MxMIndia

Category: RADIO

  • This bill will allow the Copyright Board to decide the royalty rates for the broadcasters, which until now was decided by the PPL

    Radio broadcasters thumbs up to Copyright Bill

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Copyright Amendment Act which was passed recently in Lok Sabha has come as a huge relief, not only for the artists, musicians and content creators, but also for the Indian radio fraternity.

     

    This bill will allow the Copyright Board to decide the royalty rates for the broadcasters, which until now was decided by the PPL (Phonographic Performance Ltd.). PPL is the copyright society with respect to sound recordings. While the bill is clearly beneficial for the rightful owners of the copyright, how much profitable will it be for the radio broadcasters, will be known only once the copyright board decides on the rates that the broadcasters may have to pay for the copyright owners.

     

    The Copyright Amendment Act 2012 allows artists, song writers and performers to claim the royalties for content creation. While the bill has also made it mandatory for both radio and television broadcasters pay royalty to the copyright owners each time their content is broadcasted, what it also ensures is that unlike before, the amended Copyright Act will allow broadcasters to pay music royalties on a pro-rata basis. As a result, it will help broadcasters generate more revenues.

     

    What they say:

    Speaking to MxMIndia, Ms Anurradha Prasad, Chairperson cum Managing Director, B.A.G Network and president of Association of Radio Operators for India (AROI) said: “We welcome the Copyright Amendment Act because it will bring a sea change in the industry. The radio industry has been bleeding because of the huge royalties it has to pay for the music. Therefore, it is a great step forward, and I believe it is a win-win situation for the entire chain because it will bring in more transparency and, as a result, more revenues will be generated.”

     

    Mr Vipul Pradhan, CEO of PPL said that while he welcomed the amendment that the royalties be given to the rightful owners of the content, what he is not pleased with is the statutory licensing for users as it would take away the monetizing rights of the music companies, nevertheless, PPL will abide by the law. “We welcome the Copyright Amendment Act and we will follow the new law. We welcome the first part of the amendment which allows the rightful owners of content to get their royalties. However, it is the second part of the amendment – the statutory licensing for the users is something that we are not happy about.”

     

    “The statutory licenses for the users are basically the people who are using our content as business activity which is where I think the statutory license of content for radio or television is something that is not desirable. We will see how the statutory licenses for users will impact the music companies in the long run. So, while we welcome the move to allow artists and content creators to claim their royalties for their work, it is the statutory licensing for users that concerns us because it will take away the monetization rights of the music companies, which in the long run could affect the creation of these rights,” he added.

     

    Rabe T Iyer, Business Head, Big FM explained: “It is a constructive and beneficial step in truly recognizing the real owners of music and not just the labels who pitch and buy them. It is also a fair distribution of rights which will lead to increasing talent pool, greater accountability of quality and continued effort to innovate. I believe it will provide greater flexibility for radio stations to play music recomposed or readjusted by creators of songs and it will allow more artists, song writers to get their dues.”

     

    Mr Amitabh Srivastava, Country Manager, Radio Netherlands noted that this move is very much in sync with industry requirements as it would resolve most of the royalty issues faced by the radio industry. Mr Srivastava also said that unlikeIndia, the international model of intellectual property rights is quite rigid as it ensures that the owners of the copyright get their due shares, and that with the passage of this legislation we can expect international standards in copyrights as well. “This bill is more beneficial for content owners than the radio broadcasters. This bill will bring legitimacy in the royalty issues and it will promote more self generating content which is not happening right now. So, it is a welcoming change because when copyright is legitimized, even the broadcasters will be allowed to create their own content which we do not see taking place as of now.”

     

    Shreyams Kumar, Director Mathrubhumi said: “We don’t mind paying money to the artists, but paying money to the music companies which does not reach the rightful owners is what we don’t approve. Thus the Copyright Amendment Act is a welcome move as it will lead to more transparency in the music and broadcast industry. This amended act will definitely be a cost saver for the radio industry and it will certainly help the radio industry in the long run.”

