Malishka, RJ, Win 94.6
“We pride ourselves on being a people oriented station, not a star oriented one."
“We pride ourselves on being a people oriented station, not a star oriented one."She calls a spade, a spade. And doesn’t apologise for it! In a conversation with Anushree Madan Mohan from exchange4media, the vivacious and outspoken Malishka shares her views on radio as a livewire medium and her experiences on the Win Breakfast show. Q. Was it difficult taking on the reins as an RJ?
I joined on April 7, two years back and yes, I was extremely nervous at first. But the crew at Win made me feel welcome and wanted, and they did everything possible to boost my confidence. When I started off initially, it was a part Hindi, part English station. First I took on the nine to twelve slot in the night and then went on to the afternoon slot. The afternoon slot revolved around two to five at first and then, from two to six. After the changeover to Hindi, I was told to handle the breakfast slot, which was one of the most coveted slots on any radio station. The reason, being that the morning jock at the time, needed to get adjusted to the Hindi switchover. When I was told about my new mandate, my first instinct was to run and hide my face. I was tremendously nervous and couldn’t sleep for a week.
In all honesty, I was completely out of sync at first. The earlier jockey who was in charge of the morning hours (Veera) tried to help me out with my new role. Luckily for me, everyone at the station exercised tremendous support and they kept saying, “ Malishka, we know you can do it.” And, two years past, I am completely comfortable in my morning skin.
Q. Is it difficult waking up in the wee hours? What time are you expected to be at the station?
Well, I am expected to arrive at the studio anytime before seven. I am quite used to the schedule by now. But I must say that life is full of surprises. All through college and through school, I was the girl who would turn up visibly late for the classes. And, now I am the one who’s waking up the entire city. And not just any city, a city like Mumbai at that.
Q. While on air, do you use a written script? Or is everything that you say, impromptu?
Nah, I don’t use a written script. But I list out the points that I am going to touch in the course of my conversation. That’s how it works for most jockeys; there simply isn’t time to put a written script in place. But if a jockey tells you that he goes on air without a scrap of written matter or without a bit of homework, that’s pure unadulterated bullshit. You always need to carry some pointers with you (ones that you jot hurriedly before the start of the show). That way, you aren’t stuck for ideas.
But most of what goes on in the show is totally unplanned and impromptu. As an RJ, you need to think on your feet. It can’t be like ‘Gawd! I don’t know what to say next!’
Q. As far as the choice in music goes, do you have much of a say in it? Or is it entirely the station’s preference?
As far as music goes, it’s the choice of the people that’s paramount, and not the choice of the jockey or the station. The station does put into place the general norms related to the music. But it’s a well-researched choice. It’s a completely tried and tested mix of what people like to listen to. Internally, there are open-ended discussions on programming initiatives and music and we are free to put in our suggestions or views. And if there’s a particular song that’s close to my heart, I am always at liberty to play it. For example, Mann Ki Lagan from the movie Paap is played quite often in the morning slot.
Q. You come across as a bubbly person who’s upbeat about life. How difficult is it for a person who’s not as spirited, to emerge as an RJ?
For one, I absolutely detest the ‘bubbly’ word. I have been slotted as ‘bubbly’ and ‘chulbuli’ for donkey’s years now and honestly, I think that it’s an incomplete portrayal of what I am. To answer your question, every RJ has his or her unique style of going about things and it’s not necessary that one must be a typecast of the other.
There isn’t a fundamental rule that every RJ has to be upbeat and perky and exactly like the twin on the other station. At most times, the demeanour of the jock plays second fiddle to the time slot that he is based in. For instance, the night has its own mood and moments, and you work your way around it.
Q. In 10 years from now on, where do you see yourself?
Well, I have always loved venturing into new places and experimenting with new things.Which makes me think that somewhere, down the line, I would like to host a travel show.
Q. How did you start off as an RJ? And how did you begin your association with Win?
Once upon a time, in the sad city of Bethlehem, there lived a girl who had a million career options on her plate. Ermm… I think I should begin on a less dramatic note. Actually, back in my time at Xavier’s, I was considering a million career options, which included advertising, singing, dramatics, voice lending, production etc. Interestingly, my work life started with advertising wherein I was placed as a trainee in Genesis, under the guidance of Prahlad Kakkar. While I had always leaned more towards the creative side, there was a side to the corporate world that I din’t quite like. I decided to make an exit from advertising, and after my stint with Genesis, there was this brief lull where I found
myself on square one yet again. I decided that I ought to take a breather for a while, which is why, I hibernated at home with a complete stack of books. Seven books later, a very rattled sister pushed me out of the house and into the city once again. I started off with voiceovers in Hindi for Discovery channel and it worked out fine.
