*Heard The News?* * An AIR-brushed news slot will soon debut on FM radio* Anuradha Raman, Outlook India Magazine - 17 Nov 2008 http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20081117&fname=Radio+(F)&sid=1
First, the good news. With general elections around the corner, the I&B ministry has finally given in to a long-standing demand of private FM operators. That they be allowed to include news in their programme mix. In its pure form, that would indeed be a landmark change, freeing up radio news. Locally relevant or otherwise 'customised' news can harness the full potential of private FM which, right now, deals almost exclusively in lightweight entertainment. However, the ministry's approval comes with a caveat that scotches this prospect for the moment: the news feed will have to be from the government's mouthpiece, All India Radio. Despite this, the move is being described by many in government as a "masterstroke" by the I&B ministry. With 250 commercial FM channels on air currently, and another 700 waiting to go on air later this year, what better medium to disseminate government-approved news than the radio? Of course, it won't be binding on FM operators to broadcast AIR news. Those who wish to can subscribe to the service. But with most of the private players pushing for news and current affairs for the last five years, including a bulletin is seen as a first step towards independent news programming. "We would be willing to accept news from any credible organisation the government deems fit," says Uday Chawla, general secretary, Association of Radio Operators of India. "Eventually, FM operators should be allowed to run their own news channels with a well-defined content code governing them." Despite the FM boom, both the NDA and UPA regimes have been cagey about allowing news on radio even while allowing TV news channels to flourish. Their rationale: radio news is far more difficult to monitor. The Union home ministry, in particular, has been striking a cautious note on allowing news and current affairs discussions on private commercial radio. Both FICCI and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, incidentally, had recommended a go-ahead for news on private radio. The medium has come a long way since the government opened up the air waves in 2000. At that time, 108 frequencies in 91 cities went under the hammer. But given the complicated licensing structure, there were few takers. As a result, only 22 radio stations took off in 12 cities. A government then decided to ask the operators to pay only 50 per cent of the bid amount, along with an irrevocable bank guarantee for the remainder. Since Phase I bidding, it took two governments and a little help from TRAI to change the rules and have a more equitable revenue-sharing regime. Nearly 280 frequencies across India were allotted in '06. In phase three, players are expecting more liberal licensing, allowing multiple frequencies. This would enable one operator to start more than one channel for a greater content differentiation in one city, but will also let them network across cities, helping cut costs. Allowing news on FM is but the first step to all this.
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