Arunachal: Akashvani Pasighat Celebrates 60th Foundation Day
Akashvani Pasighat, the first radio station in Arunachal Pradesh, celebrated its 60th Foundation Day, reflecting on its legacy in regional broadcasting.
PASIGHAT- Akashvani Pasighat, the first radio station in Arunachal Pradesh, celebrated its 60th Foundation Day on Thursday with a simple yet significant programme held at its office premises in Pasighat.
Addressing the gathering, I.D. Pertin, IB(P)S and Local Administrative Head of Akashvani Pasighat, reflected on the legacy and remarkable journey of the station over the past six decades. He highlighted the vital role the station has played in connecting communities and preserving local culture through broadcasting. Pertin also urged staff members, casual assignees, and radio jockeys associated with the station to remain updated with the rapidly changing landscape of modern broadcasting.
The first station of All India Radio in Arunachal Pradesh—then known as the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA)—was inaugurated in the historic town of Pasighat on March 6, 1966. The station was inaugurated by the late Kuttik Moyong, who served as Political Assistant and was a prominent social and political figure of that time.
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Initially, the station operated with a transmitter power of only 1.5 watts, covering only the Pasighat township. The office, studio, and transmitter were all set up in a single SP-type wooden government quarter near the present Superintendent of Police’s office in Pasighat.
Late M.N. Raichaudhury, Programme Executive who later retired as Deputy Director General at the headquarters in New Delhi, served as the first Programme Head of the station after joining in January 1966. Late P.K. Singh, who joined as Assistant Engineer in February 1966, was the first Engineering Head of the station. Shri Jatin Morang and Late Takit Darang joined as regular announcers on December 1, 1966. In its early years, the station began broadcasting primarily in Assamese.
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Over the years, Akashvani Pasighat has built a valuable archival collection of folk songs, particularly from the Adi community, including several rare and exclusive recordings. The archives also preserve voices of prominent personalities such as the late Daying Ering and Oshong Ering, as well as Talom Rukbo’s poetic series titled The Baali Appun.
The first artists whose voices were recorded at the AIR Pasighat studio in 1966 were the late Okir Gao and Maktem Yirang, who performed Ponung, a traditional Adi folk song. The first Bari folk song was recorded by Tamer Moyong, while the first Delong performance was recorded by Osek Moyong.
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The station gained wider recognition in 1969 when it began broadcasting a five-minute Adi news bulletin at 5:30 PM, relayed from AIR Dibrugarh.
In 1991, the station was upgraded to a 10-kilowatt transmitter, significantly expanding its broadcasting reach. The upgraded facility was later formally inaugurated by former Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Gegong Apang on January 27, 1996.
Another significant milestone came in 1996 when the station adopted the Adi dialect as its primary language of broadcast, replacing Assamese. In 2004, the station introduced Hard Disk Based Recording (HDBR), becoming one of the first stations in the North East region to adopt the technology.
On the occasion, Engineering Head Ojing Megu and Programme Executive (Coordination) M. Lemjan Phom also addressed the gathering, highlighting the station’s role in promoting local culture and community engagement through radio broadcasting.
