MxMIndia

Tag: Radio Mirchi

  • Mr. Kilambi has over 13 years of Marketing and Operations experience in the Media and FMCG industries

    Sriram Kilambi joins BloombergUTV as President

    By A Correspondent

     

    BloombergUTV, India’s premier business news channel announced the appointment of Mr Sriram Kilambi as the President of the channel with effect from April 16. Mr. Kilambi, an IIM-Bangalore alumnus, in his last assignment was Senior Vice-President and National Marketing Head for Radio Mirchi, the FM station of Entertainment Network India Ltd (ENIL). Mr. Kilambi has over 13 years of Marketing and Operations experience in the Media and FMCG industries.

     

    Mr. Harsha Subramaniam, Executive Producer, Bloomberg Television, welcoming Mr. Sriram Kilambi on-board, said: “Sriram is a terrific professional with a strong background in building brands across various platforms. We are excited to have him on board as BloombergUTV gears up to the next level of growth.”

     

    Mr. Kilambi, speaking about his new assignment as President BloombergUTV said: “I am quite excited to be on-board. The channel has made its mark in business news reporting and has seen excellent growth. It is a privilege to be able to work with the amazing team here and I am looking forward to being a part of a wonderful future.”

     

    Mr. Kilambi has earlier worked with Coca Cola India for seven years in various capacities and was instrumental in initiating and implementing key strategic plans for brands like ‘Coca-Cola’, ‘Kinley’ & ‘Georgia’. He also won two awards at the ‘2004 Coca-Cola Worldwide Marketing Awards’ for ‘Best Integrated Marketing Communications Program’ and ‘Consumer Insight with Greatest Business Impact’.

     

    Mr. Kilambi, 35, did his Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Economics from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University before joining IIM-Bangalore for his post-graduation.

     

    BloombergUTV, India’s premier Business news channel is a strategic partnership between Bloomberg L.P., the global leader in business information, and the promoters (founders) of UTV,India’s leading integrated media and entertainment enterprise. With an enviable squad of Indian journalists, power of over 2500 professionals across the globe and a network of 145 bureaus, BloombergUTV is a product of local news gathering, production and distribution expertise combined with world class financial news capabilities and global reach. The channel is positioned as an enabler that cuts out the terminology and presents the honest truth.

     

  • There were a record 300 entries, a 50 per cent jump over last year. The number of participating agencies doubled to 33 agencies

    Jury meets to select winners of the 9th Mirchi KAAN Awards

    By A Correspondent

     

    The ninth edition of the Mirchi Kaan Awards had an unprecedented response when the Ad gurus met to select the best radio ads of 2011. There were a record 300 entries, a 50 per cent jump over last year. The number of participating agencies doubled to 33 agencies. And the number of entries for the Best Use of Radio as a Medium saw a tripling of entries to a record 31. Entries were spread across 15 categories, ranging from food to cosmetics.

     

    The winners will be felicitated at a gala event hosted by Cyrus Broacha on April 17 at Comedy Store, Phoenix Mills. The Mirchi KAAN Awards was introduced in 2004 to celebrate creativity in the challenging and evolving field of radio advertising. Over the years it has recognised and honoured ground-breaking and original radio campaigns.

     

    Speaking about the ninth Mirchi KAAN Awards, GG Jayanta, National Marketing Head, Radio Mirchi, said: “Every year the stakes get higher. In our 9th edition, the entries and the number of participating agencies have doubled. This is a testament to the prestige that winning a KAAN award gives. I thank the jury for having taken the time out of their busy schedule and selecting the winning entries.”

     

    The eminent jury included stalwarts like Pratap Suthan, Priti Nair, Amit Akali, Malvika Mehra, Manohar Nayak, Josy Paul, Rekha Nigam, Deepa Krishnan, Ramanuj Shastry, Tista Sen, Sonal Dabral and Ravi Deshpande.

     

    Sharing his thoughts about the quality of entries received this year, Josy Paul, Chairman and National Creative Director- BBDO India, said:  “Radio is a very personal and one to one medium. Hence good execution is of utmost importance. There has been resurgence in lot of fresh ideas this year which has lead to more freshness in programming.”

