94.3 MY FM completes its network of 17 stations across 7 states

With the launch of MY FM in Jabalpur, Synergy Media Entertainment Limited has gone on-air in all the 17 cities it has license to operate in. Spread across the 7 states of Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh, MY FM is available in Jaipur, Jodhpur, Chandigarh, Bhopal, Jalandhar, Ahmedabad, Surat, Udaipur, Gwalior, Indore, Ajmer, Amritsar, Bilaspur, Nagpur, Raipur, Kota and Jabalpur. With innovative and interactive programming for its listeners MY FM has become one of the leading radio stations in key markets including Jaipur, Chandigarh, Indore, Bhopal, Ahmedabad. Its shows namely Salaam City, Khichdi, Masti Ki Pathshalla, Meter Down and Chandni Ratein have become part of listeners' lives in these markets.

On the completion of the launch phase, Mr Harrish M. Bhatia, Business Head - Synergy Media Entertainment Limited, said "The launch of MY FM in Jabalpur takes the station count to 17 across 7 states in India.

George Sebastian to take over Club FM reins

Mathrubhumi Daily's general manager marketing George Sebastian will take over the reins of the company's Kerala based radio venture Club FM, following the exit of COO Sreenath Gopi. Sreenath, who has been with Club FM since February 2007, has put in his papers and will be launching his own ad agency Hammer India in April this year.

Sreenath has been with the Mathrubhumi led venture and was instrumental in launching the three stations, at Thrissur, Kannur and Thiruvananthapuram. The fourth one will launch shortly at Kochi. Sreenath, who started his career in sales at ITC, had spent 11 years with ad agency Mudra, before moving to radio. Back in advertising now, Sreenath says he aims to set up an agency with a national mindset in Kerala, as there are very few national ad agencies in the state currently.

Club FM has created a distinct identity among listeners in the last few months by providing a local feel and playing Malayalam, Hindi and Tamil songs.

Radio Choklate ropes in junior jockeys

Oriya radio station Radio Choklate has introduced a slot with junior jockeys on their radio stations.

The show Chhota Choklate, aired on weekdays from 4 to 5 pm, is anchored by different ‘Chhota Choklate Jockeys' all aged between six and twelve. Radio Choklate Director Monica Nayyar Patnaik says, "Kids come back from school at around 3.30 pm every day and this is the time they relax and stay glued to the radio. We found that advertisers are also willing to sponsor the shows during this time slot, so this was the appropriate time for us to put up the show".

One ‘Chhota Choklate Jockey' will come on air every day and talk about his/her ‘area of specialization' like music, sports, fashion, masti, movies and stories.

Patnaik says, "Oriyas are very emotional people; they are also very home loving and kids form an integral part of their lives. Even movies and songs in which kids are featured become hits. We are now planning an all-school competition soon for this slot."

The five children currently on air were shortlisted after rigorous auditions. "Although the kids were new to this field, they were so modulated from the beginning that we didn't provide them any formal training. Only their scripts need to be monitored, to give them more inputs. They were naïve and new and with a bit of tutoring they are doing wonders".

Radio Choklate currently operates in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Rourkela, where it launched in late January.

Hike FDI cap, allow FM radio to broadcast news: TRAI

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has suggested increase in FDI (foreign direct investment) cap for private FM radio broadcasters and has also recommended that they may be permitted to broadcast news. For those who are interested in broadcasting news, the FDI cap including FII should be hiked to 26 percent from the present 20 percent. And for the non-news category of FM radio operators, the cap should be enhanced to 49 percent.

TRAI has made clear that no change in holding pattern of the shares shall be permitted in any circumstances till start of the FM Radio broadcasting. Diluting the share holding by majority shareholders is allowed after start of FM radio operation, subject to the condition that their share holding does not fall below 51 percent, with the prior permission of the Information and Broadcasting ministry. Any change in ownership or further dilution shall be permitted after a period of three years from the date of operationalization, after obtaining written permission of the ministry.

Regarding news, TRAI has said that the FM broadcasters should only be permitted to take content from All India Radio, Doordarshan, authorized television news channels, United News of India, Press Trust of India, and any other authorized news agency. "No other source of news is permitted at present," TRAI said in its recommendations on the "3rd Phase of Private FM Radio Broadcasting".

In its report made at the request of the I&B ministry, TRAI has recommended that an existing operator/permission holder can be permitted to bid for another channel in the same district if his bid is the highest. But this should be subject to the condition that the maximum number of channels to a permission holder in the district will not be more than 50 percent of total channels in the district.

Furthermore, at least three channels excluding AIR in any district will be given to three different entities excluding AIR. Thus, the existing ceiling limit of 15 percent of total FM Radio channels in the country permitted to a permission holder is no longer valid.

In another major recommendation, the regulator has said that the geographical basis for Private FM radio bidding in future may be changed from city to district. The channels available in a district shall be auctioned to the eligible bidders and shall be allocated to successful bidders in descending order of the bid price.

Adlabs makes internal assessment on FM radio demerger proposal

Reliance ADAG's move to demerge its radio business from Adlabs Films Ltd. seems to have hit the wall with the information and broadcasting ministry yet to approve the proposal. Adlbas, sources say, is discussing internally whether it should set itself a deadline or make a revised application. Adlabs, however, still hopes that the proposal to demerge the radio business will get the I&B nod. Though Reliance had housed its FM radio business under Adlabs, it had subsequently applied to the ministry for transferring it to Reliance Unicom Ltd (RUL). Adlabs recently admitted that it is "not possible for the company to give effect to the demerger of the radio business as provided in the Original Scheme of Amalgamation and Arrangement" as it has received no definite answer yet. The amalgamation of Entertainment One (India) Ltd (EOIL) and the transfer and vesting of digital cinema business of Mukta Adlabs Digital Exhibition Pvt. Ltd. (MADEL) into the company, however, has received all the "necessary" approvals.

Adlabs said: "It is desired to give effect only to the amalgamation of EOIL with the applicant company and demerger of digital cinema business of MADEL into the applicant company and not give effect to the demerger of radio business of the applicant company into RUL from the Scheme." Accordingly, Adlabs is seeking the sanction of the Bombay High Court to modify the Scheme. Adlabs had declared its financial results over an extended 15-month period ended 30 June 2007 with the hope that it would get the I&B approval by then. Indian companies announce their financial results over 12 months period. Big FM, the radio venture of Reliance ADAG's Adlabs, posted a loss of Rs 945.02 million (before current and deferred tax) for the 15-month period. The radio business was in investment mode during this period and the start up losses were expected.

Sun TV's SFM to launch in Thrissur and Mangalore

Sun TV, through its subsidiary Kal Radio, is launching FM stations under the brand name SFM in Thrissur and Mangalore on 20 and 21 February, respectively. With this launch, the network will have 24 stations all across the country. SFM is already operational in Chennai, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli, Visakhapatnam, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Bhubaneswar, Tirupati, Madurai, Tuticorin, Lucknow, Bhopal, Pondicherry, Kozhikode (Calicut), Indore/Vijayawada, Varanasi, Tiruchy, Rajahmundry, Kanpur and Thiruvananthapuram. The company will launch 21 more stations to complete 45 stations in India.