The programmes of National Channel are radiated by a One Megawatt Transmitter from a centrally located place in Nagpur, Kolkata, and Delhi, as well as two SW (Short Wave) transmitters located in Bangalore and Aligarh, respectively. According to the 1988 India Today article, the Medium Wave transmitter at Nagpur had cost ₹10.74 crore at the time. But Sambyal points out that this transmitter was replaced just last year. Then why shut down the channel after incurring such heavy expenses?



“It is a hopeless decision to spoil the cultural and entertainment activities of our people,” he says. “After it (the channel) has come under the jurisdiction of Prasar Bharati, there has been cultural damage that has taken place. They (Prasar Bharati) are bent on spoiling the culture.”



DS Chauhan, the ex-director of National Channel who has now retired, says, “The setup for National Channel was different; Rajiv Gandhi wanted the channel to be established in such a manner so that listeners all over the world could be able to tune into Aakashvani programmes. All the broadcasts are done via Short and Medium waves, but the frequency of the Nagpur transmitter started becoming lesser and lesser due to it being really old. There was another transmitter in Aligarh, which has now been shut down, leaving only the Nagpur transmitter and one Short Wave and one Medium Wave transmitter in Delhi.”



Chauhan goes on to support Sambyal’s theory that the “cost-cutting” reason is a farce. “If cost-cutting does indeed need to be done, then how does Prasar Bharati manage to get kaju katlis and 5-star food during its meetings? They can easily cut down on costs here. America currently has 6,700 radio stations across the country, but our situation here in India is reversed.” He further says: “Yeh ek bohot bada khilvaad kar rage hai (This is a very big joke). Today if National Channel is shut down, the entire border area near Uttarakhand and China—where the channel is widely tuned into—won’t be able to listen to Aakashvani programs. Even the Naxalites in this area tune into it…”



As far as the shutting down of the RABMs are concerned, Sambyal says these training academies were very important for the young generation of radio enthusiasts since this is where they are trained fresh out of UPSC.