru, as Radio Dhola Maru. The names are found all over the city, on buildings and hotels, so why not the radio station?

Dharampal Malick, station director, Radio Amer in Jaipur told the Hindu newspaper that AIR took into consideration the historical and cultural background of the areas concerned while re-christening the radio stations.

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