I&B Ministry moots news bulletins in private FM radio
A long-standing demand of private FM radio players is set to be fulfilled by the year-end. After Telecom Regulatory Authority of India recommended news in private FM radio, albeit with some restrictions, the I&B Ministry has now reportedly given its nod to 261 private FM channels to air news and current affairs programmes produced by AIR.

A long-standing demand of private FM radio players is set to be fulfilled by the year-end. After Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recommended news in private FM radio, albeit with some restrictions, the I&B Ministry has now reportedly given its nod to 261 private FM channels to air news and current affairs programmes produced by All India Radio (AIR).
Of course, the Ministry's proposal would require the signature of Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, who is currently admitted at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi following a cardiac arrest. After the Minister signs it, the proposal would require Cabinet clearance.
When exchange4media spoke to a cross-section of FM players and media players about the latest development, they were obviously positive about it, though most were not aware of such a proposal being made by the I&B Ministry.
Uday Chawla, Secretary General, Association for Radio Operators for India (AROI), remarked, "Having news or sports as an intricate part of content will immensely benefit the radio industry and listeners. The point of concern for the Government is deciding the extent to which the news broadcast should be allowed in this phase. In case Phase III gets delayed, we have requested the Government to allow the broadcast of news, current affairs and specifically sports in the interim."
'Value-addition to local content'
Reacting to the news, Tarun Katial, COO, Big FM, remarked, "We welcome this development as it adds richness to the local content on the local channel and would give a boost to the FM station. It would also create some kind of differentiation in the market. We have also prepared ourselves to fulfill these responsibilities and are planning to create infrastructural changes."
Vehrnon Ibrahim, National Programming Head, Radio One, said "After waiting for seven years, I think it is a step forward, though not a step we would like, but certainly a step in the right direction. I see this as an opener and not as a final position. I am looking forward for this and I welcome it and we are certainly prepared for news and current events. I suppose at some point of time we will have a self regulatory body."
Nandan Srinath, COO, Radio Mirchi, commented, "From the listener point of view, the product is certainly getting better. We at Mirchi are certainly ready and prepared to carry news and current affairs and look forward to this soon. If this allows greater stickiness of listenership and more audiences who are not using radio at this point of time to come into the radio fold, then there is an indirect bearing on the revenue stream."
Calling the move a step in the right direction, Harrish M Bhatia, COO, My FM, Synergy Media Entertainment Ltd, opined, "Broadcast of news will increase the listener base and lend more credibility, authenticity and trust to FM radio. Listeners will start taking FM radio even more seriously once news and current affairs are allowed on it."
Nisha Narayanan, Project Head, S FM, observed, "Diversification of content will be the direct implication of the permission to broadcast news in private FM stations. This will not only boost listnership, but also provide headway to advertisers."
Though Kunal Jamuar, GM, Madison Media, didn't see any huge value or even commercial implications coming to the industry, he added that "it will certainly give consumers a differentiated content. I don't see any major changes in terms of revenue".
Uday Chawla pointed out, "If you look at the TV industry, almost 15 per cent of revenue accrues to news channels. Improvement in content translates to more listenership, which translates to more revenue."
Tarun Nigam, Executive Director, India - North & Pakistan, Starcom Worldwide, noted, "The green signal to private FM channels for broadcasting news is reminiscent of the good old Akashvani days in the radio mode. Like TV has a bouquet of channels, radio, too, can witness an upsurge of players, depending on the license fees."
In contrast, Anita Nayyar, CEO, MPG, India, remarked, "Since the USP of private FM is music, the broadcast of news would result in dilution of programming and content. This is like the personification of AIR."
Is a regulatory body needed to monitor news?
Speaking on the need for a regulatory body, Chawla said, "AROI will welcome permission for carrying news and sports content and has offered all cooperation to the Government in this regard, including formation of a self-regulatory content control mechanism."
Radio Mirchi's Srinath added, "Since news and current affairs content would come from AIR, I don't see the need for a self-regulatory body. But over a period of time, we might see a self-regulatory mechanism."
Nisha Narayanan pointed out, "The FM players will not emulate 24-hour news channels, but to safeguard the interests of authentic news, a guideline should be charted out and should be adhered to."
The onus of coherent news broadcast is now on the private FM players. This proposal can be seen in the light of breaking clutter and pushing the contingent of journalism in the hear-hear domain. The development certainly has the private FM industry all excited. Watch this space for further developments.
(With additional inputs from Pallavi Goorha)
Also read:
FM players welcome Govt decision to demerge radio business
TRAI moots 26 pc FDI cap on FM radio; permission to broadcast news from select sources
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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur
The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more
With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.
The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.
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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out
The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'
Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."
The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."
COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.
Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.
He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board
e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.
According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.
As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.
A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.
Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.
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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall
The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall
Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.
“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.
“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.
"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."
"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."
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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.
Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy
Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.
Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."
Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."
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