MxMIndia

Category: RADIO

  • The two hour movie titled 'Maa Ke Aanchal Mein' has been written by Neelesh Misra

    92.7 Big FM pays tribute to mothers with feature film on radio

    (L – R) Himani Shivpuri, Sparsh Khanchandani and Alok Nath at 92.7 BIG FM’s launch press conference of Radio Ki Pehli Picture – Maa Ke Aanchal Mein in association with Clinic Plus

    By a correspondent

     

    On the occasion of Mother’s Day, 92.7 BIG FM and Clinic Plus came together to produce and launch FM radio’s first ever feature film. With a strong ensemble cast comprising names like Divya Dutta, Tisca Chopra, Sparsh Khanchandani, Alok Nath, Sachin Khedekar, Satish Shah, Himani Shivpuri and Upasana Singh, the two hour movie titled ‘Maa Ke Aanchal Mein’ has been written by Neelesh Misra and talks about a mother’s determination to educate her daughter.

     

    With a special message on the girl child, the film has been scripted by 92.7 BIG FM’s ardent storyteller – Neelesh Misra. The film also boasts a popular star cast lending their voices to the characters. The star-cast includes the talented Divya Dutta playing the sutradhar, Tisca Chopra as the discerning mother, Sachin Khedekar – the father, Alok Nath – Dadaji, Himani Shivpuri – Daadi, Upasna Singh – Chachi, Satish Shah – Chacha and child artist Sparsh Khanchandani as the daughter.

     

    Commenting on the occasion, Ashwin Padmanabhan, Business Head, 92.7 BIG FM stated, “We at 92.7 BIG FM have pioneered the radio-storytelling format in India and we now take it to next level with the launch of an extremely engaging first-ever radio feature film with a noble message on educating the girl child. We thank our partners for this association and are confident that the film and its humble message will resonate with listeners across our stations! ”

     

    Srirup Mitra, General Manager, Hair Care, HUL stated, “It has been our consistent effort to strengthen the unique bond of a mother and daughter and Mother’s Day is a big celebration for us. In our capacity we have always tried to connect with daughters and facilitated them to acknowledge and appreciate their mother’s role in their life, and -the first-ever feature film is an excellent opportunity for us to convey our message.”

     

  • In his last assignment, he was with Indusind Bank as Deputy Vice President and Business Manager – New Branch Distribution

    Ajit Singh appointed Sales Head at Reliance Broadcast

    By A Correspondent

     

    Ajit Singh

    Reliance Broadcast Network has announced the appointment of Ajit Singh as National Sales Head, SME. Ajit will spearhead the sales function with SME clients across the radio and television businesses.

     

    Ajit has over 11 years of work experience across Sales, Product Development, Compliance, New Branch Distribution management including break-even across the Banking and Insurance Industry while working across different client segments. A BCom Hons graduate from Delhi University and a Post Graduate in Management from Amity Business School, he has had a distinguished career having worked with prestigious brands in the B & I sector such as ICICI Prudential, ABN Amro Bank and IndusInd bank. In his last assignment, he was with Indusind Bank as Deputy Vice President and Business Manager – New Branch Distribution.

     

    Ashwin Padmanabhan

    Commenting on his appointment, Ashwin Padmanabhan, National Business head – 92.7 BIG FM Reliance Broadcast Network said, “We are delighted to welcome Ajit into the RBNL family. Ajit brings to the organization a keen sense of setting up and operationalizing new businesses, we are confident that under Ajit’s leadership the SME vertical will flourish and grow.”

     

    On his appointment Ajit Singh said, “I believe the Media and Entertainment industry will grow at a good pace and there will be immense opportunities for learning and growth during my stint here. My agenda will be to build the company’s respectability and partnership with new and existing SME clients, while making the brand experience more enjoyable. I’m looking forward to carrying forward the fantastic work at Reliance Broadcast Network.”

     

  • Entertainment Network India Limited (ENIL) has elevated Prashant Panday to the post of Managing Director & CEO with immediate effect

    Prashant Panday elevated as MD & CEO at ENIL

    By A Correspondent

     

    Prashant Panday

    Entertainment Network India Limited (ENIL) has elevated Prashant Panday to the post of Managing Director & CEO with immediate effect. Erstwhile the Executive Director & CEO, Prashant is one of the most illustrious names in bringing in the radio revolution in India and strengthening Radio Mirchi’s presence both nationally and internationally.

     

    In the new role, Prashant will continue to spearhead the team in maintaining Radio Mirchi’s leadership position in the country.

