Radio Days

Compere and production assistant and feature writer presenter on contract with All India Radio Yuva Vani English Hyderabad. 

My first exposure to radio was in school when we were taken there for an tour of the radio station. The Yuva Vani section head was very warm and friendly and asked us to write a small essay on any topic for the radio. Chitra Ramachandran our senior/head girl at school who was in charge of us took the trouble to make sure we wrote something and took us back to the radio station. I remember I wrote an essay on the origin of words titled 'Words with Stories Behind". It was appreciated and  

My career in communications started along side my post graduate studies in the Communications and Journalism at Arts College Osmania University in 1984. Even before clearing the voice audition for casual artists for AIR Yuva Vani English programmes, I had the opportunity to work on a radio feature on the National Institute of Rural Development.  Once the auditions happened, I was inducted into the team of casual artists. The Programme Executives Swaroop Sampath, TRK Chari, Anwar Jahan were such kind-hearted souls. Krishnama Chari sir gave us tips on how to modulate the voice before the audition.  

They would give us a free run of the studios and allow us learn the ropes on live projects, it was incredible. Compering a radio programme in the flush of youth for the youth was a high that was hard to replicate. Getting to radio station at 6:30 in the morning, sitting in the studio with the tapes and records, all cued and waiting for that green light to glow and then taking the audience through the half an hour slot and then coming out and asking the duty officer anxiously - how was it, I cannot forget that feeling, truly magical! Three years just flew past and I loved doing the features. The seniors were so helpful in putting the show together. To say that AIR YVE gave my career a flying start would be an understatement. Our hearts would beat at the frequency of 1377 kHz. 

Half the fun doing radio was because we were young and so full of life. I still remember the thrill of receiving the three day contract and then going over to the studio to check in, select the music albums/records and place them in the duty room. 

Evergreen Radio: Radio was an essential feature of every home back then in our childhood. It occupied the pride of the place in the hall and would be switched on,  on the dot. Listen to the signature tune of All India Radio. Apparently this tune was composed by a Jewish refugee Walter Kaufmann in 1936.

What made us good listeners? We grew up listening to the radio. 

What is it about radio that made it so magical? It makes us listen and forces us to mentally construct the scene in our minds, be it a song, or a commentary or a report. In other words we had to visualise and give shape to the content in our mind. It gave wings to our imagination and we escaped into a world of our own creation. In that sense radio gives each listener a personal experience. That mental engagement is special and unique and hence cherished. Radio not only improved our listening skills but also our imaginative skills.

 

As for the music what can I say:

Kenny Rogers gave us goose bumps

Fleetwood Mac: spell binding, hypnotic

Bob Dylan’s ballads: brought us to our knees

Stevie Wonder made us ache for love

Elvis Presley rocked our lives

Jim Reeves made you believe in the beauty of simplicity of the black and white era

Neil Diamond was soulful and simple

Paul Anka : a voice so full of warmth

Don Williams : laid back music forced you to be large hearted. 

Charlie Pride that unmistakable deep baritone was spell binding  

Breaking news: 

RIP Yuva Vani English

After 49 years of service, on 14 January 2022, Prasar Bharati decided to close down all the B channels of AIR as the transmitters had outlived their service period. What a truly sad day!

https://telanganatoday.com/air-hyderabad-b-1377-khz-discontinued-after-49-years-of-broadcasting

Features: God bless the seniors who helped us put together the radio features. The file of radio feature manuscripts, along with the kindness of a few people along the way, helped me get a break into advertising copywriting. The richness of the Radio experience helped me tremendously as a copywriter.