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RADIO HYDERABAD
(NashrGah Hyderabad Dakan Mehakma LaSilki )
Inauguration of NashrGah LaSiliki ( Nizam Radio ) - 1933
The Deccan Radio went on air early in the year 1933 . It started as a private radio station
with a transmitting power of 200 Watts . The transmitter was assembled locally .
The radio station was privately owned and operated by the family members .
It was situated at the " Azam Manzil " Chiragh Ali Lane opposite John Co,
Abid Road . Hyderabad did not lag with the rest of the country as regards to
radio transmission .
John & Co advertisement - 1933
There were broadcasts of news in Urdu , Dakhni dholk ke geet ,ghazals , qawwalis etc .
There were broadcasts of news in Urdu , Dakhni dholk ke geet ,ghazals , qawwalis etc .
At a time when film songs did not exist and only a handful of discs by singers like
Gauharjan , Jankibai of Allahabad and Zohrajan of Agra etc existed the local
artists came forward and entertained with their lovely voices . With the opening
of a radio station a number of talented artists specialised in both vocal and
instrumental music enrolled themselves with the radio station for audition .
Roshan Ali a noted musician of that time was the first music director of
the Deccan radio . Later MA Rauf joined the Deccan radio as a
studio executive , he was a notable ghazal singer .
There were no transmissions during the month of Mohurrum .
There were no transmissions during the month of Mohurrum .
Later the transmission was suspended only for the first 13 days of the
month of Mohurrum but there were no programs on music . The
news was taken from the local news papers and the important
events were reported . The news mostly contained matters related
to the State . After 1935 some of the songs appeared on the discs
and the Deccan Radio procured some of the good ones and presented
them . The program on Film music although a brief one received
appreciation from the listeners .
The Deccan radio was taken over by the Nizam in 1935 .
The Deccan radio was taken over by the Nizam in 1935 .
It came under the Department of wireless .NashrGah
Hyderabad Dakan Mehakma LaSilki .
NashrGah LaSilki - Nawab Ali Yawar Jung
The department of wireless was headed by Nawab Ali Yawar Jung Bahadur ,
an eminent personality who later held offices of Vice Chancellor , Ambassador and Governor .
A powerful transmitter of 500 Watts was purchased and installed from the Marconi Co, England .
The new studios were set up at the Yaawar Manzil , Khairatabad and the transmitter with
big antenna was set up at Saroornagar on the out skirts of the city . The red lights on the twin
antennas were visible from many parts of the city . Broadcast Studios were also established at
Saroornagar later and many programs used to go on air especially during the second world war .
One person was deputed to BBC London for training . Nawab Ali Yavar Jung a great visionary
was trying hard to bring the broadcasting on the lines of BBC . New equipment such as wire
recorders were purchased .
The family members of Chiragh Ali left one after the other after it was taken over by the Nizam .
The 200 Watt transmitter was shifted to Aurangabad and a small station at the district level was
The 200 Watt transmitter was shifted to Aurangabad and a small station at the district level was
established . The majority of people at Aurangabad spoke Marathi and so along with Urdu the
programmes in Marathi were also broadcast .
The demand and importance of music was felt by the Deccan Radio and soon arranged music
The demand and importance of music was felt by the Deccan Radio and soon arranged music
programs by local artists . A large number of talented local artists came forward and initially
volunteered to perform . By mid thirties the Deccan Radio became so popular that great
classicalists like Ustad Fayyaz Khan , Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan , Hira Bai Barodekar and
her sister Saraswati Rane were on the list of artists of the Deccan Radio . Ustad Abdul Karim
Khan visited Hyderabad twice and during that time gave performance at the Deccan Radio .
The talent of the local artists were recognized in a short time and there were a large number
of artists on the list of the Deccan Radio . Some of the notable artists of those times are Ustad
Qayyum Husain Khan ( sarangi ) Pt Venkat Rao ( Harmonium ) , Amba Prasad ( Harmonium )
Sheikh Dawood ( Tabla ) GN Dantale - (Jaltarang and Vocal ) . The other Vocalists included
Shankarlal Masterji , Vasumati Dantale , Ambadas Apte , Vittal Rao , SB Deshpande . Amba
Prasad was a master of Harmonium . He was called for occasions when others were unable
to accompany some of the vocalists like Ustad Fayyaz Khan and Hirabai Barodekar .
The artists who were famous for singing the Dakhni dholak ke geet, tappa , and folk songs of
The artists who were famous for singing the Dakhni dholak ke geet, tappa , and folk songs of
Deccan were Noorjehan Bharatpuri ,Kaneez Fatima , Qamar Jahan and Bangari Bai .
A large section of the Hyderabad city was not electrified . This was a precious commodity
and coupled to this the radio set was very expensive and beyond the reach of a common
man . In many localities there were a handful of radio sets and sometimes the non-privileged
were accommodated to enjoy the programs by those who had the radio sets with them .
By late 1930's the markets were flooded with songs on 78 RPM discs from the movies .
The public got more and more interested in film music and a number of middle class
opted to buy a radio set on instalments when their houses got electrified .
As a large section of population consisted of locals who spoke Telugu , Kannada and Marathi .
As a large section of population consisted of locals who spoke Telugu , Kannada and Marathi .
There were regional programs in those languages and were alloted some slots on specific days .
MA Rauf who joined Deccan Radio as a Program Executive later became the Station Director .
MA Rauf who joined Deccan Radio as a Program Executive later became the Station Director .
An excellent ghazal singer and a composer who went on to score music for few movies
produced from Bombay . The films are Tohfa , Beete Din - 1947 and Basera - 1950 .
Moizuddin was another notable ghazal singer who was one of the court singers at the palace
Moizuddin was another notable ghazal singer who was one of the court singers at the palace
of Moazzum Jah Bahadur the second son of Nizam .
Program
NasharGah Hyderabad
December 31 , 1941 Iswi ( CE / AD ) ChaharShunba 28 Bahman 1351 Fasli
( Wednesday )
Sa'at Shaam
5 - 30 - Khayal , Sudh Sarang
5 - 50 - Ghazal , ' teri khushi se agar gham men bhi khushi na hui ( Jigar )
6 - 00 Aam pasand Mouseqi
6 - 20 Marathi Pad aur Bhajan
6 - 40 Ghazal - Ishq mujhko nahin wahshat hi sahi ( Ghalib )
Ghazal Mere haal par bebasi ro rahi hai
7 - 7 30 Bachon ka program
7 30 Khatm Saal - Taqreer
7 45 Khayal Maalkouns
Sa'at Shab
8 - - Urdu men khabren
8 - 25 Angrezi men khabren
8 - 50 Aam pasand mouseqi
9 - 10 Karnataki Anand Bhairavi
10 Duae Salamati
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For those who cannot read Urdu here is in Roman Urdu .
Muqami NashrGah Aurangabad
( Local Radio Station Aurangabad )
(319) meters (940) Kc/s Roz ChaharShunba ,
14 Bahman 1351 Fasli . Auqaat Nashr 5-30 ta 9-30
Sa'at Shab .
Marhati program dehatiyon aur shehriyon ke liye
5-30 to 7-30 sa'at shaam .
Urdu program dehatiyon aur shehriyon ke liye
7-30 to 9-30 sa'at shab .
Mutakhib kalam - Dattu Pant Padmakar
Gaane walon mein AK Thakurdas aur Khwaja Mehmood Baig qabil-e- zikr hai .
( Mehikma LaSilki )
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