     

    An Engineering graduate in Electronics & Communications and IIM Bangalore graduate, Prashant has been associated with the company since August 2000. Over the past 14 years Prashant has been able to take Radio Mirchi to an enviable position with revenues of Rs. 385 crores and a PAT of Rs. 84 crores in the 2013-14. Prashant has a total of 24 years of experience in industries ranging from Advertising, Banking, FMCG & Media. Prior to Radio Mirchi, Prashant has worked with Citibank, Pepsi, HUL, Mudra, Modi Revlon etc. His areas of strength include Marketing & Sales, Analytics & Strategy and People Management. He also served as a member of the Ministry of I&B’s committee on fighting Piracy. He is a speaker at various industry forums.

     

    Talking about the development Mr. Prashant Panday said, “It feels good to be recognized by the Board! I’m lucky to have the best team in the media industry working alongside as colleagues. I’ve always believed that the best of radio is still to come and the next 5 years will be a fabulous ride for anyone seeking professional success.”

     

    About Radio Mirchi:

    Entertainment Network India Limited (ENIL), India’s leading private FM radio broadcaster, popularly known as Radio Mirchi, operates across 32 cities in the country. Launched in 2001, Radio Mirchi has the highest listenership across the country and a track record of developing innovative content, thus expanding and retaining its audiences and advertisers through the years. Radio Mirchi has delighted listeners and the industry with its exciting properties like the Purani Jeans Film Festival and the Mirchi Music Awards.

     

    Radio Mirchi’s continuous innovations across different platforms like Visual Radio or Mirchi Mobile have been instrumental in gaining leadership in the private FM Radio industry. Radio Mirchi made its international foray with the launch of the brand in the UAE. From 1st Feb, 2012, Radio Mirchi can be heard in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain and is the first Indian radio brand to go international.

     

    For further information contact:

    PR Pundit

    Harsh Kankeshwar

    9920775032

    harsh.k@prpundit.com

     

     

  • Hindustan Unilever's Kan Khajura Tesan wins 2 Golds for PHD and one for Lowe Lintas

    Oh, Mitwa! ‘Kan Khajura Tesan’ 3 Gold Jeetwa!

     

    By Delshad Irani

     

    It’s been a long time coming but India’s finally scored the campaign equivalent of a killer app. Kan Khajura Tesan or “centipede station”, a programme by Hindustan Unilever to provide radio over mobile to the media dark parts of North India has scored a massive three gold trophies; two in Media for PHD and one in Mobile for Lowe and Partners Worldwide. Although Lowe Lintas is the creative agency behind the work, the agency is absent at award shows because of its chairman R Balki’s famous no awards policy. However, the creative council of Lowe Worldwide headed by Jose Miguel Sokoloff picked the pathbreaking work to throw into the toughest ad competition in the world.

     

    Note with the winning Media Lions entry on Kan Khajura Tesan:
     

    Results and Effectiveness:

    “Single largest media channel in Bihar and Jharkhand”

     

    Over 8MM subscribers in two states in 6 months. KKT reaches 60% of the non-TV households in these states. Consumer base growing at an average of 35,000 daily

     

    Unilever ads have been heard over 70MM times  Increase in Spont Awareness for all three brands associated
    – Wheel – 20%
    – Ponds White Beauty – 56%
    – Close Up – 39%

    All of this at 4 cents cost per contact.

     
     

    Creative Execution:

    In a media first for India, we brought together telcos and content providers to create a FREE, ALWAYS ON, ON DEMAND entertainment channel accessible through even the simplest mobile phone.

     

    Outbound dialers promote KKT and educate consumers on how to access free content. The content is personalised through a Radio Jockey, who also reminds users to call again to get more content. Consumer traction is increased through relevant and contextual content like movie clips, Bollywood songs and jokes. The content is refreshed on a weekly basis and engagement spikes are created through blockbuster movie tie-ups.

     

    The Unilever advertisements are placed within the content in a non-intrusive manner.

     

    Consumers can consumer upto 60 minutes of entertainment content per month, absolutely free.

     
     

    Insights, Strategy and the Idea:

    82MM Households in India are media dark!

     

    Imagine a world where your basic source of happiness; entertainment on TV is cut short by long daily power cuts. What a mundane existence that would be.

     

    With 86% ownership, mobile phones are the only saviours. Movie clips or songs downloaded from telcos or purchased via pre-loaded chippis (sim-like chips) are the only things to turn a frown upside down.

     

    80 cents for limited movie clips coupled with the cost of connecting and downloading content from telcos makes mobile entertainment an expensive option.

     

    So to plug this famine of entertainment content, we created the ‘Kan Khajura Tesan’ KAN KHAJURA TESAN (ear worm channel) is the first of its kind, free advertiser-owned entertainment channel accessible through mobile. Just give a missed call to the branded number and receive entertainment content interspersed with Unilever adverts, free of cost.

