Deputy director-general (music) AIR, Delhi, Grace Kujur, gives way prizes to proactive listeners. Picture by Prashant Mitra

Ranchi, Jan. 3: In an age when radio symphony has been drowned in the cacophony of satellite television, All India Radio is making attempts to be heard.

As part of its revamp strategy, AIR hit upon “interactive broadcast” plan to woo listeners. AIR-Ranchi station broadcast a 13-episode series on fisheries from July 3 to September 25, where listeners were asked to send in queries related to fish farming.

Some of the queries were re-routed to the listeners for answers. About three pro-active listeners, whose answers were found to be up to the mark, were honoured today. Around 38 participants were given away cash prizes, a “certificate of honour” for being proactive throughout the broadcast last year.

“In an attempt to take radio to the people, we decided to broadcast a programme based on fisheries, where listeners were allowed to interact with the station through letters. We decided to honour proactive listeners,” said a producer of the programme. That the radio is still the only “air-link” to villages was evident from the response to the interactive programme, he said.

Raghunath Mahto of Korabar village from Turmooli (Ranchi) said: “You can listen to radio while tilling fields, sowing seeds and harvesting crops. The same cannot be said for television. The programme on fisheries was informative and entertaining as the series informed us about the techniques to be adopted for scientific fishing. We also liked the fisheries’ quiz.”

Speaking about the success of the series on fisheries, station director V.K. Shukla said: “When I was leaving the office the other day, a young man barged into my cabin and handed over a postcard, saying he was from Lohardagga. He came to deliver the letter lest it failed to reach on time. He was a fish farmer.”

Speakers including, deputy director-general (music) AIR, New Delhi, Grace Kujur and Jharkhand Public Service Commission chairman P.C. Hembron emphasised the need to devise the interactive programmes to woo listeners.

In a bid to counter the onslaught of the visual media, which has weaned away radio listeners, the All India Radio’s Ranchi station had decided to popularise its “interactive broadcast” programme. That the programme caught the imagination of villagers was evident through the response it got.