By SHYAMHARI CHAKRA
Celebrating World Radio Day and highlighting the relevance of radio in today’s life and society despite the advancements in ultra-modern communication system, the sixth edition of International Radio Fair would be hosted at Bhanja Kala Mandap complex in Odisha’s capital city of Bhubaneswar on Thursday followed by Friday.
The annual event, billed as India’s biggest event of its kind, is the brain-child of Bhubaneswar-based young broadcast journalist Subrat Pati and is being hosted by Outreach, a media organization owned by him.
“Despite so many major developments in communication system, radio still continues to play the pivotal role in our lives and society. Indeed it has been the oldest and best service to connect everyone during calamities apart from wooing the young and the old. Hence, I thought of this fair to celebrate and highlight the relevance of radio on the World Radio Day,” revealed Subrat.
“This has been India’s biggest radio fair. Through the fair, we attempt to increase listeners while sensitizing broadcasters on importance of radio in public service. Further, we also encourage youngsters to choose radio as career apart from offering guidance and assistance to those who wish to set up Community Radio Stations,” he added.
The guests and delegates joining the fair this year comprise various stake holders of broadcast service – radio jockeys, broadcasters, technicians, media planners, media policy makers, representatives of governments, radio stations, radio and broadcasting equipment manufacturers, and HAM radio operators from different parts of India and abroad.
Among the participating agencies have been NHK World, Japan, Voice of America, Odisha’s own Radio Choklet, Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Dhenkanal, Rajasthan’s My FM from Jaipur, Assam’s Radio Brahmaputra and South Asia Radio Club members from Bangladesh, the hosts informed.
“Service providers and policy planners and makers apart, listeners assume great importance to us and we try our best to involve them in all our activities. A major attraction for them and for the visitors to the fair would be the stalls exhibiting scores of old and new radio sets, broadcasting equipment, auxiliary studio and philately on radio. There would also be stalls offering instant radio repair alongside new radio sets for sale,” elaborated Subrat.
The two-day event has more than 10 sessions devoted to discussions, meetings, seminars, workshops and interactions on radio. Radio stations would also organize listener conferences for their own listeners, he added.
