Today is National Broadcasting Day. On this day in 1927, the first ever radio broadcast in the country went on air from the Bombay Station under a private company, the Indian Broadcasting Company. On the 8th of June, 1936, the Indian State Broadcasting Service became All India Radio (AIR). The Central News Organisation (CNO) came into existence in August 1937. In the same year, AIR came under the Department of Communications and four years later came under the Department of Information and Broadcasting. The following year, CNO was split up into two divisions, the News Services Division (NSD) and the External Services Division (ESD). In 1956 the name AKASHVANI was adopted for the National Broadcaster. The Vividh Bharati Service was launched in 1957 with popular film music as its main component.

Since 1927, Radio has been an important part of people's life in the country. AKASHVANI has been serving to inform, educate and entertain the masses truly living up to its motto – Bahujana Hitaya, Bahujana Sukhaya.