     

    Reacting to the news, Priya Nair, vice-president at Hindustan Unilever says, “It’s always great to have work recognised especially in a well respected forum.” Long regarded as a tough formula-driven marketer, Unilever has over the last decade turned its reputation around and is now regarded as a client encouraging of creativity. However as Nair clarifies, “Obviously, we are in the business of business. But while you do that, if the work delights the senses and builds a historical pathway for others to follow it’s a vindication of being in the right direction. It helps build an ecosystem of people thinking differently.”

     

    Bagging Gold comes as a welcome surprise to the notoriously award averse Lowe Lintas which apart from abstaining from local awards for over a decade, has dragged its feet about sending entries to Cannes. When we called R Balki for a comment he was in the middle of a shoot in Helsinki, but texted back ecstatically with, “Awesome!! Ya!! Good for ideas!! It’s a super kickass idea.”

     

    Speaking of the win, Deepa Geethakrishnan, president, Lowe Lintas says, “Kan Khajura Tesan is truly a collaborative effort between the client, who birthed the core idea, the creative and account and media teams. The insect has travelled all the way from Bihar to the South of France.” Sources at the media agency PHD were unavailable for comment at the time of writing.

     

    Often Indian campaigns are too desi for their own good at Cannes. Kan Khajura Tesan is the exception. Nair believes it’s because, the idea is “simple, inventive and not difficult to explain no matter where you belong. We are sometimes guilty of complicating the idea.” Arun Iyer, national creative director, Lowe Lintas, opines that the idea matched the judges’ sensibility of India. He adds, “Winning at Cannes is a good recognition. But this is a bonus; beyond a point we don’t think about awards.”

     

    Many creative leaders complain young Indian ad folk spend more time trying to crack relatively new and therefore presumably ‘easy’ categories like Mobile and Digital, while ignoring the meat and potatoes of television and print. This win proves that convincing ideas on big brands beat all statistical finagling or hedging so popular with agencies. Not that we expect them to stop anytime soon, though.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2014, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

     

    Also see/read:

    A four-minute film on the project:

    https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=674274805978726&set=vb.1289914 50507067&type=2&theater

     

    Unilever Brand story:

    https://www.facebook.com/UnileverDiaries India/app_819181691443540

     

     

    We are republishing a story we had published in March 2014 on the HUL offering (link: http://www.mxmindia.com/2014/03/bihar-mein-no-1-radio-station-kaunbaa-aapan-hindustan-unilever-ke-kan-khajura-tesan/):

     

    Bihar mein No 1 radio station kaunbaa? Aapan Hindustan Unilever ke ‘Kan Khajura Tesan’

     

    By Sagar Malviya

     

    At Gosaidaspur, a village near Ganga river basin in Bihar, people regularly listen to movie songs, dialogues, radio jockey talk, jokes and shayari on their mobile phone. There’s no FM station covering this village 250 km east of Patna; villagers owe this special service to Hindustan Unilever.

     

    The country’s largest consumer goods maker has come up with a free radio-on-demand service to reach out to villagers in remote areas. And it says its lone channel – Kan Khajura Tesan, or ‘centipede station’ – is already the largest radio station in Bihar in terms of subscribers.

     

    This is how it works: any mobile phone user in Bihar can give a missed call to a specific number to immediately get a return call that will play Kan Khajura Tesan for 15 minutes. Besides a series of entertainment programmes, the channel of course plays advertisements of HUL brands.

     

    HUL has Stopped Ads on Radio

    “There is a lot of demand for content or entertainment in media-dark villages and mobiles become their only route to that world. So, we thought, can we institutionalise missed calls into an entertainment channel,” said Hemant Bakshi, executive director for home and personal care at HUL.

     

    “For consumers, it’s just like any other free radio station. But the one big difference compared with a radio is that we know who’s listening to our programmes,” he said.

     

    Mr Bakshi said the company has stopped advertising on radio in Bihar because its own channel reaches more people than any radio station. The company has printed the phone number for the channel on some of its product packs and has put up banners outside stores to increase its reach.

     

    It has already acquired more than 5 million subscribers, and interacts with about 1 lakh consumers everyday. That means about 25,000 hours of engagement daily with consumers in Bihar. And the company says it has more than 26 million ad impressions till date.

     

    Buoyed by its success in Bihar, Hindustan Unilever has launched this service in neighbouring Jharkhand and plans to take it to other states including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

     

    Experts said Hindustan Unilever has reinvented “The notion that more advertising could mean more sales is diminishing. Also, impact of paid media is waning. HUL’s initiative is like a viral which will give much bigger bang for the buck,” said Alpana Parida, president at brand consulting firm DY Works.

