Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday virtually inaugurated 91 FM transmitters in 84 districts across 18 states and two union territories.
“Today the expansion of All India Radio's (AIR) FM service is a big and important step towards becoming All India FM. This launch of 91 FM transmitters of All India FM is like a gift for 20 million people of the country,” Modi said during the inauguration.
“When it comes to radio and FM, my relationship with it is that of a passionate listener as well as that of a host.”
An official statement by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said the special focus of this expansion is on enhancing coverage in Aspirational Districts and in border areas.
The states and union territories where the FM transmitters have been launched include Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Ladakh, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
“With this expansion of AIR's FM service, an additional 20 million people, who did not have access to the medium, will now be covered. It will result in an expansion of coverage in about 35,000 sq km area,” the statement from the PMO read.
Terming it a historic move, federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur said: “This will be very helpful in transmitting information related to entertainment, sports, and farming to the local people. Mann Ki Baat increased the popularity of radio.”