     

    Ms Monica Nayyar Patnaik, Joint Managing Director at Eastern Media Ltd and Mr Naval Toshniwal, CEO Tomato FM and Vice President, Pudhari Publications were of the view that this bill is a step in the right direction which will benefit the radio industry and act as a cost saver for the industry.

     

  • Ormax Media launches a customized brand health and equity tool for the Indian television and radio industries

    Ormax launches brand track tool for TV & radio

    By A Correspondent

     

    The India n television and radio industries now have their own brand health & equity tool, called Ormax Brand Matrix (OBM).

     

    Launched by Ormax Media, OBM is the first brand-tracking tool customized to address the needs of broadcasters (both television and radio) in India. The product design is based on a mix of qualitative and quantitative consumer research.

     

    Speaking about OBM, Shailesh Kapoor, CEO, Ormax Media said: “There are various conventional models for brand health and equity measurement available in the research industry. However, none of these catered well to broadcaster requirements. Unlike FMCGs, television and radio consumption is very different. There is no monetary consideration, but there is time cost instead. Also, the viewer or listener consumes multiple brands everyday. The broadcasting industry deserves its own brand-tracking model. We are finally ready with OBM, after extensive research and testing over the last two years.” OBM is not only customized to television and radio, it also has custom-made variants for various television genres, such as GECs, movie channels, youth channels, kids, niche channels, and others.

     

    Mr Kapoor added: “More than a research product, we have conceptualized OBM as a strategic framework. If used well, it can enable brands to take sound business decisions based on statistically robust and qualitatively layered consumer evidence.”

     

  • The tie-up will see Aidem take charge of SpotRadio's service and ad sales as well as ad sales for the Radiowalla internet radio platform

    Aidem Ventures ties up with Radiowalla Network

    By A Correspondent

     

    Aidem Ventures has announced a tie-up with Radiowalla Network to take charge of its service  and ad sales for Radiowalla Network’s SpotRadio. It will also look at ad sales for the Radiowalla internet radio platform.

     

    Commenting on the collaboration, Kaushal Dalal, Executive Vice President, Aidem Ventures, said: “We believe that SpotRadio and Radiowalla offer a valuable service and are excited to be associated with these. Besides, Aidem commands ample domain expertise, including in the media services and ad sales spaces.  This will also be a great opportunity for establishments as well as for advertisers that are looking to tap a captive audience and build brand character. As for Radiowalla, internet radio offers many advantages over personal saved music and is in line with building our online sales strategy.”

     

    Said Anil Srivatsa, CEO & Co-founder, Radiowalla Network: “SpotRadio is rapidly picking up pace and is already present across 40+ retail chains and over 3000 locations in India. Gloria Jeans, Costa Coffee, Lifestyle, Fastrack and Puma are some of the major brands that are already on board. Commercial establishments have been very receptive to the idea of SpotRadio. With Aidem’s strong foothold in the media sales and service space, we are positive that this partnership will establish SpotRadio and Radiowalla as the category leader.”

     

  • The finale marks the end of the month long cricket tournament where different regions competed for the GPL trophy and a prize of Rs1 lakh

    Grand finale for Radio City’s Gully Premier League

    By A Correspondent

     

    Following the phenomenal start, the second season of Radio City 91.1 FM’s Gully Premier League (GPL) reached its peak during the grand finale. The second season of GPL witnessed a record number of 14,000 team registrations across the country.  The finale saw Ghatkopar ke Super 11 win the tournament. Young cheerleaders as well as celebrities such as Shaan, Babul Supriyo, Meet Brothers Karan Wahi and Vikas Kalantri added to the glitz.

     

    Season 2 of GPL was held across 14 cities – Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Nagpur, Surat, Baroda, Ahmedabad, Vizag, Coimbatore and Pune.

     

  • In a unique initiative, Radio Mirchi gave away bicycles to lucky listeners for an easier, better and eco-friendly commute

    Radio Mirchi tackles petrol price hike!

    By A Correspondent

     

    The continuous price hike in petrol has left everyone in a fix and in a unique initiative, Radio Mirchi gave away bicycles to lucky listeners for an easier, better and eco-friendly commute.

