Electronic Media Communication

At the time of Independence in 1947 All India Radio consisted of only a small network of six stations. The number of receiving sets was 2.5 lakhs that is one for every 12500 persons in the country. This would hardly characterize the organization as a mass communication system; and, among the available mass media radio was the only channel that had the potentiality to be quickly developed into an effective and truly national services. That was particularly so since the reach of the printed word was limited as only about 30 per cent of the population was literate and 80 per cent lived in villages. So of necessity the quick development of radio became the policy of the planners and the Government under the Successive five-year plans. Being the principal mass media, the objective of radio development after Independence was stated to be twofold.