     

    So, where did the company get this idea of running a parallel radio station? From a radio campaign for Wheel detergent it ran more than two years ago.

     

    The Active Wheel advertisement on All India Radio in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar asked listeners to give a missed call from their mobiles to a particular number.

     

    When they did so, they promptly got a call back with a recording of actor Salman Khan’s dialogues from his blockbuster film Ek Tha Tiger and his endorsement of Wheel.

     

    HUL got 16 million missed calls in four months and, by the end of the campaign, brand awareness scores for Wheel had increased 25% and its sales jumped three times in the region.

     

    To ensure quality programmes, HUL has roped in several third-party firms to generate content and services for the channel, which it had initially named ‘Mobile Vani’ before opting for a more sticky and colloquial name.

     

    Also, similar to a loyalty card system for retailers, HUL plans to develop strategies once it gets profiles of the listeners over a period. “Content and advertising are becoming more linked with each other than they used to be in the past.

     

    As we go forward and have richer profiles of our listeners, we can leverage the database and plan customised strategies for our brands,” Mr Bakshi said.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2014, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

    Editor’s Note: Many thanks to Sanjay Singh, senior journalist and now communications specialist based in Patna, for help with the Bhojpuri headline

     
  • RED FM is ready with yet another entertainment event titled 'Paisa Vasool Entertainment with Kapil Sharma and RJ Raunac'

    Kapil Sharma to host an entertainment show for Red LiVE

    By A Correspondent

     

    Under its successful intellectual property RED LiVE, known for organizing music concerts and live shows, RED FM is ready with yet another entertainment event titled ‘Paisa Vasool Entertainment with Kapil Sharma and RJ Raunac’.

     

    Stand-up comedian Kapil Sharma popular for programmes such as ‘Comedy Circus Ke Superstar’, ‘Comedy Circus Ka Naya Daur’ and ‘Kahani Comedy Ki’ has been roped in for the first time by RED FM. The comedian, who was ranked 96 in the top 100 celebrities of 2013 by Forbes India magazine, is currently hosting ‘Comedy Nights with Kapil’ on a mainstream entertainment channel.

     

    The event is scheduled to be held at the Indira Gandhi Stadium, New Delhi on Saturday, July 5, 2014. The sought-after artist will be seen entertaining the guests with his impeccable sense of humour and liveliness along with other supporting artists. As per RED FM’s tradition to bring wholesome entertainment, there will be surprise in store for the fans as well. RED FM’s RJ, Raunac, known for playing pranks with the listeners will join Kapil for some fun and also give an open challenge to the fans, details of which will be announced soon.

     

    Nisha Narayanan

    Nisha Narayanan, COO, RED FM, said, “RED LiVE has been a phenomenal success and has received fabulous response from the people across metros and Tier-2 and 3 cities. The vertical has seen the biggest and the most popular artists performing LiVE for our listeners. The two successful seasons of RED LiVE saw concerts in markets like Delhi, Kolkata, Varanasi, Jamshedpur, Nashik, Kanpur, Bhopal etc. and the overwhelming response we received, has strengthened our confidence in the vertical.”

     

    Adding further she said, “We decided to rope in Kapil Sharma because he is the biggest comedian in the country and being a Punjabi himself gives him an instant connect with the audiences in Delhi and North. We are very excited about expanding the scope of RED LiVE from just Music to Comedy as well. With the strong IP that brand RED has built, and with the kind of response we have been receiving to our events, we are now all set for the biggest RED LiVE gig so far. It is very encouraging to see our confidence in RED LiVE getting reflected amongst our listeners, advertisers and partners as well.”

     

  • The account was won following a multi-agency pitch that included top agencies of the country

    Scarecrow bags creative mandate of Radio City 91.1 FM

    By a correspondent

     

    Scarecrow Communications has won the creative mandate for Radio City 91.1 FM, one of the leading radio networks in the country. The account was won following a multi-agency pitch that included top agencies of the country and will be handled by the agency’s Mumbai branch.

     

    Ashit Kukian

    Talking about the development, Ashit Kukian, President & COO, Radio City 91.1 FM said, “Radio City is a robust media brand and it is a matter of great pride that after 13 years of inception, we are now considered synonymous to the category. With radio industry poised for the next phase of growth, we see a need to further augment the brand Radio City and therefore called for creative partners. We were overwhelmed with the enthusiasm and participation of the creative agencies. We narrowed down on Scare Crow communications after evaluating their past credentials and their radio understanding and are confident that they would partner our efforts.  We look forward to some great work from them.”