I was also a part of Channel V Popstars contest, wherein I emerged as one of the Mumbai finalists. I was tipped off by Devika (an RJ on Win) who was also a part of the contest that Millennium Broadcast was on the lookout for people with a gift of the gab. I picked up the phone and called up Millennium. It was like, “ Hullo, Could you put me on to the Programming Director please?” And, there was this extremely suave and polished voice on the other end, telling me that the Programming Director was out for a meeting and would be back later. Assuming that it was the PD’s secretary, I had an extremely chatty session on phone wherein I reeled off about my many accomplishments. Later, the shocker struck. It was not the PD’s secretary I was talking to, it was Gautam Radia himself. That’s how my association began with Win.
Q. Hosting a morning slot has to be a challenge in itself. While on air, which are the things that can go wrong?
That’s a good question. If you are a morning jock, the first disaster can strike if you oversleep and don’t make it to the studio in time. In the list of things that can possibly go wrong, this one has to be prioritised right in the peak position. Disaster Number 2 would be a faulty phone line. So you are on air and you go cheerily, “Hi Anushree, how are you this fine morning?” and there is this funny beep that greets you at the other end. Or it could be a catty listener who calls up and says, “Aha… A jock’s job is scarcely, what you would call a job. After all, what do you have to do except to talk endlessly?” The third instance has actually occurred and I had this mock argument with a lady listener, who practically had to eat her words by the end of it.
Moral of the story…there are a million things that can go wrong while on air. From your side, if you say something that’s off tangent, you need to know how to gloss over it.
You must know how to make up for it.
Q. What excites you the most about the job?
The anonymity factor. There is a strange kind of excitement attached to it. For instance, I could get aboard a train, completely unscathed and pick up a quarrel with just about anybody, comforted by the fact that people don’t recognise me. And, the very same people that I pick a fight with, will tune into Win the next day and listen to my show. How devious is that!
A jockey’s job is all about rediscovery and there’s something new that you learn about yourself every single day. A primary aspect that strikes you about an RJ’s life is that people treasure your every word. There might be something that you have said and you can’t quite remember, but you can be sure that someone else will. There are few jobs that promise you that.
Q. What about Chai Time Ka Silly Rhyme?
Nah, you can never think of a rhyme on the spot and at the moment. That’s something that I carve out prior to the show. Me at my poetic best. But these days, I have a guy named Prince who helps me out with the rhyme bit. My role has visibly lessened in that sector. Incidentally, our association with Prince is also something of a tale in itself. Prince was this one listener, who used to tune in to our station regularly and who was never at a loss for witty innuendos and wise cracks. If I was stuck for an idea, I could always count on him to come up with something witty and original. He was interested in getting aboard the radio ship and Win was more than enthusiastic about taking him on.
That’s how close-knit radio is. It binds you with people, in more ways than one.
Q. As a station, what does Win 94.6 stand for?
It stands for people. Win 94.6 stands as a representative of the people of Mumbai and reflects their choices and tastes. We’d like to think that we understand the people of this city a lot better than most other stations. The jocks here are genuine in whatever they say, and they touch the pulse of the people. Win gives us the liberty to be ourselves and not prototypes of what’s selling outside.
There are stations that go on all through the day about film stars and their lives and honestly, I don’t see much sense in it. At the end of the day, a station is not about film stars, it’s about listeners. We pride ourselves on being a people oriented station, not a star oriented one.
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TRAI releases Consultation Paper on reserve price for auction of FM radio channels
The regulatory body has asked for written comments on the consultation paper from the stakeholders by November 6
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released a Consultation Paper on "Reserve Price for auction of FM Radio channels".
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) sent a reference dated August 22, seeking recommendations of TRAI on reserve prices for 283 cities (260 new + 23 existing) under FM Phase-Ill Policy.
Accordingly, this Consultation Paper has been prepared to seek the comments and views of the stakeholders on issues related to estimation of the reserve prices for auction of FM Radio channels.
As part of the consultative process, the Consultation Paper has been uploaded on the TRAI website.
The regulatory body has asked for written comments on the consultation paper from the stakeholders by November 6. Counter-comments, if any, may be submitted by November 13, the paper said.
