The Day the Radio Advertising Jingles Disappeared

By Wei Yan Aung 20 April 2019

On this day in 1964, the Union Revolutionary Council discontinued a popular program of radio commercials, which had been a source of income for the government. The program had earned nearly 200,000 kyats in the two years since its launch, but the council, led by General Ne Win, scrapped the program as it moved to nationalize all industries as part of its socialist agenda.

The program, which aired commercials for a wide variety of products ranging from food and drinks to household goods and clothing, had attracted a large audience due to the entertaining and creative advertisements and catchy jingles it featured.

Commercials did not reappear on television and radio until the military government came to power through a coup in 1988.