Vikas Varma, National Head of Programming, Radio City
<p align=justify>Radio is the only medium that has a one-on-one relationship with listeners. Unlike watching movies or TV where we generally sit with friends and family, radio is something that we listen to and connect with music individually. Radio City is about music and songs that put you in a positive state of mind and we have mapped out songs in a particular way that will be played at different and suitable times during the day. This is the key thought behind our new campaign and brand identity.
Radio is the only medium that has a one-on-one relationship with listeners. Unlike watching movies or TV where we generally sit with friends and family, radio is something that we listen to and connect with music individually. Radio City is about music and songs that put you in a positive state of mind and we have mapped out songs in a particular way that will be played at different and suitable times during the day. This is the key thought behind our new campaign and brand identity.
Known to be a highly creative professional, Vikas Varma, National Head of Programming at Radio City, has extensive experience spanning 17 years in the media and entertainment industry. He has worked with ad agencies such as Frank Simoes Advertising, Madison Advertising and Touché Communications, which is a part of the Dialogue International world’s 4th largest advertising agency network. Prior to joining Radio City, Varma was COO at UTV India Ltd.
During the course of his career, Varma has been instrumental in strategising and launching a number of consumer durables, FMCG and entertainment brands. He has directed several ad films and promos, as well as conceptualised and created songs and jingles for some of the leading broadcasters. Varma has also been instrumental in the launch of a number of well-known TV serials and shows like ‘Movers & Shakers’ and ‘Chappad Phaad Ke’, among others, for channels like Sony, STAR Plus, Hungama, NGC and BBC.
Varma’s focus is to further build on the innovative never-done-before aspects of programming for Radio City. During his tenure, Radio City has been launching a slew of new initiatives, setting numerous benchmarks for the industry through its programming innovations like Lingo-Lila, Babbar Sher, Love Guru, and Musical-e-Azam.
In conversation with exchange4media’s Shikha Saroj, Varma discusses Radio City’s new brand identity and how the station will increase listenership by customising programmes.
Q. Radio City has recently introduced a new brand campaign to gel with its new brand identity. What are your expectations from this new campaign?
The brand campaign – both on-air and off-air – are going to work in sync with each other. The thought behind the on-air and off-air campaign is ‘Life ki Dhun Gungunao, City Mein Kho Jaao’. I think this is the need in any city today because of congested and highly populated areas. People living in cities find their own peaceful and beautiful spots in their head. In cities, there is always a lot of noise and crowd around you whether you are in a bus or stuck in a traffic jam or even in a restaurant. Radio is the only medium that has a one-on-one relationship with the listeners. Unlike watching movies or TV, where we generally sit with friends and family, radio is something that we listen to and connect with music individually. Radio City is about music and songs that put you in a positive state of mind and we have mapped out songs in a particular way that will be played at different and suitable times during the day. This is the key thought behind our new campaign and brand identity.
Q. How different is this new campaign and brand identity from what Radio City was earlier?
Radio City will now focus more on putting listeners in a positive state of mind through its innovative programmes. We know who our loyal listeners are, and from now on we will focus on taking our listeners to a beautiful place (in their minds) through the music we play.
Q. Please comment on Radio City introducing a few new programmes as well as adding more dimensions to existing programmes.
When one goes to an art exhibition, they appreciate the aesthetic qualities and textures of the paintings. However, when one knows what went into making that particular painting, they appreciate and understand that painting even more. We are also trying to make our listeners aware of the making of a song and why the singer has sung it in a certain way. So, it is not only about them listening to the song, but appreciating the song even more by understanding its technical aspects. Our radio jockeys will talk about the song and this will add musical expertise to our programmes. This idea stems from the fact that we (Radio City) are music experts and will pass music knowledge to our listeners in an interesting and engaging manner. We will also interview singers who will talk about personal preferences and also about the kind of music they like and what music do they recommend.
Q. How would Radio City define ‘good music’?
We have a whole process with approximately four filters to determine good music. Filter one is the standard filter based on popularity – we do a lot of research and songs that make up to a particular grade will be played on Radio City. Filter two are the music managers who work with us. These managers are music experts, producers and our jockeys who validate the songs and help us decide what songs will go on air based on their music expertise. Our third filter is the mood map that we have created, which is based on the fact that each piece of music has a certain effect on the listener. Songs can make you sad or happy.
I am personally spearheading this where I study a number of reports from the Berklee School of Music, USA. We have also been referring to the Sam Veda that was written more than 3,000 years ago. The Sam Veda has done immense research on the 26 ragas and their effects on the human mind. Apart from that there are the Nav Ras that basically talk about the nine human emotions – each raga affects the mood in a particular manner. We pick songs based on the mood map and play appropriate songs during the day. We also focus more on less talk by jockeys and more music. I have also consulted a psychiatrist to understand the effect of sounds on human beings. Our listeners will not be annoyed because we will not play the wrong kind of music at the wrong time.
Q. The radio industry is suddenly getting a lot of attention. How will Radio City be different from other radio stations that will start operations in a couple of months?
Luckily for me, I have an advertising background and I understand that you cannot stop product proliferation. It is very important for any station to recognise who they are and hard-wire their personality. Once this is done, there will be less confusion as each station will have its own identity. Every station cannot be number one, so that will be figured out later. What has worked for Radio City is our loyal listenership. According to research, the minimum tune outs are from Radio City. We will continue doing what we are doing, keep our core listeners happy and through compelling programming, we will ensure getting more listeners.
Q. Radio City is operational in four cities and you have bagged 14 licenses. How important will localised content be once you start operations in other cities as well?
Unlike TV, which has national content on popular channels, radio is more focused on localised content. We are doing intense research to find out the music preferences in each city. This will be based on the sensibilities of people from different cities, their lifestyles, etc. The only thing that will ensure some uniformity among all Radio City stations is focusing on our core identity. Localising content is complex but interesting. It is a challenge to keep alive the uniform identity of Radio City and at the same time offer localised content in each city. We will ensure great radio experience for our listeners in every city that we operate in by only hiring people who are music lovers.
Q. What other activities is Radio City organising to connect with listeners and take forward the objective of being a listener-centric radio station?
I believe that radio makes or breaks a song and Radio City will focus on this fact even more now. Internationally, if a song does not play on radio, it will never sell. In India, TV makes or breaks a song, so people make a music video to sell the song. This explains all the item songs that are produced today. But music is all about listening to music and not watching music videos. There are many movies that have not done well but have beautiful music. In India, if a movie flops so does a good song from the movie. My mission is to ensure that good music will always succeed and people will always listen to good songs. If the music is good, we will promote it. We also have various tie-ups with music companies as that is our currency. These tie-ups are good from the businesss perspective and getting more new music. However, there are thousands of old songs that are not exposed yet. Radio stations and TV channels do not play old songs but focus on new music. I don’t remember hearing a song from the 60s or 70s on radio or TV. What we understand is that listeners already get to hear new music on other radio stations as well as TV. We want to play new songs as well as old songs on Radio City. The most important factor is playing good songs irrespective of the year that the song was released on.
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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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