News Broadcasting
BBC to launch radio amnesty campaign for Africa
MUMBAI: On 6 July 2005, the BBC launches a radio amnesty in aid of African nations – fronted by presenter Nick Knowles – in which listeners can receive discounts on DAB radios.
The BBC’s digital radio team and BBC Radio Five Live have teamed up with manufacturers and high street retailers across the country to offer listeners a discount of 10 per cent on a new digital radio, when they trade in their portable FM sets.
The old sets will then be reconditioned and sent to Somalia and south Sudan, where they will be distributed by the BBC World Service Trust. The amnesty starts on 6 July and lasts until 26 July, during which time Five Live will support the project on air and around a thousand stores up and down the country will take part. Knowles – already recognised for his work with Comic and Sport Relief – is promoting the campaign on behalf of the BBC and will be raising the project’s profile.
He said, “A disused radio set, gathering dust in a spare room in Tunbridge Wells, could end up making a real difference to a family in Somalia. Every set that is traded in will help the educational projects the World Service Trust runs in Africa.”
BBC Radio and Music Interactive controller Simon Nelson says, “We’re delighted to be working with retailers, manufacturers and the World Service Trust on this project. Everyone involved benefits from this initiative: consumers get a discount, DAB radios sales will increase, and it all helps to support some of the fantastic work the World Service Trust is doing in Africa.”
Retailers will accept battery-powered FM/AM radios (not hi-fi separates or mains only sets), which will be reconditioned, fitted with new batteries and shipped for distribution by the BBC World Service Trust and its partner, the African Educational Trust (AET). The trust and the AET will use the radios to further their work on the Somalia Distance Education for Literacy project – or ‘Radio Teacher’ – which offers education to men and women who have grown up during civil war with no chance of schooling.
There is a shortage of Somali teachers and there are few western volunteers, so the only choice is to use the mass media. The BBC states that radio is by far the most widespread medium in Somalia,.
The project teaches literacy through discussions of issues like human rights, health and environmental protection, and has been a great success, with 10,000 people registering for the first teaching cycle. Given the success of the first phase of literacy training in Somalia, the series is now being run for a second time, with a further 7,000 students signing up. The BBC World Service Trust and AET are also planning to replicate the literacy project for the south Sudanese audience and are also exploring the possibility of training farmers and teachers using similar techniques.
The more radios made available to audiences in Somalia and Sudan, the more students will be able to benefit from these projects.
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
