Tirupati: TTD’s Sri Venkateswara F.M. Community Radio Station, operating all along from atop the Tirumala Hills, has on Thursday started functioning from its new premises down the hill.

The 50 watt radio station which became operational in February 2007, under licence from the Ministry of I & PR with a transmission area of 5 km. radius, had to be shifted down to Tirupati as the hills surrounding the station and the thick vegetation around was seriously impeding its transmissions.

The chief objective behind the TTD commissioning the station is to create awareness among the public, especially the younger generation and the masses, about our ancient culture, civilization, values, heritage, to conduct classes and programmes on Oriental languages and literature, to air programmes on developmental works and society-centric projects launched by the TTD from time to time.
Logistics and expertise

Bharat Electronics Limited, Bangalore, has provided its expertise and the necessary logistics to make the station operate from its new campus – S.V. Oriental College campus.

Speaking after formally inaugurating the station, I.Y.R. Krishna Rao, Executive Officer, TTD, urged local residents, students, social activists and house wives to closely follow the programmes aired through the SVFM Station and offer suggestions to further improve its working – both in terms of its programme contents and the transmission quality, so that the cherished objective of providing community radio service is achieved.

N. Yuvaraj, Joint Executive Officer, V.S.N. Koteswara Rao, Chief Engineer, Dr. Vibhishana Sarma, Station Manager were among the participants.