     

    Sonal Dabral, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, DDB Mudra Group, said: “I am on the Mirchi KAAN Jury for the very first time this year and I am quite excited to be a part of this process. Radio as a medium has a lot of potential. Unlike earlier, a lot of brands have now started including and demanding for Radio advertisements to be included in the overall marketing campaign.”

     

    Ravi Deshpande, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, Contract Advertising, said: “Advertising is always evolving, and especially radio advertising has seen tremendous amount of growth. Interesting trends of conversations are always happening and it’s nice to see them getting adapted to the medium of radio”.

     

    Ramanuj Shastry, Chief Creative Officer, Saatchi & Saatchi, said: “It’s fun to be a part of the Mirchi KAAN Awards. New writers are coming in, innovative projects are being showcased. As a jury member it is a pleasant experience to watch this fantastic trend”.

     

    Amit Akali, National Creative Director, Grey Worldwide, said: “The Tony Hertz workshop for these aspirants as a run-up to the main KAAN Awards is a commendable initiative by Radio Mirchi. The workshop will help the listeners to learn the nuances of radio advertising and improve the quality”.

     

    This year the theme of the Mirchi KAAN Awards’ ‘Listen, Learn, Shine’ focuses solely on the quality of work in the developing industry of radio advertising. Celebrated and renowned ad guru, Tony Hertz, will conduct a seminar on the art and craft of radio advertising for the aspirants from various ad agencies on April 17 as a build up to the Awards night. ET Now is the television partner and Afaqs.com is the digital partner of the ninth Mirchi KAAN Awards.

     

  • RadioCity, Radio Mirchi, Big FM, Red FM, Fever FM, Radio One, Oye! FM were some of the top FM stations in the big four metros

    RAMcheck: No change in #1 stations across RAM markets

    By A Correspondent

     

    TAM Media’s Radio Audience Measurement (RAM) – which covers four key metros, Mumbai,Delhi, Kolkata and Bengaluru – released its latest radio listenership figures for Wk 8 to Wk11 (Last two weeks of February 2012 and first two weeks of March 2012).

     

    According to the latest RAM data, for listeners of 12 years of age and above, all places of listening, and according to radio channel shares,RadioCity, Radio Mirchi, Fever FM, Big FM, Red FM, Radio One, Oye! FM were some of the top FM stations in the big four metros.

     

    WhileRadioCityretained its leadership position in Mumbai and Bengaluru, Fever FM and Radio Mirchi also continued to remain the leading FM stations inDelhiand Kolkata respectively.

     

    Mumbai:

    RadioCitycontinues to be the most popular FM station in Mumbai, as the FM station has maintained its leadership position in the city. Ranked second is Radio Mirchi followed by AIR FM2 Gold, Fever FM and Big FM which are ranked third, fourth and fifth respectively. These top five FM stations and Red FM, ranked sixth have secured their listenership share in double digits. The other FM stations in the city include Oye! FM, Radio One, AIR FM1 Rainbow, Vividh Bharati and Akashavani Mumbai.

     

     

    Delhi:

    According to the Wk8 to Wk 11 RAM data, Fever FM has once again retained its leadership position inDelhiwith a listenership share of 18.6 per cent followed by AIR FM2 Gold which garnered a share of 18.5 per cent. Although Fever FM is the number one FM station ofDelhi, the government owned AIR FM2 Gold is a close second. What remains to be seen is whether Fever FM is able to widen the gap between the number one and number two FM station? Or will AIR FM2 Gold claim the leadership title?  Once the undisputed leader ofDelhi, Radio Mirchi is now ranked three with a share of 15.2 per cent followed byRadioCityand Red FM with a share of 12.3 per cent respectively. The top five FM stations have received their station share in double digits. The other cluster of FM stations inDelhiincludes Oye! FM, Radio One, AIR FM1 Rainbow, Hit FM, Vividh Bharati and Akashvani Mumbai.