     

    Radio Mirchi invited listeners to give a vent to their angst in a enjoyable and memorable way. RJ Jeeturaaj asked Mirchi fans to compose fun, peppy poems on the constant increase of fuel prices on ‘Hi Mumbai’.On popular evening show ‘Sunset Samosa’, RJs Suren & Meera ran a musical contest where listeners had to sing and complete songs they had created on a cycle.

     

    The innovative initiative by Mirchi registered huge participation from the listeners as they spoke about the troubling state of affairs caused by the ever rising price hike on the airwaves.

     

  • Radio Mirchi’s RJ Raaj dressed as a green crusader to spread the message of reducing carbon emission in Bengaluru

    Reduce Your Carbon Footprint: Radio Mirchi

    By A Correspondent

     

    Radio Mirchi’s RJ Raaj – Majja Run patron –  dressed as a green crusader in a black robe with a huge life size cut out of a foot all made from recycled biodegradable products to spread the message of reducing carbon emission in Bengaluru. He won the first place at the Kingfisher ‘Run in Costume’ Green Crusader segment.

     

    RJ Raja went out to spread the message on how each one of us can take a green oath by reducing the carbon emission in our daily lives by adopting simple practices such as turning the lights, televisions and computers off when not in use, keeping fridge doors closed, drive less, do the weekly errands in a single trip or pay bills online, walk, bike, ride the bus or carpool and so on.

     

    Excited about his win, Beat Raja Raaj said: “It is a great high to win the contest for the second time in a row. I have always been an avid follower of green practices in my daily life and hence took up the carbon footprint concept.”

     

    Commenting on the occasion, Sangeeta Rath, Station Head – Radio Mirchi said: “We have been very actively participating in the World 10K for the last five years and every year RJ Raaj designs looks that are very topical in nature. This year it was the green message, it is commendable of RJ Raaj to come up with this unique and meaningful depiction! Kudos to him for winning second time in succession.”

     

  • Virag Mishra, the National Content Head at Oye! FM has taken over the mantle for now

    Vehrnon Ibrahim moves on from Oye!

    By A Correspondent

     

    After a stint of a little more than two years with Oye! FM as the National Programming Head, Vehrnon Ibrahim has decided to call it quits. While his next destination is not known, it is more or less clear that Mr Ibrahim will continue in the radio industry.

     

    Although it is not known who would replace Mr Ibrahim as the National Programming Head, it is learnt that Mr Virag Mishra, the National Content Head at Oye! FM has taken over the mantle for now.

     

    Speaking to MxMIndia, Mr Ibrahim said: “I am leaving behind one of the best teams I have ever had. I know that Oye! FM will continue to grow from strength to strength and will one day be the number one FM radio station under the guidance of Virag Mishra, National Content Head. I wish them all the best for the future.”

     

    “I am looking forward to my new assignments in the radio field which is very exciting and challenging” he added.

     

    At Oye! FM Mr Ibrahim reported to Mr Joy Chakraborty, CEO, TV Today Network. His last working day at Oye! FM was on May 31. Prior to Oye! FM, Mr Ibrahim was the Vice President at Radio One for two years; before his stint at Radio One, Mr Ibrahim was the National Programming Director at Red FM where he worked for seven long years.

     

  • In his new role as National Corporate Sales Head, all non-station market sales teams including Mumbai, South,Delhiand government will report to him with immediate effect while he will continue reporting to the CEO, Harrish M Bhatia

    94.3 MY FM elevates Rahul Namjoshi as National Corporate Sales Head

    By A Correspondent

     

    94.3 MY FM has elevated Rahul Namjoshi as National Corporate Sales Head. Mr Namjoshi, who has been associated with MY FM since 2007 as the Regional Head for Gujarat, moved to take the role of Business Head for North, East and South zones last financial year where he has played a critical role in transforming the Delhi region within a short span of time.

     

    In his new role as National Corporate Sales Head, all non-station market sales teams including Mumbai, South,Delhiand government will report to him with immediate effect while he will continue reporting to the CEO, Harrish M Bhatia.

