Andaman Gets First FM Radio Station

FM 100.9 MHz being broadcast from All India Radio, Port Blair has been declared as the 42nd FM Station of Vividh Bharati Network by Prasar Bharati.

With this Port Blair city, the capital town of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and surrounding South Andaman regions have got first FM Radio Station, which was a long pending demand. To start with two hours of local programmes will be broadcast from Vividh Bharati FM Port Blair in the morning and for two hours in the evening.

Meanwhile, the Civil Society has welcomed the move of Government to bless Andaman with its first FM Radio Station which was a long pending demand. “FM Radio Station is a must for any tourist destination like Andaman and Nicobar Islands. I am glad that Vividh Bharati’s Port Blair FM radio station is on air now,” said M Vinod, President of Andaman Association of Tour Operators (AATO).

Earlier last year,  Bishnu Pada Ray, the lone Member of Parliament of Andaman and Nicobar Islands had requested the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting for enhancement of the services of FM Radio in Nicobar District, as the services of FM Radio broadcasting particularly in far-flung areas is very essential means of information and entertainment.

In pursuant to the demand, Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore, the Minister of State for Youth & Affairs and also Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting had conveyed last year that the scheme for setting up of a 100W FM relay transmitter co-located/co-sited with the existing Doordarshan’s LPVT setup at Car Nicobar has been approved by this Ministry.

The Minister had informed that this set up would provide FM services to the entire Car Nicobar region which spans about 11 km East to west and about 14 km North to South.

“As far as private FM is concerned, three private FM Radio channels have been proposed in Port Blair, A & N Islands under the FM Radio Phase-III scheme, which are likely to be put to auction in the subsequent batches of phase-III auction,” the Minister had informed.

As per AIR Port Blair sources, the present FM Station is being operated from existing AIR Port Blair building. (UNI)―Pen News