"Pakistan Broadcasting Service Transmission Equipment Persists in Islamabad Museum: Remnant of the historical broadcast that declared the nation's birth remains preserved"
Reviving the Voice of History: Radio Pakistan's Marconi Transmitter and its Digital Future
In 1947, as Pakistan was born, the Marconi transmitter echoed the historic announcement of the nation's independence across the airwaves. This relic of Pakistan's past now stands as a monument in the Radio Pakistan museum in Islamabad, symbolising the birth of a nation and the dawn of a new era.
Originally installed in Lahore in 1937 as part of British India's early radio infrastructure, the transmitter was repurposed on August 13, 1947, to deliver the defining broadcast of Pakistan's independence. Broadcasters Zahur Azar (in English) and Mustafa Ali Hamdani (in Urdu) shared the momentous occasion with the nation and the world.
The Marconi transmitter's significance lies not only in its role as the medium for that historic announcement but also as a symbol marking the dawn of a new era for Pakistan. This broadcast was more than a technical transmission; it was a profound moment of political and cultural significance, encapsulating Pakistan’s creation and identity.
After being stored away in Radio Pakistan’s engineering archive for many years, the transmitter was restored in 2020. It now stands encased in glass at the heart of the museum, a centerpiece reflecting nearly a century of Pakistani broadcasting history. The museum display includes this transmitter alongside original broadcast scripts, underscoring its continuing cultural and historical importance.
Fast forward to 2025, Radio Pakistan is partnering with a Chinese technology firm to digitize its full music archive. This extensive collection, some of which dates back more than 70 years, will be accessible globally via platforms like Apple Music. The digitized music archive will be accessible via mobile phones, allowing listeners to access Radio Pakistan’s music from anywhere.
Saeed Ahmed Shaikh, the current director-general of Radio Pakistan, has introduced reforms to bring the broadcaster into the digital era since 2023. The focus of these reforms is archiving and digitizing Radio Pakistan's vast music and speech recordings. This move not only preserves the legacy of Pakistan's broadcast heritage but also expands Radio Pakistan's reach beyond Pakistan's borders.
Established in 1947, Radio Pakistan served as the first public broadcaster of Pakistan and a significant platform for the country's musical and cultural identity. Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Attaullah Khan Esakhelvi, renowned Pakistani musicians, made their first public performances on Radio Pakistan.
Today, Radio Pakistan boasts a digital reach extending beyond Pakistan's borders to Gulf countries, Europe, and North America, connecting expatriates to familiar sounds and languages from home. As of now, Radio Pakistan has over a million followers on [X], 2.7 million on Facebook, and a mobile app that streams live content from 53 stations across the country.
The Marconi transmitter, a historically significant piece of technology, continues to symbolise the birth of Pakistan as a nation. Its restoration and digitization mark a new chapter in Radio Pakistan's history, ensuring that the voice of the nation's past resonates through the digital age.
- The digitization of Radio Pakistan's extensive music archive, which includes recordings dating back over 70 years, will make it accessible globally on platforms like Apple Music, allowing listeners to enjoy Pakistani music from anywhere.
- Moving forward, the digital era of Radio Pakistan, initiated by the current director-general Saeed Ahmed Shaikh in 2023, is aimed at not only preserving the legacy of Pakistan's broadcast heritage but also expanding its reach to regions beyond the country's borders.
- The world can now access and appreciate Pakistani art and culture through the digital platforms of Radio Pakistan, which boasts millions of followers on various social media platforms and a mobile app streaming live content from 53 stations across the country.
- From music and news to lifestyle and entertainment, the transformation of Radio Pakistan into a digital broadcaster ensures that the voice of the nation's past, as symbolized by the Marconi transmitter, resonates through the digital age, reaching every corner of the world.