     

    Commenting on the development Mr Bhatia said: “MY FM has created a culture that acknowledges exceptional performers. We are pleased to promote Rahul as the National Corporate Sales Head for 94.3 MY FM. We are sure that with his knowledge of Radio and the brand, Rahul will take MY FM to newer heights, making a positive contribution to the top line of the company.”

     

    Continuing with the restructuring exercise, Harold Paul and Ambika Singh have been elevated to the Station Head level at MY FM’s key station – Ahmedabad. They will look after Corporate Sales and Retail Sales respectively.

     

    Before joining 94.3 MY FM, Mr Namjoshi was leading Reliance Industries Ltd – Textile division as Deputy General Manager.

     

  • Sriram Kilambi has put in his papers as National Marketing Head and is presently serving his notice period at Radio Mirchi. GG Jayanta, business head of Andhra Pradesh and Regional Marketing Head- South, Radio Mirchi will be the new National Marketing Head.

    Sriram Kilambi quits Radio Mirchi, GG Jayanta is new national marketing head

    By Robin Thomas and Shubhangi Mehta

     

    Sriram Kilambi who was the National Marketing Head for Radio Mirchi has called it a day. GG Jayanta Regional Marketing Head – South Radio Mirchi will be the new National Marketing Head. Prashant Panday, CEO, Radio Mirchi, confirmed the news to MxM India.

     

    GG Jayanta was the business head of Andra Pradesh for three years and Regional Marketing Head- South, Radio Mirchi and hence handled two roles simultaneously for Mirchi.

     

    Mr Kilambi will be serving his notice period till March end. It is being speculated that he might be moving to UTV.

     

    In May 2011, Sriram Kilambi, who was the Senior Vice-President and Cluster Head, ENIL Mumbai, had been promoted as Marketing Head for Radio Mirchi.

     

    Mr Kilambi has spent more than 12 years across FMCG and media sectors in various roles like sales, marketing, and customer management, and had started his career with Coca-Cola India in 1999. In 2006, he joined ENIL as Vice-President and Cluster Head, East, where he successfully ran the Kolkata station and launched the Patna centre.

     

  • Mr Uppal confirmed to MxM that he has quit Fever 104 FM and joined Red 93.5 FM

    Rajat Uppal is the new GM Marketing, Red FM

    By Shubhangi Mehta

     

    Rajat Uppal has quit Fever 104 FM and moved to Red 93.5 FM as General Manager- Marketing. On being contacted Mr Uppal confirmed the news to MxMIndia.

     

    In his new role, Mr Uppal will be responsible for strengthening the brand “RED” and drive all marketing initiatives of Red FM. Mr Uppal comes with close to 10 years of marketing experience across Liquor and Media Conglomerates like UB Group, Radico Khaitan, Reliance BIG Entertainment (BIG FM) & Hindustan Times (Fever 104 FM).

     

    Prior to working with Red FM, he was the Deputy General Manager- Marketing at Fever 104 FM (HT Media Ltd.)

     

    At Fever 104 FM, he was working as part of the national marketing team and handling marketing for Fever 104 FM, Fever Entertainment( Events Division) & FAT Productions, a new business venture of creating, aggregating and selling content for all digital media including, but not limited to, Mobile, Internet, radio, TV, CDs and other similar storage hardware devices. He was also responsible for managing key national campaigns for trade & consumer audiences besides spear heading online, digital & new marketing innovations.

     

  • The core objective of the communication was divided into two levels. The first one was to inspire people to test drive Honda Brio and, second, that the dealers of Honda feel excited about the whole campaign

    Case Study: Honda Brio: Love Ka Connection

    By A Correspondent

     

    Campaign: Honda Brio: Love Ka Connection

     

    Aim and Objectives:

    The core objective of the communication was divided into two levels. The first one was to inspire more and more people to test drive Honda Brio and feel the experience of being loved back and, second, that the dealers of Honda feel excited about the whole campaign and are inspired to sell more.

     

    The Background:

    According to Honda Brio’s current brand positioning – there’s no happier feeling than being loved back and that’s what you get every time you drive Honda Brio. It always goes the extra mile every time to make sure the love story never ends.” Keeping this promise and idea intact, BIG FM came up with the concept to give an experience of loving and getting love back.