     

     

    Bengaluru:

    RadioCitymaintained its leadership position in Bengaluru with a share of 26 per cent, its nearest rival Radio Mirchi, on the other hand, received a share of 21.7 per cent. Ranked three is Big FM with a share of 17.6 per cent followed by Red FM which received a share of 12.8 per cent. While the top four FM radio stations in Bengaluru received a double digit share, AIR FM1 Rainbow which is ranked five received a share of 6.1 per cent. The other clusters of FM station in the city are Fever FM, Radio One, Radio Indigo, Gyan Vani, Akashavani and Vividh Bharati.

     

     

    Kolkata:

    The top five FM stations of Kolkata continue to remain the same. Radio Mirchi is unanimously the most popular FM station in Kolkata with a whopping 22.9 per cent of the station share. Its nearest rival is Big FM which received a share of 16.8 per cent followed by Friends FM and Aamar FM which are ranked four and five respectively. Kolkata is the only RAM market which perhaps has not seen a change in the top four rankings in a long time. While Fever FM and Red FM are ranked five and six respectively, other clusters of FM station in Kolkata are Oye! FM, Radio One, Power FM, AIR FM1 Rainbow, AIR FM2 Gold, Vividh Bharati and Akashavani Kolkata.

     

  • Once FM phase III is rolled out, FM stations hope to witness more innovations along with differentiation in content. So, is there a scope for the two to co-exist or do traditional radio stations need to press the panic button?

    Rise of internet radio: What do traditional FM players think?

    By Robin Thomas

     

    The internet today has become the fastest growing medium in the country, and mobile has more or less become a necessity. So influential is the internet and mobile today that every medium is harping onto the digital bandwagon. The rise of internet and mobile has compelled even FM radio to spread their wings online. Radio Maska which plays 24×7 Hindi music claims to be India’s first Bollywood internet radio station, catering to Indian and NRI listeners.

     

    Besides, Timbre Media, a multi platform and multi genre radio company will soon be launching an internet radio station; VentureNet Partners, a Bengaluru based internet radio company will also launch Radiowalla, a premium model internet audio service that promises a variety of special interest internet radio channels. Realizing the potential of internet, even traditional FM radio stations have extended their reach online. Radio Mirchi for instance launched two internet radio stations- Meethi Mirchi, (plays contemporary melodies) and Purani Jeans (plays Hindi retro). Nearly 3.5 years ago, Radio City launched its music portal, PlanetRadiocity.com and only recently the music portal announced the launch of its new web radio genre, IndiPop Radio.

     

    Rachna Kanwar

    Rachna Kanwar – VP and Business Head, Digital Media and New Business, Radio City was of the view that the rise in internet radio stations is a reflection of people’s media consumption and the rising internet penetration in India and around the world. “More and more people are consuming music on the internet and therefore it is but natural that the potential has been tapped by players. While music has always been available illegally, today the whole process is getting legalized. Even music companies are realizing the potential of the digital platform and its demand and looking at the platform differently. This is the future of consumption and serious players realize they cannot ignore the phenomenon.”

     

    Prashant Panday

    For those complaining about lack of differentiation in FM radio, internet radio may have come as a huge relief as it promises variety in both music and non-music content. However, once FM phase III is rolled out, FM stations hope to witness more innovations along with differentiation in content. So, is there a scope for the two to co-exist or do traditional radio stations need to press the panic button? According to Prashant Panday, CEO Radio Mirchi, “No one needs to be worried about anything if they can adjust to the new realities. If an FM broadcaster prefers to remain only an FM broadcaster, it will be in trouble. But if it can seamlessly migrate to the internet platform, it will be able to maximize the combination of the two formats. So no….there is no need to worry.”

     

    Rabe T Iyer

    Rabe T Iyer, Business Head, BIG FM was of the opinion that online radio stations traditional FM stations need not worry about online radio and although there are limitations, online radio is an extension of traditional radio stations.

