After a run of 76 years, BBC Tamil Radio to go off air

For K. Raja, a working professional, the BBC Tamil radio broadcast used to be the only source of information to keep himself updated on current affairs. “From the war in Sri Lanka to the Gulf War, our source of updates in the 1980s and 90s was the Tamizhosai BBC Tamil Radio service,” he recalled.

Nearly 76 years after it was started on May 3, 1941, the broadcast had its last show on April 30. The short wave transmission broadcast, which became a daily programme from 9.15 p.m. to 9.45 p.m. in the 90s, initially began as a weekly programme. The radio broadcast then became a bi-weekly programme in the eighties.

“For people in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka who were keen to know more about current affairs and international news in particular and wanted to listen to it in a language they were comfortable with, the Tamil broadcast was a staple. The radio broadcast was always known for its objective reporting of the Sri Lankan civil war and had a lot of listeners from there,” said Sampath Kumar, a former correspondent with the BBC.