     

    Timelines:

    The campaign was spread across 30 cities and executed within 21 days, Touch basing more than 40 dealer outlets. Apart from the 23 92.7 BIG stations, the activity was also done on 7 non-BIG FM stations which was co-ordinated by BIG FM.

     

    How the strategy was implemented:

    The core idea was to promote the voice of Honda Brio where consumers test drive Honda Brio. RJ called up the customers who have taken a test drive and asked them to share their experience. The customer who shared the best experience was called on a show every Friday to co-host a show with the RJ. Also every weekend, RJs went to Honda Showrooms and promote the activity at the dealers shop through games and music.

     

    In addition to the Voice of Honda Contest, Dealer Delight was also taken into consideration as one of the main objective was to uplift dealers moral as well as making them feel good by sending them to the corresponding radio station and meet the RJ and thus get an opportunity go come on – air.

     

    The activity was executed in four phases with each one having its own level of communication. In the first phase, a 7 day on-air promotion was done with the help of On Air Promos and RJs informing listeners about the activity and the dealer. In the second and thirds phase the activity went on-ground at dealers shops where games were played for the contest ” Voice of Honda Brio.” In the last phase, the dealers were called to the radio station and did a one to one interaction with RJs on-air.

     

    Expectations v/s Outcome:

    Honda had two core expectations from the campaign- one, delighting the dealers about the campaign and the other, to increase the test drives of Honda Brio. 92.7 BIG FM met the expectations by delivering more than what was expected from the campaign which resulted in 24 per cent increase in footfalls at the dealer shop and an astounding 34 per cent increase in test drives. The Honda dealers were highly satisfied with the activity and were kicked out about the brand.

     

    Constraints and challenges in implementation:

    The biggest challenge of the activity was co-ordinating 30 stations and communicating the same thought in 9 different languages. Also that the whole activity was in 23 BIG FM stations and 7 non-BIG FM stations required a smooth running of the activity at Honda dealerships and engaging both consumers and dealers.

     

    Since the activity was planned for a time span of 21 days in 30 cities, the execution needed to be perfect in every way possible. Regional language creative needed to be updated frequently as per dealers requirement as well as taste.

     

    Challenges/Difficulties in Execution:

    As the creative were in 9 different languages, the same communication was scripted in different languages. With addition of dealer’s feedback, each creative was given a regional flavour, keeping in line the communication. RJs doing the activation at the dealers store were also aligned to the campaign and the core thought across 30 cities. Also daily consumer bytes from the activity were aired on a day to day basis.

     

    Take-homes:

    • Radio can be effectively used to support on-ground activation
    • Non-Metros have a higher inclination towards Radio

     

    Credits, Strategy & Execution:

    The Team: Praveen Pahuja, Neha Goel, Kinney Mishra (National and Local Programming team)

     

  • Mr Khan, known to be a marketing guru and one to value feedback, was looking to seek listeners' opinions and reactions for the show

    Aamir reaches out to BIG 92.7 listeners in 45 cities

    By A Correspondent

     

    92.7 BIG FM listeners had a special treat when Aamir Khan dropped by at the Mumbai station to interact with them on air.

     

    Engaging in conversations with listeners from across Tier II and III cities resulted in some interesting revelations, as they shared their feedback, the difference it has made to their lives and to the society at large and also proactive recommendations of subjects that could be taken up on the show. “People around watch the show and expect change from their society, change will happen only when one personally changes,” he said.

     

    Speaking on the occasion, Mr Khan said: “I am very happy to have got this opportunity on 92.7 BIG FM to connect with my audiences. With Satyamev Jayate, our endeavor has been to address key issues plaguing the nation, the show today has gone a long way in helping us get a first hand feedback about the show, how it has impacted us and how the show can play a catalyst in bringing about the much required change in our society.”

     

    Commenting on Mr Khan’s visit to the studio, a company spokesperson said: “We, at 92.7 BIG FM, were happy to have Aamir Khan choose our network to reach out to people across India, while offering our listeners the opportunity to speak with someone, who is working towards creating a positive change in society.”