FM Radio stations gear up for Valentine’s Day; expect a surfeit of love

It’s that time of the year again when the world sees ‘red’, albeit in the shape of hearts, when card companies look forward to a surge in sales, and a thousand romances bloom to a different commercial beat. And adding to the Valentine’s Day spirit are FM radio stations, which are planning to woo listeners with special shows and contests.

Radio City’s Valentine’s Day celebrations begin from February 8 and continue throughout the week leading to February 14. The FM station’s RJs will be hosting city-specific programmes in Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore and Lucknow. Only two programmes – ‘Salam-e-Ishq’ and ‘Dil to Shair Hai’ – will be played in all four cities.

‘Salam-e-Ishq’ will have tips from Love Guru on how to get a date and Love Bytes, which is a feature on celebrity couples. ‘Dil to Shair Hai’ is a contest, which begins on February 8 and will continue till February 13, where listeners will be invited to send their best ‘Babbar Shers’ or couplets on ‘Dil vil pyaar vyaar’. The four funniest entries will be aired on Valentine’s Day. Celebrities will also recite some ‘shers’ with others commenting on them.

In Delhi, Radio City will air ‘Love Bytes’ as part of the day’s celebrations. An IVRS-based contest, this programme invites listeners to leave messages on what is the best way to propose. The most interesting ideas will be aired on the radio station on February 14 and winners of the best two entries will get an opportunity to propose on Radio City as well as win freebies.

Radio City in Bangalore will air ‘Bangalore’s sweethearts, more than love stories’ starting February 6 till February 14. This will feature couples from interesting and different backgrounds, for example, an IAF pilot who fought at Kargil and his wife, a couple married for 25 years, a young couple, newly weds, etc. These people will participate in the contest to prove their compatibility. The couple that wins will be declared as ‘Bangalore’s sweethearts’.

The ‘Love coupons contest’ on February 14 will invite listeners to SMS love letters to their loved ones.

In Lucknow, Radio City will have a segment, ‘Dil da mamla’, featuring hit romantic songs. ‘Be my Valentine contest’ will give listeners an opportunity to meet their favourite RJ by answering simple questions. On February 14 Radio City will air ‘V-Day Specials’ through its popular shows. The week’s highlight would be the ‘Jodi No. 1’ contest starting February 10 till February 13 on RJ Anirudh’s show, where he will search for the best couple by testing them through a series of questions called ‘Ek duje ke liye’.

Listeners can participate in this contest by sending the number of their partner via SMS. On February 14, RJs will take the shortlisted couples on air across all shows and ask them questions about each other. The most compatible and understanding couple would be announced the ‘Jodi No. 1’.

Not to be left behind, Go 92.5FM will begin celebrating Valentine’s Day on February 7 with the second edition of Flirty@7.30 speed dating special at Zenzi. It involves up to 10 mini-dates, which last 5 minutes each, and participants who indicate that they would like to see each other again will be given each others’ contact details within 24 hours of the event.

Shariq Patel, Station Head, Go 92.5FM, said, “After the overwhelming response we received last time, we are convinced that the concept of speed dating has now found its acceptability, which is very encouraging and hence, we have returned with the concept and bettered it. Earlier, you’d probably associate a concept like this with loners devoid of social skills, who have to resort to such extreme means to get a date. Of course we ensure quality more than quantity, so the last time saw an attractive mix of young professionals from all spheres of life from advertising agencies, to investment bankers… from lawyers to fashion designers.”

Patel added, “The excitement and the challenge this time around was to offer something more than the usual speed dating event so that participants and event goers can have a super time.”

Go 92.5FM has thrown in a lot more elements like a special Salsa performance by the Salsa India Dance Company, and once participants pick up a few tips in the art of Salsa they can practice them with actors Dino Morea and Onjolee Nair, who star in the film ‘Holiday’. Participants can also win exciting movie merchandise, CDs and movie tickets of the film.

Go’s programme ‘Good morning Mumbai’ will have a Valentine’s Day special called ‘Aao guess karey’. The show’s RJs, Jaggu and Tarana, will describe the plot of a movie and listeners have to guess the movie’s name. The show’s winners can bag love song CDs, roses and dinner vouchers.

Listeners can talk about their first crush and request a song on ‘Pehla Nasha’. ‘Horn OK please’ will have a special love song countdown where the 10 best love songs (Hindi and English) will be played.

Jose Covaco, RJ and Creative Head, Mumbai, Red FM 93.5, said, “We have decided to keep things very simple this Valentine’s Day. We will start promoting our two special Valentine’s Day shows on February 7.”

Red will have a ‘Love Test’ every hour on February 14, where ladies can request RJs to call their boyfriends or husbands. Red will then call these people and tell them that they have won a bouquet or some other gift and then ask them whom they’d like to give it to.

Covaco said, “The fun part is that the respective girlfriends or wives will be secretly listening to this conversation and hear what the men have to say. This will make the show very interesting.”

Red also has a contest where listeners can call or send a message and the winners will get to dine and dance with Dino Morea.

Radio Mirchi was not available for comments about their programmes for Valentine’s Day.

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