Date:16/10/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/10/16/stories/2006101611110300.htm

Neglected medium

Radio, a medium equally effective as television, is completely neglected in India.

Everyone knows the credibility of BBC Radio. All India Radio is stuffed what substandard programmes.

There is a family planning song every half-an-hour and a long string of boring advertisements every quarter hour.

Further, there is the cacophony of obscene film songs day in and day out. As in BBC, all our programmes should consist of serious discussions on economic, social, political and international topics examined from an intellectual's viewpoint.

Only then will the youth switch over their loyalties to radio. What Indian youth need are inspiring ideas for national reconstruction, to create a brave, secular, contemporary society of Jawaharlal Nehru's dreams, at the same time rooted in our ancient moral and cultural traditions.

But we see the medium (radio) in an almost collapsed state. S.B.V.R. Shastry,

Warangal

Melody supreme

Good music is one that stirs the soul, something one wants to hear again and again.

But somehow, music had turned nerve wracking. Importance is given to rhythm than lyrics or melody.

The scenario of Indian music, especially in Bollywood, is changing. There is no set trend today. Soft music is doing better than the others genres.

One decade ago pop had come and made some dent, but now that too is stagnant.

Today, stress is more on melody and lyrics.

Not only this, the music should be according to the subject of the film, otherwise even successful cassettes drop in sales after the film's release, just because the audience cannot relate the music to the subject.

M. Satyanarayana Rao,

Hanamkonda

Warangal