     

     

    Manish Bhatt

    On winning the account, Manish Bhatt, Founder Director, Scarecrow Communications, said “We are very ecstatic about this win, as Scarecrow has a soft spot for radio as a powerful communication medium. The fact that we won this account soon after we were crowned ‘The Agency of the Year’ at Mirchi Kaan, 2014, is truly the icing on the cake and what makes it a special achievement for us. Radio City being one of the big players of the industry, it gives us the challenge and excitement that we look for in building a brand”

     

    Arunava Sengupta (Joy), Founder Director, Scarecrow Communications, added, “This win is very significant as to work on a Radio brand it is very important to have knowledge of local nuances of different cities as radio needs to connect at a local level. I am really looking forward to deepening the connect that Radio City already has along with the brand team.”

     

  • The 'Indie Concert' will witness more than 10 indie artists & bands coming together for unplugged performances of their original compositions

    Radio City Freedom celebrates year 2 of existence

    Radio City Freedom, India’s first dedicated web radio for Indie music turned 2 and to celebrate the occasion it has announced the rollout of the concert ‘Indie Concert’. The celebrations for the second anniversary will commence with the 2-hour concert from 3– 5 on the 3rd of July. The ‘Indie Concert’ will witness more than 10 indie artists & bands coming together for unplugged performances of their original compositions.

     

    Popular artists & bands including Brodha V, Samved, Faridkot, Tritha, Prateek Kuhad, Mekaal Hasan, Indo Gypsies, Unohu & Mikey Mcleary will perform the unplugged versions of their original compositions for the station.

     

    Since its launch in 2012, Radio City Freedom has been a platform to promote some of the most talented indie artists across the globe. On the occasion of its second anniversary, the listeners get to revel in the purest form of unplugged music with the biggest ever radio ‘Indie Concert’.

     

    Talking about the initiative, Rachna Kanwar, Business Head – Digital Media & New Business, Radio City 91.1 FM commented, “At PlanetRadiocity we have always believed that great music, innovation and creativity in our stations is what sets us apart. We constantly push the envelope in terms of giving differentiated programming to our listeners through our innovative shows. This time with the ‘Indie Concert’ we offer our listeners a unique concept where they get to experience the unplugged versions from some of the best artists in India all on one platform for the first time! We are confident that this power packed concert will make our listeners groove to great music.”

     

    Radio City Freedom has over 700 artists across genres like dub-step, electronica, folk, rock & sufi who express themselves in diverse languages like Assamese, Malayalam, Bengali, Punjabi apart from Hindi & English. The station is the ultimate platform that supports exciting talent across the country & provides the new, un-tapped music created by and for the new generation that is on the lookout for fresh Indie music.

     

  • Radio City Fusion is a station that combines ethnic roots with new-age urban sounds seamlessly synchronized with one another to enhance the listening experience

    Radio City launches Radio City Fusion

    By A Correspondent

     

    Radio City has announced the launch of Radio City Fusion.

     

    The folk music experienced in India boasts of a huge cultural diversity becoming an indispensable component of one’s lives. With renowned singers like Kailash Kher, Salim – Suleiman, Talvin Singh, Wadali Brothers, Papon, Sonu Kakkar, Shafqat Amanat Ali, Susheela Raman, Bickram Ghosh, Advaita, Rahul Sharma and many others Radio City Fusion presents a plethora of songs combining the magic of these creative geniuses.

     

    Popular tracks like Piya Bavari by Abhijit Pohankar, Tere Bina – Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & Michael Brook; Kandisa – Indian Ocean; Kattey – Ram Sampath, Hard Kaur, Bhanvari Devi; Madari – Vishal Dadlani, Clinton Cerejo & Sonu Kakkar are all handpicked selections of urban folk music by the best artists across genres. Radio City Fusion is a station that combines ethnic roots with new-age urban sounds seamlessly synchronized with one another to enhance the listening experience.

     

    Rachna Kanwar

    Rachna Kanwar, Business Head, Digital Media & New Business, Radio City 91.1 FM said, “As we march ahead with newer genres in our bouquet of Web Radio stations, the expectations of our listeners are also growing. We are happy to fulfill one such expectation with Radio City Fusion that marks our entry into the space of folk fusion.  Radio City Fusion plays music that beautifully blends Indian sounds with western music forms. Fusion helps the reach of folk music and makes it more palatable to a wider audience. One of the reasons why many of us are familiar with a wide variety of Indian folk music today is because of the fusion songs on our playlists. With the launch of Radio City Fusion, the listeners now have a wider choice to listen to differentiated music available on all the stations of planetradiocity.”

