This is an age of mass communication. In the latter half of the 20th century mass communication and information technology made giant strides to bring the people closer and closer to each other. Today the world is laterally only a few taps of your finger away. It is the age of T.V. videos, CDs, satellites, mobiles, internet, films, radio, newspapers and magazines. They are all important means of mass communication that has made the world a small place. They play a vital role in dissemination of knowledge, information, opinion building and making people rational. The importance of mass communication for India is going to be decisive as its backwardness is due to irrational behaviour, superstitions born out of ignorance and absurd customs and outdated traditions.
Radio was the first real mass communication system set in motion in India in 1927. The two stations to go on air were Calcutta and Mumbai. Then, it spread fast all over the land covering almost all the cities, towns and even villages. In 1957 the network got a new name ‘Akashwani’. Till then it was just All India Radio. It became effective means of entertainment, information and education. Radios and transistors are cheap and available everywhere. Today, Akashwani has more then 100 radio stations and broadcasting centres covering 95% of the population. They put on air nearly 300 bulletins in regional, national and external services. Out of them 127 are regional in 62 languages. External services cover 67 foreign languages or dialects. Special sports bulletins, weather bulletins, cyclone storms or tsunami warning bulletins and parliament proceeding bulletins are also broadcast. There are exclusive programmes for farmers covering agriculture, domestic animals and poultry related subjects. Sports commentaries are also very popular. There are programmes for youth put on air by Yuva Vani. For students radio stations air school curriculum programmes besides support and service on degree courses. For rural areas radio is the sole entertainer, news giver, educator and forecaster.
As Doordarshan TV made the scene in India in 1959. It began with 3 days a week transmission. It became regular in 1965 and really spread its wings from 1976 onwards. Now more than 350 transmitters of Doordarshan reach to about 80% of the population. TV is the very powerful and effective means of mass communication. In 1984 Metro Channels were added in four metros, now extended to more cities and towns. UGC programmes for schools and universities have promoted education and training.
Satellite communication has revolutionized the means of mass communication, information and live entertainment. With cable TV and DTH services television viewing has become full of choices. The city TV viewers have access to 50-100 or more channels. There are exclusive news channels, sports channels, movie channels, cartoon channels, religious channels, science channels, wild life, travel channels, games and music channels besides variety of programme channels. Satellite communication can help a fast progressing country like India a lot in dealing with it socio-economic problems.
As an effective means of mass communication films can play a great role and their influence on masses is vast and abiding. India had emerged as the largest feature film producer of the world. Every year hundreds of films in different languages are being made besides ubiquitious Hindi movies. But most of them are formula movies that inspire only new fashions violence, crime and cheap romance. There hardly is any social message. Thus, a very powerful medium of social change is being wasted. The film industry must not forget its social and moral obligations. It should aim at healthy entertainment and desirable socio-cultural change.
The constitution has guaranteed freedom of speech and expression to every citizen in our democracy. It extends to the films, the press and the visual media making them autonomous. But it also means responsibility in the form of accountability and consciousness to their duty to society and nation. Some kind of self regulation and self-discipline is desirable. There is a lot of money in media and possibilities of misuse of media can not be ruled out. There is danger of misinformation and disinformation to manipulate public mind for political purposes and personal gains. That is why, through a judgement, Supreme Court has asked the central government to establish an independent public authority to control and regulate the electronic media. But it must be free from government control.
The implications of satellite communication are really very complex, diverse and far reaching. It has its own inherent strengths and weaknesses that unfold with the passage of time. Vultures of greed and manipulation are always hovering above. There already is cut-throat competition for TRP ratings and objectivity is being thrown to winds. TV channels are propping up all kinds of babas, miraclemen, astrologers, occultists and tarrot card readers. That is a dangerous signal.
