Radio Charminar completes a decade in Hyderabad

“Good day, Salaam, Namaste Hyderabad… That is RJ Asim aur aap solar rahe hain Hyderabad Categorical mere saath, important aapka dost. Baatein hogi kaheen saari, aur bahut saare gaane aap sunne ke liye…. (That is RJ Asim and you’re listening to Hyderabad Categorical with me, your buddy)‘” That’s how radio jockey Asim Abedi, who took over as RJ eight years in the past greets his listeners from the recording studio at Radio Charminar — Dil Se Hyderabadi, a group radio station tucked away within the coronary heart of the town.

On the second flooring of the Ahle Bait Institute in Yakutpura, this modest but energetic station was launched in October 2015 by Hasan Rehmatullah and his son Zain. Sharing area with the bustling campus of Ahle Bait College and Junior Faculty, Radio Charminar will rejoice its tenth anniversary this October.

Elevating consciousness

Broadcasting gear
| Picture Credit score:
SIDDHANT THAKUR

Working at 107.8 MHz, Radio Charminar broadcasts programmes that educate, inform, entertain and lift consciousness — all inside a seven-kilometre radius. “Our focus is on matters like well being, girls’s empowerment, and preserving Hyderabad’s historical past and meals tradition,” says Shaik Irfan Ahmed, system administrator and scheduling head, who has been with the station since its inception.

Over time, the station has tackled all the things from baby marriage consciousness to reviving fading people traditions. Certainly one of their standout reveals, Dholak ke Geet, spotlighted wedding ceremony people songs and located a wider viewers on their YouTube channel.

The platform offers voice to numerous native communities. Whether or not it’s reside periods in group halls or expert-led studio recordings, the purpose is to “talk about and disseminate,” says RJ Asim, station supervisor and programming head. Their speak reveals, usually sponsored by UNICEF to mark days like World Well being Day or World Water Day, are interactive and community-led.

Through the COVID-19 lockdown, their call-in present turned a lifeline. “Our former RJ Nazaakat lived on-site and anchored the reveals,” Irfan recollects. “Folks would say, ‘Chidiya bhi par nahin maar sakti thi, magar aapne humein zinda rakha’ — even birds couldn’t fly freely, however you saved us alive by leisure.”

RJ Saaniya
| Picture Credit score:
SIDDHANT THAKUR

Whereas the radio tower’s transmitter has a 200-watt capability, they’re licensed for 50 watts, reaching listeners throughout Talabkatta, Riyasat Nagar, Malakpet, Chaderghat, DRDL, Saidabad, and even so far as Shamshabad in automotive radios.

One widespread morning present, Salaam Hyderabad by RJ Saaniya, blends well being, way of life, and private reflections. “We’ve got talked about all the things — from breaking the behavior of overthinking to why youngsters don’t respect dad and mom anymore. Even one thing like nail-biting will get individuals calling in,” says Saaniya, who joined after a 16-year stint with ETV Urdu

Screenshot of Radio Charminar station director Allama Aijaz Farrukh from the present Guzishta Hyderabad
| Picture Credit score:
Particular Association

Two of their RJs — Neetu from Sikkim and Dolly from Jaipur — host weekly reveals remotely. Each military wives, they joined the station whereas posted in Hyderabad and stayed on even after relocating.

Funds stay tight, with solely authorities adverts and restricted funding. However as Radio Charminar approaches its 10-year milestone, the staff stays hopeful. One plan contains reviving Guzishta Hyderabad, a beloved present by station director Allama Aijaz Farrukh, with a nostalgic deal with Hyderabad.