The hyped launch of the cross-border Bangla channel last month was suddenly cancelledIn sharp contrast to the hype generated two months ago, the launch of Akashvani Maitree, AIR’s cross-border Bangla service, on August 23, will be a low-key affair, with just an address by President Pranab Mukherjee in Bangla. The cultural extravaganza was, however, postponed following the cancellation of the President’s trip to Kolkata two days ahead of the launch. The Bangla radio service, launched in 1971 during the Bangladesh Liberation Movement and discontinued in 2010, was to go on air on June 28 with a mix of news and cultural programming. A month ago, ahead of the scheduled launch, there was considerable excitement on both sides of the border. A statement by the Chief Executive Officer of the Prasar Bharati Corporation Jawhar Sircar said, “Prasar Bharati’s speciality is not in organising events.

Source: The Hindu August 06, 2016 22:07 UTC