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ShareRadio Mango Nerolac ‘Pulikkali’ celebrates the essence of Onam
Radio Mango in association with Nerolac Healthy Home Paints flags off an Onam folklore-themed roadshow in Kerala
Radio Mango in association with Nerolac Healthy Home Paints launched ‘Pulikkali’, an Onam folklore-themed state-wide roadshow that resonates with the ideology of unity among all people, regardless of their caste, colour or religion.
The road show brings to life the most vibrant and eye-catching ritual of Onam, the Pulikkali (Tiger Dance). The campaign also fondly recalls the popular Onam folk song ‘Maveli Naadu Vaneedum Kaalam, Manushar Ellaarum Onnu Poley.’
It is designed around the ancient folklore of the golden reign of King Mahabali when there was no discrimination on the basis of caste or class and there was neither crime, nor corruption.
The dynamic crew of entertainers, dressed as Pulis (Tigers) accompanied by Chenda Melam (traditional percussion) artists will travel across Kerala for 15 days as part of the campaign to emphasise the fact that no matter what, we all are one and whatever the colour, we must unite to make this Onam colourful.
The flag off to the ‘Pulikkali’ roadshow was conducted in Kochi by Malayalam actor Saiju Kurup in the presence of Ravindran Nair, Programme Director, Radio Mango, and Rajesh C., Kerala Regional Sales Manager, Nerolac Healthy Home Paints, at Malayala Manorama’s Panampilly Nagar office.
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PM Modi lauds Fever FM’s #PlasticSeBreakUp initiative
In a tweet, the Prime Minister congratulated Fever FM for its innovative campaign to ensure reduced usage of single-use plastic
As part of the Fever Voice of Change CSR initiative, Fever FM launched the ‘#PlasticSeBreakUp’ campaign to make India free from single-use plastic.
Drawing inspiration from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message this Independence Day, the initiative urges all shopkeepers to do away with single use plastic bags.
PM Modi too tweeted in support of Fever FM’s Bharat Positive initiative. He said ‘I congratulate Fever FM for their innovative campaign to ensure reduced usage of single use plastic. I urge shopkeepers to take part in this campaign with vigour. Such efforts will add valuable momentum to the Swachh Bharat Mission.’
I congratulate Fever FM for their innovative campaign to ensure reduced usage of single use plastic. I urge shopkeepers to take part in this campaign with vigour. Such efforts will add valuable momentum to the Swachh Bharat Mission! @FeverFMOfficial
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 12, 2019
Talking about the initiative, Harshad Jain, CEO – Radio and Entertainment, HT Media Ltd and Next Mediaworks Ltd., said, “We are extremely grateful to our honourable Prime Minister for his encouragement and appreciation of our latest Bharat Positive campaign, and assure him of our unending support. This encouragement gives us motivation to continue our work with greater zeal to bring about a positive change in the country. We are committed, with our latest campaign against single use plastic, to drive the citizens towards a plastic free India. Bharat Positive is a Fever Voice of Change (FVOC) initiative, the biggest CSR in the history or radio.”
Gautam Gambhir, cricketer, MP and face of Bharat Positive initiative, said, “Credit to team Fever and the listeners of the radio station. PM sir noticing the campaign is no mean feat, it just gives a shot in the arm. Of course when Mr Modi talks, the world listens. There’s substance in his thoughts and him putting the weight behind ‘Plastic Se Breakup’ campaign will only galvanise the whole movement. The fact that his following cuts across age groups is another huge plus. Through PM’s support, the youth, the mid-aged and the elderly, everyone will know about this campaign.”
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RED FM's ‘Pride Ki Side’ campaign highlights LGBTQIA + issues
To celebrate the first anniversary of repealing of Section 377, the initiative will provide a platform to share stories and highlight challenges faced by the community
93.5 RED FM has launched a brand-new initiative – ‘Pride Ki Side’ to celebrate the first anniversary of repealing of Section 377. The initiative will provide a platform to share stories and highlight the various challenges faced by LGBTQIA+. The concept of this campaign majorly aims at educating the masses about the pride community.
RED FM has joined hands with Naz Foundation and Breaking Barriers – a project by students of Tagore International School, Vasant Vihar, Delhi, to sensitise the society at the grass root level.
RED FM is targeting the children at a young age so that they become compassionate and kinder towards LGBTQIA+ children.
To support this belief, various workshops are being conducted in schools to provide a safe and respectful learning environment for everyone. Trained and certified counsellors accompanied by RED FM’s team and RJs are conducting the workshops.