     

    Radio City Fusion is the latest addition to the ever-growing music portal after Radio City Classics. Radio City Dance, Radio City International, Radio City Love, Radio City Malayalam, Radio City Tamil, Radio City Smaran, Radio City Freedom, Radio City Indipop, Radio City Hindi & Radio City Fun Ka Antenna.

     

  • The regulator continues to restrict news on radio by restricting FM radio to broadcast only AIR bulletins, says Ashish Pherwani of EY

    No restrictions on news in print, TV or digital media, so why on radio?

    By A Correspondent

     

    The decision to allow All India Radio news on private FM has drawn mixed reactions.

     

    Here is the view of Ashish Pherwani, Partner & Radio Segment Champion, EY (eka Ernst & Young):

    “The regulator continues to restrict news on radio by restricting FM radio to broadcast only AIR bulletins, while no such restrictions are placed on print, TV or digital media.  News on radio (without curbs) could be used either in capsules to increase listener stickiness on existing channels, or through the launch of dedicated news channels which could open up a whole new genre of content.”

     

  • Buoyed by the success of some key stations going retro, Reliance Broadcast has Big plans for 92.7 FM

    92.7 will be a 100-plus radio networks soon: Tarun Katial

     

    Buoyed by the success of some key stations going retro, Reliance Broadcast has Big plans for 92.7 FM. In a wide-ranging interview with Pradyuman Maheshwari on the radio business at his company’s headquarters in north-west Mumbai, Tarun Katial, Chief Executive Officer of Reliance Broadcast Network spoke on the switch to retro, his plans for Phase III and news on private FM radio.

     

    You must be proud of the way 92.7 Big FM has grown in leadership. The retro strategy has worked wonders, right?

    We researched that all radio consumers are not the same, all tastes are not the same and we will go region by region, city by city to decide the format and we put our radio station in buckets so there is the retro bucket where all stations that we saw that the liking for retro music was high, we’ve taken the ‘hit thhe, hit rahenge’ positioning in all those stations. There are some stations where we continued to run as contemporary hit radio but they are in a bucket of regional plus contemporary so there is Bangalore, there is you know the whole Punjab belt, there is Chennai. Chennai is actually different, there is Hyderabad, and some of the others which are regional contemporary hit radio. So they primarily belong to that region and to the music of that region and contemporary music of that region.

     

    Going retro has obviously been successful but did you think that it would alienate the youth?

    We did extensive research in all target audience groups and was quite surprised to see the results. New music has so little shelf value even among the youth that beyond eight to ten weeks, a song fades away and never comes back. That’s the maximum period that a song stays on the charts today.

     

    How’s it done for your revenues?

    The money today is in categories like auto, insurance and FMCG. And these all talk largely to 25+ male or female consumers. Even though you may worry about our youth ratings which are very, very big and competitive when compared to others, it is in the 25+ audience largely where all the advertising money gets spent. We are clearly the No 1 here. So it has impacted our revenues extremely positively. Our Mumbai station which was priced anywhere between Rs 6-700 bucks has nearly doubled its price, its ARPUs and its volume going up extensively…

     

    In terms of overall revenues, what has been the kind of growth?

    If you look at our last six months which is where we’ve really gone retro, we’s seen a near-15-20 percent rise.

     

    While you were always known to be the large 45-station network, given your leadership status in the two key markets of Mumbai and Delhi, you must be now calling the shots in the radio genre?

    I think most large advertisers realise that we deliver very good value and they’ve started to work with us far more extensively than they ever did in the last one year. A few of the larger ones have actually gone and done some really innovative work with us. So we’re seeing larger marketshare shifts towards us. We’re also seeing advertisers finally getting conscious about where they spend their money because spends on radio are going up after the cap of ad time on TV and so we’re seeing people holding themselves and their agencies far more accountable in terms of RoIs. Advertisers are increasing looking at RAM data. Around 70-80 percent of adspend is in the four metros which are measured by RAM weekly.

     

    An aside: radio players do not seem to have too much of a problem with RAM as the televisionwallahs have had with TAM.

    I think even radio players want RAM to upgrade itself. Baselines need to be updated, data needs to be looked at for challenges that it has. So there are issues with RAM and we want to move towards electronic from diary, but it’s far better than an IRS kind once-in-a-quarter, once-in-six-months, once-a-year kind-of study and now with IRS not come since 2012 that data is virtually redundant now.

     

    With BARC a reality, now from October onwards, presumably TAM will be off so they will only have RAM.

    I don’t know whether TAM will be off or we’ll have two sets of ratings….

     

    Huh?

