Alappuzha: The All India Radio (Akashvani) station in Alappuzha, once home to Kerala’s most powerful radio transmitter, is facing an acute operational crisis, raising serious concerns over the future of its broadcasts. Over the past few days, the station has been unable to transmit programs to distant areas.

The crisis stems from frequent technical malfunctions and the reliance on obsolete technology in its Medium Wave (MW) transmission system—a hallmark of the station that has now largely been phased out nationwide. The immediate disruption has been caused by faulty transmitter valves (vacuum tubes). While engineers had previously managed such breakdowns by sourcing spare parts from decommissioned stations across the country, officials acknowledge that these stopgap arrangements are no longer viable for sustained operations.

Demand for a 20 kW FM Transmitter
Historically, the Alappuzha station played a crucial role in relaying broadcasts from the Thiruvananthapuram station across several districts. However, its Medium Wave reach has now shrunk to a radius of under 60 kilometres.

Although a 6 kW FM transmitter has been installed at the facility, the lack of an adequate antenna system and supporting infrastructure has restricted its operational output to just 2 to 3 kW. Insiders point out that the station’s long-term survival hinges on replacing the outdated setup with a high-capacity 20 kW FM transmitter and modern broadcasting equipment.

In November 2020, Prasar Bharati ordered the decommissioning of the high-power MW transmitter, citing prohibitive electricity costs and obsolete technology. However, the Union government was forced to retract the decision following widespread public protest.

Compounding the technical issues is a severe manpower shortage. The facility, which once functioned with a workforce of around 30—including 17 engineering personnel, five administrative staff, and four security guards—is now being run by a skeletal staff of just 13 employees.

A Five-Decade Broadcast Legacy
Commissioned on July 17, 1971, as an auxiliary relay station for Akashvani Thiruvananthapuram, the Alappuzha facility was set up to expand the reach of the capital’s 20 kW transmitter. On April 15, 1999, the station underwent a major upgrade to a 200 kW transmitter, making it the most powerful transmission facility in the state.

Broadcasting at 576 kHz, its signals reached listeners as far as the high ranges of Sabarimala and Kavaratti in Lakshadweep. The facility, which hosts Kerala’s tallest transmission mast standing at 172 metres, is spread across a 34-acre campus at South Kalavoor along the national highway.