Speaking about this campaign, Nisha Narayanan, COO and Director, RED FM and Magic FM, said, “Looking at the status of LGBTQIA+ community in India, it is high-time we start educating the people about them. Everyone should have the right to openly appreciate and practice who they are and love who they want. At RED FM, we believe in supporting this movement through our humble initiative ‘Pride Ki Side’. We want to raise awareness in the public about the challenges faced by them. We hope more people will come forward, share stories and help empower each other. Our vision is to create an inclusive environment and encourage our audience to adopt a progressive and compassionate outlook towards the LGBTQIA+ community.”
Commenting on the association, Anjali Gopalan, Founder and Executive Director, The Naz Foundation Trust said, “I am so happy that RED FM has taken this step to highlight LGBTQIA + issues. The Naz Foundation (India) Trust is proud to be part of this journey.”
To ensure maximum outreach, RED FM has also introduced a daily special morning show on their radio channel with a counsellor. This engaging and interactive format of the show will address queries and problems of the community who face bullying, hatred and discrimination at institutes or workplace.
Besides this, RED FM has also invited a well-known LGBTQIA+ influencer at their studio who will share stories of courage in dealing with cyber trolls, verbal harassment, and how they moved-ahead and dealt with such situations.
The campaign, which began September 4, runs till September 13.
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Dia Mirza supports BIG FM’s green Ganesha initiative
To spread awareness about using eco-friendly Ganesha idols, BIG FM held a two-week-long contest and 15 winners were felicitated with a Tree Ganesha by Mirza
For the 12 th year in a row, BIG FM has brought to light the importance of celebrating festivities in an eco-friendly way through Ramky’s BIG Green Ganesha.
The initiative promotes the use of eco-friendly Ganesha idols and its celebration with minimum environmental damage. RJ Rani, the face of Ramky’s BIG Green Ganesha initiative, hosted the event, which was graced by actress Dia Mirza, Sujiv Nair from Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd and Ram Kharpuriya, Director - Greenland Farms.
15 lucky contest-winning listeners were felicitated with a Tree Ganesha by Mirza, at the BIG FM office.
To spread awareness about using eco-friendly Ganesh idols, a two-week-long contest was held and it resulted in widespread response from listeners across Mumbai. BIG FM Mumbai associated with Tree Ganesha as they create eco-friendly idols which are made of natural soil and also melts completely after immersion in water bodies as compared to non-biodegradable options that create pollution.
Commenting on the initiative, a BIG FM spokesperson stated, “BIG FM has always tried to bring about a positive change in society. BIG Green Ganesha has been our on-going initiative for the past twelve years which is amplified through on-air and digital channels. We at BIG FM believe in ‘Change starts with you’ and through this campaign tried to raise awareness on the environment pollution created with non-biodegradable idols. The campaign has been very successful till date and we are happy and proud that we as a medium can offer our listeners entertainment with purpose.”
Nair, Chief Human Resources Officer of Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd, commented, “The Green Ganesha initiative is our contribution to the environment. Being in the space where we closely experience the hazards that affect the environment, we are trying to make Green Ganesha an awareness campaign and save the environment from the use of harmful products. Through this we urge the people to acknowledge an environment-friendly celebration by adopting the use of eco-friendly products.”
Mirza added, “I am very happy to be here. Moreover, I am extremely grateful to BIG FM for this campaign that has been raising awareness over the last 12 years. For the past few years, I have been associating with beach clean ups post the Ganpati Visarjan and it’s very disheartening to see the remains of the idols washed back ashore. Three years ago, Dattadri (Kothur of Tree Ganesha) and I made one of these tree Ganeshas together and it was a beautiful feeling. The happiness you feel while doing something for the better good just elates you to a whole new level. I urge more people to opt for eco friendlier methods, for not just their Ganpati celebrations, but in their day-to-day activities as well.”
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Radio Adex: Ad volume sees 8% decrease in indexed growth in Q2 2019
Paytm.com continues to be the top brand to advertise in the services sector in the first half of both 2018 and 2019
The recent Radio Adex report for ad volumes in the medium for the first and second quarter of 2019 shows 8 per cent decrease in indexed growth.
In the first quarter (Jan-March), the service sector had 31 per cent share which came down to 26 per cent in the second quarter (April-June). The retail sector saw increased share in the second quarter. From 8 per cent in the first quarter, the ad volumes from the retail sector increased to 11 per cent. This was the time when IPL, General Elections and World Cup were ruling the roost.
