Off air

As the year ends today, so will the services of WorldSpace radio that had an audience base of over 4.5 lakh in India. And subscribers, who are very disappointed, to say the least, are coming out with their angusih.

Remember Munnabhai giving Gandhigiri lessons on radio in the film Lage Raho Munnabhai? The radio service where Vidya Balan wished Mumbai a was on the WorldSpace radio. But now, it won’t happen anymore. As the year ends today, so will the services of this popular radio service that had an audience base of over 4.5 lakh in India. And subscribers, who are very disappointed, to say the least, are coming out with their angusih.

“I had just renewed by one year subscription for Rs 1,800,” says Damini Purkayastha. “This is such a dampener on the new year’s eve.” “I don’t know what all fans of WorldSpace will do now, we were addicted to it,” writes Rupali Kabadi on a blog.

Most subscribers in India had received an email from the US office informing about the closure, which was even more disheartening — rather, cheated. “I feel cheated by an MNC, couldn’t they tell it in November,” says tweets Suresh, who got a Rs 3,000-silver subscription updated for three years last month. WorldSpace had Oscar winner AR Rahman as their brand ambassador and was the only subscription-based radio service in the country. “I loved it so much, it had become a part of my daily life for the past two years,” says Media concultant Ruchika Dave. Where will I get so many choices on channels,” questions DU student Amrita Pathak We are waiting for that one too.