NEW DELHI: In its attempt to increase the reach of its channels all over the country, All India Radio (AIR) is placing the Vividh Bharati channel in Chennai on the FM mode from Friday, 20 February onwards.

The channel, which was inaugurated on 3 October 1957, has until now been broadcast on medium wave on a 20 KW transmitter.

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Rajyavardhan Rathore, is expected to inaugurate the new channel on the 100.5 MHz tomorrow.

This is the 33rd station by Vividh Bharati to go on FM mode. AIR sources said no decision had been taken yet on placing the Hindi beam of Vividh Bharati, which is very popular among listeners, on FM.

With the Chennai Vividh Bharati coming on FM mode, AIR is moving towards reaching at least sixty per cent of the country through FM, in a phased manner.