    The jury is not out on whether TAM will be off.

     

    Yes, but they need to have enough subscribers to be able to fund that kind of research.

    Yes, but I think everybody is going to look at the stability of the BARC data for the first few months before we all switch off TAM… which is an eventuality

     

     Assuming that happens whenever, are you worried about research because that company will only have RAM as a business proposition in the field of audience measurement?

    Internationally there are enough companies that do both radio and TV research. The good part in RAM is that it’s a commissioned study by the radio broadcasters. Unlike TAM which is a subscribe-to data, this is a commissioned data and as a radio body we can commission it to any other research company we think fit.

     

    So will you continue with RAM for the moment?

    For the moment, yes, I think the radio industry is going to be with RAM.

     

    Coming back to 92.7, from what you say the people who matter for revenues – the adult listener – listens to retro and hence the switch to retro has been rewarding. It now appears to be a no-brainer, so why didn’t you do it all these years?

    I think everybody likes to believe that there is safety in majority and you try to do what  everybody else is doing and try to make the marginal delta difference of what you and the other player are. You realise that the marginal delta difference only gets you that far and you’re all pretty much aping each other and the only way to stand out is to break free from the clutter. So we decided that you have to take some slightly bigger risks to get some slightly bigger results.

     

    We took some risks, some aggressive ones and that paid off quite well and we also took these risks with a good execution strategy behind it. So not only have we gone retro, we’ve gone retro with some very pathbreaking shows.n Suhana Safar with Annu Kapoor is just one of that. What it’s done to radio is that not only is it the No 1 show but its added to new listeners on radio. And very few products or shows on radio or on TV can add to the base of viewers or listeners. There isn’t anybody who you would talk to around who listens to radio or listens to our network who wouldn’t have consumed Annu Kapoor today.

     

    What next? People are trying to replicate what you’re doing.

    What we have been able to do is that we’ve built a format with talent around it which you can’t replicate. You can replicate the music but not the talent around it and the insights that we’ve been able to do with music. We have actually had a panel of serious musicians help us classify our music. We haven’t done it with little knowledge like most other radio stations including us have about music. We actually brought in experts. I think the next step would be to add more formats within the retro format, to add new talent and new shows. We’re in the process of talking to two very big artists. You can replicate music, but not talent.

     

    But talent can be poached.

    Well, you can poach talent but you can’t replicate it.

     

    What about the attraction of associating with new films like a Humpty Sharma?

    You have to make some sacrifices right? You have to stay true to your format. We have not done any such movie tie-ups in a long while. Yes, we do interviews because we’re not away from the current world so they all come to us. They come and talk to them about the legends and the retro music they’re in love with.

     

    Given the success that you’ve had with retro, what are you plans for Phase III?

    I think Phase III will be a great opportunity for us to refine our formats even better so in places where we get multiple frequencies. Having succeeded with different shades of work with retro which a lot of people including some people on our Board said was doubtful and questionable, we’ve got some two-three formats up our sleeves that we want to test in Mumbai and Delhi and some of the other markets.

     

    Is there anything that you could make public right now? Would  you look at classical music at all in the future?

    While we haven’t done classical music but we do classify our music for ragas and we do play our music by day parts according to ragas.

     

    So Phase 3… how many licences are you looking at? 

    We’ll go for max. Max in terms of whatever is possible so I think from a 45-station network you can expect us to be a 100-plus network.

     

    But, of course, there’s still some time before Phase 3 happens.

    It should happen. I think the government will do it before December, I would think.

     

    Will you possibly look at regional also like in a city like Mumbai?

    Why don’t I just write the format strategy and give it to you? (laughs)

     

    Okay, what about news? Is that something that you will get into?

    Well I’m excited about it.  I think it’s almost archaic to not have news on free radio and not allow the consumer to be able to make himself aware on what his happening on the world around him on free radio. It’s not fair and I think this government had finally woken up to that reality I think we spent five years representing to the last government or more. I was so hopeful that they would have done something under the last regime. But I hope this regime will come and I think the statements from the I&B minister are very positive.

     

    This is independent news, not AIR news.

    We’re hoping that some of the leading news agencies will be allowed.

     

    But why don’t you still pitch for independent news?

    Definitely! And that’s our argument. We are still hopeful that the minister will stay true to his earlier announcements of allowing at least Press Trust of India (PTI) news on air. With all sorts of news available even on local cable television, radio should be treated fairly and equitably. It is a responsible medium, live, here and now, can be consumed on the go, and can be very effective. We free-minded and free-spirited media people like you will help us in taking this cause forward.

     

    I’m the only person who writes about it. Seriously, don’t you think the radio bosses haven’t pushed for it enough?

