PASIGHAT, 6 Mar: Akashvani Pasighat, the first radio station of Arunachal Pradesh, celebrated its 60th foundation day in its office promises here in East Siang district on Thursday.
Speaking on the occasion, Akashvani Pasighat Head ID Pertin dwelt on the station’s legacy and epic journey. He also called upon the staff, casual assignees, and radio jockeys associated with Akashvani Pasighat to be well-acquainted with the fast changing scenarios of broadcasting.
The first station of All India Radio (AIR) in Arunachal Pradesh (then NEFA) was inaugurated in Pasighat on 6 March, 1966 by late Kuttik Moyong, political assistant and a renowned social and political figure of the time.
Initially, the power of the transmitter was only 1.5 watt, covering only the township of Pasighat. The office, studio and transmitter were all set up in one SP type wooden government quarters near the present SP office in Pasighat.
Late MN Raichaudhury, programme executive, who retired as DDG, HQ New Delhi, was the first programme head of the station. He had joined in January 1966.
Late PK Singh, assistant engineer, who joined in February 1966, was the first engineering head of the Pasighat AIR.
Jatin Morang and late Takit Darang had joined as regular announcers on 1 December, 1966. The station began its broadcast with Assamese as its medium of broadcast.
Akashvani Pasighat has a very rich collection of folk songs, particularly of the Adi community, some of which are very exclusive and rare. The station has in its archival collection voices of late Daying Ering, Oshong Ering, Talom Rukbo`s poetical series ‘The Baali Appun’, and numerous modern songs of prominent Adi and Galo artists.
The artists whose voices were recorded first at the studio of the AIR Pasighat in 1966 were late Okir Gao and late Maktem Yirang, who presented a Ponung (Adi folk song).
The name of AIR Pasighat came to limelight in 1969 with the beginning of the broadcast of a five-minute Adi news bulletin at 5:30 pm, which was relayed from AIR Dibrugarh (Assam) then.
AIR Pasighat was upgraded to 10 kw in 1991. It was formally inaugurated later by former chief minister Gegong Apang on 27 January, 1996.
Another important change occurred to the station in 1996, with the introduction of Adi dialect as the station’s language of broadcast in place of Assamese. The station started hard disk-based recording in 2004, probably one of the first stations to do so in the entire Northeastern region.
Engineering Head Ojing Megu and PEX (Coordination) M Lemjan Phom also spoke on the occasion. (DIPRO)
