How we Broadcast

All our programs originate in Prashanthi Nilayam, and by Swami's Grace we now have a full-fledged studio to do all the pre-broadcast work.

When we began, we used to record audio files on to CD and send them to the uplink stations via Bangalore. Our uplink station for AfriStar is in Johannesburg. We still send CDs but increasingly use the Internet, sending data by SFTP. We do this especially when important events take place. For example, on Swami's Birthday in 2003, the Divine Discourse delivered starting about 8:00 IST was on the air roughly 5 or 6 hours later.

The programs transmitted to Melbourne and Johannesberg are stored in computers there. The daily broadcast schedule is organized from Prashanthi Nilayam by generating what are called Playlists. Separate Playlists are made for AsiaStar and AfriStar. We have made this provision because soon we hope to generate more and more region specific programs. Thus, for example, we hope to have special programs in Italian, German etc, for the benefit of listeners in Europe and likewise special programs meant for Africa.

Playlist generation is done using software developed in Prashanthi Nilayam. Using the internet, the Playlists are loaded into the computers in the uplink stations, which then take over. In brief the broadcast items preloaded into the uplink computers are controlled entirely from Prashanthi Nilayam. Playlist generation and control is done via computers located in the Prashanthi Digital Studio and the Sri Sathya Sai Space Theatre (Planetarium). Historically, our services started in the Planetarium; the Prashanthi Digital Studio came later. Even so, the Planetarium continues to be an important anchor point for Radio Sai.

To know more about how we run the streaming service, click here

To know more about Broadcast Timings and Time Zone Differences, click here

Prashanti Digital Studio	Planetarium