    I think we haven’t. I think we haven’t worked hard enough for it. I think we have been caught up in other issues and haven’t focused on this hard enough. I think some of the other business issues like renewal of licenses and music royalty caught our attention more than this. But I think we will fix it.

     

    Will Phase III licence prices be under control, unlike the past?

    I don’t think that we will see a new pan-India player coming in. Tough. I think there will be a certain amount of consolidation among current players but I don’t think there is going to be a new pan-India player coming in.

     

    This talk of consolidation has been there for a while but not really happened…

    I think people are waiting for the Phase III policy and the renewal of licenses clarity. And I think people are looking at their build vs. buy options so. Currently, the build options looks far more easier than buy because of the Phase III licenses so for current players there is no real motivation go buy.

     

    Assuming Phase III is announced in October, by when do you think you will be up and running?

    Launches are going to be far more quicker, they’re pretty much linked to just capex procurement because technology is easier and no real infrastructure is to be create so it will happen quick. Toh jaldi ho jayega

     

    Have you already started work on it?

    Obviously there is some amount of groundwork that is already in place.

     

  • The show will go on air in the primetime evening slot of 7pm-8pm from Monday to Saturday

    94.3 MY FM rolls out the ‘The Shekhar Suman Show’

    MY FM has announced an exclusive show with Indian film actor and TV personality Shekhar Suman called ‘The Shekhar Suman Show’. The show will go on air in the primetime evening slot of 7pm-8pm from Monday to Saturday and will be aired across all 17 stations of MY FM.

     

    The show will see Shekhar Suman entertaining in his inimitable style on radio and will consist of one hour of nonstop fun, spoofs and parodies on every topic under the sun.

     

    Harrish M Bhatia

    Commenting on the new comedy show, Harrish M. Bhatia, CEO, 94.3 MY FM said “Shekhar Suman is a phenomenal talent and is spectacular at what he does. His spontaneity connects immediately with the listeners and I am sure that they will respond very warmly to his show. This further strengthens our content offering and puts us way ahead of the competition. I am sure our clients will leverage this innovative brand property and we will continue differentiating to stand out amongst competition.”

     

    On the launch of the show across the Network and bringing in celebrity quotient, Viplove Gupte National Programming Head said, “We have been consistently building on the content, and the entertainment quotient, the listener today looks at radio as a medium to entertain, educate and build around opportunities of humour and fun, we have kept our promise and in the days to come we will unveil some more surprises.”

     

  • The new season revolves around the core thought 'Soch Badlo Samaj Badlega'

    BIG Magic Bihar announces season 3 of Police Files

    By A Correspondent

     

    After receiving a good response in the earlier season, BIG Magic Bihar and Jharkhand has announced the launch of the third season of Police Files. Highlighting real life stories of crime, retaliation, presence of mind and bravery from the Hindi heartland, the show promises to engage with audiences as they relate to each story. The new season revolves around the core thought ‘Soch Badlo Samaj Badlega’, which encourages people to be more socially responsible and aware of happenings around them, encouraging citizens to become guardians of society, but just being alert.

     

    The season will feature multiple hosts and will launch on 4thAugust, and will air every Monday to Friday at 10pm on BIG Magic Bihar & Jharkhand.

     

    In its newest season, the show strives to evoke ‘Preventive action’ within everyone with the campaign ‘Soch Badlo Samaj Badlega’, and urges people to stand up against crime and take corrective measures against them. This season will also witness various anchors from the region who will narrate the stories to viewers, various stories of impending crime, bravery and quick wittedness. The stories are equipped with real heroes, real footages, and real crime scenes. Also on board, and adding credibility will be real testimonials, on camera investigations and other live action.

     

    The show will be shot at real locations of crime in UP, Bihar and Jharkhand. Real cops will share their investigative reports and incidents to highlight the case and provide proactive and preventive crime measures to the viewers.

     

    Lavneesh Gupta

    Speaking on the launch of the show, Lavneesh Gupta, COO – Television Business, Reliance Broadcast Network said, “In continuing our endeavor to offer audiences in the Hindi heartland locally relevant and insightful programming, we are excited to launch the new season of Police Files ‘Soch Badlo Samaj Badlega’. The regions of Eastern UP, Bihar and Jharkhand are going through a massive change, be it social, political or economical and the timing couldn’t be more perfect. We look forward to offering engaging content that audiences can enjoy and advertisers can ride on.”

     

    The new season will be promoted through an aggressive multi media campaign, featuring TV, Radio, OOH, Print, and Digital across the Hindi Heartland. The channel will also promote the show through various locally relevant on-ground campaigns and associations.