With a period spanning over half a century Radio Kashmir has become an inseparable part of Kashmir’s modern history. It was once a household voice but things have changed a lot. Many now call it a shadow of the institution it once was. GK Magazine’s ALTAF KHAN talked to the officials and noted broadcasters about its glorious past and the challenges ahead.
 
PROGRAMME HEAD RADIO KASHMIR, SRINAGAR
ABOUT THE PAST
The people, who have administered this station, were all stalwarts in their profession. Hats off to their services. They were trend setters.
It was the only institution that used to cater to all sorts of problems even the politicians would listen to radio and take action on the basis of our reports. There were some special programmes like Zoon Dabb, which used to highlight the day to day problems in a very light hearted manner.
It was the only means of entertainment. Dramas that were broadcast are popular to this day, and there is a demand even now for those dramas.

ABOUT THE DECLINE
When we talk of the standards in script writing set by, the likes of Ali Mohammad Lone, Akhtar Mohi-ud-Din, Sajood Sailani and Shabnam Qayoom, to name a few, it is evident that there is a marked contrast.

THE DAYS OF ZOON DUB AND ZAAFRAN ZAR, ARE GONE!
Every new product looks better and it has its time. Zoon dub won’t be as popular today as it was then. Today’s listener is different, his priorities are different.

IMPACT OF PRIVATE FM CHANNELS ON RADIO
There is no effect because of private FM channels. Ours is a serious audience, nothing can skip their observation. A slight bit of mistake in pronunciation and accent is noticed and reported in the feedback. We are not only entertainers we realize our responsibility of being educators as well. That calmness which audience expects can definitely be had from Radio Kashmir Srinagar.

ABOUT THE FUTURE
Well our programmers are trying their best to do justice with the ever increasing expectations of the listeners. We have an advisory board to advise us time to time, to overcome our lacunae. Our active listeners who comprise people from all walks of life, are free to put their suggestions forward to meet the future challenges.

SYED HUMAYUN KAISAR,
PROGRAMME HEAD, RADIO KASHMIR KARGIL

NEW TRENDS IN RADIO
In early 90s Kashmir was trouble-torn, professionals left, gradually talent stopped coming. But inspite of that people were listening to us. At that time we took risk and started doing programmes in a different way. I went informal in my presentation my colleagues objected they said you are talking to people as if you are talking at home.
But it was helping is in getting listenership suddenly the profile of the talker had a change from 50 to 70, to 20-35 years of age. It gave an opportunity to youngsters; today all of them are doing well. This became possible when  you allowed them to speak their mind out.

PROFESSIONALISM IN RADIO
the adherence to AIR code, every channel, has its own restrictions. Even in the sport channels you have a cardinal rule, you have to follow, and somebody like Ravi Shastri is asked to remove his moustache.

DHADKAN AND ITS SUCCESS
I started it in 2002 I thought why not something on the lines of “Kon banega Crorepati”. I did not have the lure of one million in my programme but had to have some sort of anxiety. Then I took recourse to sports. I started 16 rounds. Public wants change over a period of time; I kept bringing in an innovation that is why it survived.

SOCIAL NETWORKING AND ITS ADVANTAGE
Dhadkan has a facebook page. Same is true for my other programmes. Some administers keep on feeding questions and receive answers throughout the day. Even if we have to make announcement we make it on facebook page. So, in that sense we are using it to our advantage.

RADIO, PAST AND PRESENT
Whatever is gone from our hands is golden, whatever we have is not gold. If you start Zoon Dub today it will fail within two weeks. We can’t compare Bradman to Tendulkar, why compare different eras. No doubt, yesteryears’ broadcasters did wonderful job, but some of them had elitist attitude. Today when I say something seventy percent people should understand, people are wrapping us on knuckles. We need to be updated and connected.

RADIO’S FUTURE
Radio will survive; when we had print and radio came, print survived. Then when television came radio survived. Ccome satellite television, radio stations multiplied. Same is the case with facebook. Radio can be taken anywhere, it goes to most private places. As long as it keeps changing and catering to public needs it will survive.

TULHA JEHANGIR,BROADCASTER

YOUR DAYS IN SHEHARBEEN
Based on the feedback that we have about Sheherbeen, it is still very popular. The popularity among audiences as you would know is relative; it differs from listener to listener. But I don’t see any decline in the popularity. Regarding format, with times you have to makes changes and popularity doesn’t decline with changes. Sheherbeen is a public grievance programme people do listen to it.

YOU MADE PEOPLE LAUGH
Umar kai sath admi sanjeeda hota hain. Zafran Zar is still being broadcast from the station. Myself, Late Ghulam Ali Majboor, Zareef Ahmad Zareef, Makhanlal Mahau used to do that.
Honestly speaking there are not many people around who can write and handle satire. Radio is trying newer lot in the popular programme Zafran Zar. Obviously it takes some time. We can’t produce Ghulam Ali Majboors every day.

FUTURE OF BROADCASTERS
We have two universities training students in Media. Panos South Asia and BBC World Service are doing commendable job in this regard. They hold workshops to train professionals. They say show must go on and it doesn’t stop, there are youngsters who have a thing or two to teach us.

NOT MANY URDU BROADCASTERS ARE COMING UP
It is a cause of concern for me, as a student of broadcasting. Media students don’t have Urdu in their syllabus. This is the area where we need to get our policies right.

ABD-UR- RASHID, BROADCASTER

YOUR MEMORIES WITH RADIO
People who worked for the station then created benchmarks. No doubt there are still good broadcasters working for the station but I get very disappointed when I hear most of them erring in diction, pronunciation, and accent. No less disheartening is step motherly treatment we do to our mother tongue Kashmiri.

ABOUT THE PAST
 The glorious past of Radio Kashmir Srinagar gives enough reason to believe that institutions are made by the people; but then the show must go on. It is time to not only move on but move ahead with times.

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