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If TRAI has its way, FM stations will not just belt out Bollywood numbers but also news

Late for office. Missed your daily dose of stock movements. Don’t fret and put undue stress on your grey cells, for now you can know the stock movements while driving! Confused? We’ll explain. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has finally given the green signal for the FM channels to broadcast news on their respective stations. So now, not only the stock movement, but you can also tune in to the latest happenings in the political and business world, with just a flick of the radio channel.

TRAI has suggested that FM radio broadcasters should be permitted to broadcast news using content from AIR, Doordarshan & other authorised news channels. In a recent report revealed by TRAI, the broadcast regulator recommended that to sustain the growth evinced in FM Radio sector, major policy decisions should be taken and these include allowing FM channels to broadcast news under certain FDI parameters. And TRAI believes that this would help those people, who hitherto lacked access to information, without any costs that are attached to the Internet and TV services. A nobel cause indeed!

Ravi Shankar, Former I&B Minister had once said, “In India, news sells.” No doubt the big daddies of radio business are all set to test the water to mint moolah from news broadcasting. According to Munish Puri, COO of Mirchi Movies, Times Information Media Ltd., “News broadcasting has a bright prospect as news in radio will reach a larger target audience than TV can ever imagine. And at the same time, one can generate more sponsors & investors.”

Well, generating investors might not be difficult, what with the regulator already gung-ho about allowing as much as 26% in news broadcasting. At present, FDI allowed in radio channels is 20%. The increase in FDI will be a shot in the arm for these radio channels. A spokesperson from TRAI told 4Ps B&M, “Allowing more FDI will also motivate more and more foreign players to come in, which will create a profitable market fetching in more sponsors and advertisers.” But it’s not only the FM channels that will milk super colossal profits from advertisers once broadcasting of news on FM channels is in full sway. Recognised media agencies such as AIR, Doordarshan, PTI, UNI too will also get a boost and more mileage out of this. But all this will only be possible, once the government gives its stamp of approval. However, FM players are pretty optimistic. Echoes Tarun Katial, COO, BIG 92.7 FM, “I hope the government will implement these recommendations soon.” If and when the government actually allows FM channels to broadcast news, it might create a dent in the foundation pillars of the existing TV news channels, as they’ll also have radio channels to contend with for market share. “No not necessarily. In spite of so many TV news channel mushrooming, print media has not been affected. So radio news can’t disturb TV news channels,” feels a media analyst from CII. So after TRAI, it’s time for the government to tune in to the radio channels for more news.

Edit bureau: Angshuman Paul

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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