Interestingly, Banking/Finance/Investment sector which was one of the top advertising categories in the first quarter with 12 per cent share, doesn’t find a place in the top five super categories in the second quarter. Education makes an entry in the top five list for Q2 with 10 per cent share. Auto jumped from 8 per cent to 10 per cent, while food beverages declined from 10 per cent to 9 per cent.
If we consider the ad volume in Radio for the first half of 2019 vs the first half of 2018, the indexed growth saw a decline by 9 per cent. Services continue to take the maximum share. In 2018, it was 30 per cent share while in 2019, it is 29 per cent share. Retail, Food & Beverages, Banking, Finance and Investment saw similar shares this year as was in 2018. Auto moved from 8 per cent in 2018 to 9 per cent this year.
Paytm.com continues to be the top brand to advertise in the services sector in the first half of both 2018 and 2019. Google Pay takes the next spot this year as compared to Amazon.in in 2018. Google, Cars24, Yahoo Cricket were the other brands which were a part of the top 5 brands in the first half of 2018. This year, Cars24 remained constant while there has been an addition of Hotstar and Phonepe in the list.
In the retail sector, except for Home Centre (Koz), all the brands that advertised on Radio in the first half of 2018 are missing from the top 5 brands list of 2019. While last year there were Great Eastern Trading, Central (Pantaloons), Max Retail, and South India Shopping Mall, in 2019, they are replaced by Alishan, Reliance Trends, The Chennai Silks and Lifestyle. In the Food and Beverages category, the Pan Masala brands continue to make a mark.
The cars category has jumped from 5 per cent to 7 per cent shares on radio, when compared to the first half of 2018 vs the first half of 2019. Properties/Real Estates have the maximum share of 8 per cent in 2019 compared to 9 per cent in 2018.
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FM Tadka goes for makeover with ‘Apni Suno’ campaign
Apart from the new positioning statement, FM Tadka also sports a new logo indicating dialogue within for a positive change
Three months ago, management at the Patrika group decided to go for a makeover of FM Tadka. And just two weeks back, the revamp exercise reached a climax at film studios in Jaipur with RJs all across the country practicing steps for the new jingle video having both an aspirational and inspirational feel to it.
The radio network, spanning six states and 18 cities, started its teaser campaign on August 1 with a mascot named Mr. Mannki who ignited people's minds on the new message hidden in its pose which became quite a hit amongst listeners.
The campaign garnered praise from celebrities across the spectrum. Singers Sukhwinder Singh, Hariharan, Tochi Raina, Aastha Gill, and Hindi film industry stars like Tusshar Kapoor, Mallika Shehrawat, Urvashi Rautela, Sonali Kulkarni, director Nitish Tiwari, Super 30 founder Anand Kumar, comedians Shekhar Suman, Sunil Pal, Raju Shrivastav and sports stars appreciated the concept when it was shared with them during their visits to FM Tadka. The campaign, Apni Suno, talks about making a transformation in life.
“As a country, we have always followed Gandhi ji’s three monkeys, but now the fourth monkey Mr Mannki came with a message- to bring a positive change in your life and to the destiny of the country- Apni Suno. This network philosophy was aptly revealed on Independence Day,” the network said in a statement.
“From students as environment crusaders, young innovators to reality stars from smaller cities- there are many examples of people listening to themselves and carving a new life for themselves. It is this clarion call that FM Tadka is bringing to its listeners and propagating through roadshows, cinema, mall tie ups and artists across the country,” the statement read.
Gaurav S Karrir, the National Programming Head, further reveals, “The prospect of a product change around was quite exciting. We took innovative ways like making Mr Mannki our mascot, mask inserts in newspapers, celeb led Apni Suno life changing stories and using Patrika power in digital, outdoor, print and tv to make people notice the new message of Apni Suno”.
Saurabh Bhandari, National Head Marketing, Patrika Group, who has seen the radio product evolve over the years, applauded team Tadka and shared his vision, saying, “We at Patrika Group always believe to bring change in people’s life. Our endeavour FM Tadka's ‘apni suno’ positioning is yet another step in same direction, there has been a deep study and long research behind this, we are confident listeners and our trade partners will continue their love n support to FM Tadka.”
Apart from a new positioning statement, FM Tadka also sports a new logo indicating dialogue within for a positive change. Shades of blue pointing at freedom of expression. The core TG now is 16-30 with music starting from 2008 and the playlist focused on melody. FM Tadka's flagship Jaipur station now has a new team of RJs making the entire station live with focus on social impact plus technology and sports segments.
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