Activists oppose Centre’s move to relocate Tiruchy RNU

The unit has been broadcasting news in FM too which targets, farmers, fishermen and rural listeners, and the social activists have decided to stage a series of protests condemning the move of the Centre. All India Radio, Tiruchy, was launched in 1939 along with the unit in Chennai and introduced Regional News Network broadcasting from November 14,1981. In recognition of its quality of service it received the best unit award for news bulletin in 2006 in the state.

To provide local flavour, the RNU was given sanction to broadcast news in its Rainbow FM channel from 2006 and this is quite popular among the audience. The FM covers central districts like Tiruchy, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Karur, Namakkal, Dindigul and Ariyalur with over 25 lakh regular listeners and has become very popular among farmers, fishermen and rural people. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting ordered on Tuesday to initially relocate RNU to the state headquarters and the officials of all categories are to be sent to their respective state headquarters. 

Presently, there are three officials on the rolls and 40 casual workers in the unit. The RNU sources said the relocation might pave way for closure of all the news bulletins including news headlines broadcast on FM radio. This means the local flavour would disappear as the relay may be from the headquarters which will have headquarters’ bias and the regular listeners will fail to get information related to the local areas. 

Meanwhile, M Sekaran, President, Federation of Consumer and Service Organisations, said Tiruchy had been losing major institutions one after the other. “The centre in order to entertain private players is taking such decisions. This is purely, against the public and totally against the farmers and fishermen and so we will certainly stage a series of protests unless the move is withdrawn,” Sekaran claimed.