     

    Internationally, online radio stations augment terrestrial radio listening rather than substitute it. It’s augmented by users logging in from work and homes via the net and accessing their favourite stations. Yes, Online music with its niche music genre will fill the gap which traditional radio is unable to experiment with due to commercial consideration however traditional FM stations will not worry about growth of online radio.”

     

    In an earlier interaction with MxMIndia, M Sebastian, Co- founder and CEO, Timbre Media had said, “There is sufficient space for everyone to co-exist and grow. Rather than worrying, we need to identify areas of partnerships that lead to mutual benefit and faster growth and work towards realizing the full potential of the audio medium.”

     

    The listeners of internet radio stations are said to be those that are dissatisfied with the traditional FM radio stations however the market for internet radio is still small and currently caters to only specific or niche audience. Ashish Pherwani, Associate Director, Advisory Services, Ernst & Young believes that terrestrial FM radio stations will not have to worry about their internet radio counterparts at least for the next five years. He is also of the view that as a business there are many similarities as both internet radio and traditional FM radio stations are in the business of disseminating music.

     

    Speaking about the advantages and disadvantages of the internet radio and traditional radio stations, Mr Pherwani said, “As far as listening to radio is concerned, FM radio stations is absolutely free and this is where traditional radio has an upper hand over the internet radio. The disadvantage however is the fact that FM radio licenses are very expensive as a result many companies undergoing loses.”

     

    Unlike the traditional radio stations which do not charge listeners for listening to radio and is mainly advertising led, the business model of most internet radio stations are either subscription or advertising led or both depending on their radio channels. Like their traditional radio counterparts, internet radio stations too have to pay music royalty costs i.e. a minimum royalty and revenue sharing model. When asked to share his views on internet radio and the benefits it may have on the music companies, Rakesh Nigam, CEO, IPRS (The Indian Performing Right Society Limited) said, “Digital music in India is only picking up, with 3G and 4G services entering the market, internet radio stations will only grow. As a result the sale of music CD’s will only further decline as they will be heard online rather than be purchased. Thus there is potential for internet radio and as a result it will be a win-win situation for all including the music companies.”

     

    Although internet radio has been around for a while, it is still at a nascent stage in India and perhaps for many it is still a new format of radio station hence it needs to first spread awareness about its existence and features. Traditional FM players on the other hand have established themselves in the market and realizing the potential of the internet some of them have already taken their station online. Most of these FM players therefore find no reason to worry about the rising number of internet radio stations. They are of the opinion that differentiation and innovation in FM radio will further increase with phase III rollout and besides it will further increase the reach of traditional FM radio which the internet radio stations may find hard to match, at least initially.

     

  • It's literally 'aisa mauka aur kahaan milega' as stakeholders go all out to promote IPL 5 starting next week

    Five days to return of IPL mega-carnival

     

    By Tuhina Anand

     

    The annual IPL event is no less than a carnival or a circus and the TVC featuring the two kids with the Eena Meena Deeka song playing in the background aptly sums it. As the countdown begins for the circus to visit our cities or beam in to our TV sets, we take a look at the various marketing activities planned around the IPL.

     

    Once touted as the biggest property for marketers, the game lost some sheen because of the negative coverage it got in its last avatar. Fully aware of the situation, those involved with the IPL have now gone all out to woo audience and it’s no surprise that lately, especially in the last two weeks, one has seen and heard a lot about IPL on various medium.

     

    Eena Meena Deeka- Carnival- Ye IPL Hai Boss
    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2lDDabuGLs[/youtube]

    Rohit Gupta, President, Multi Screen Media (MSM), the official broadcaster of DLF IPL, talking about the inventory sold on MAX said: “We are in the process of closing deals and it’s been a regular sellout process. The start was a bit slow, but once our marketing campaign kicked off we have managed to rope in most of the key brands. In fact, we have not dropped our rate which is Rs5.5 lakh for a 10-second spot.”

     

    Mr Gupta, in fact, is confident that the rates will go up once the game begins and more audience comes in to watch the matches.

     

    Talking about the campaign, Gaurav Seth, Senior VP, Marketing and Communications, MAX, said: “We have reached the end phase of a very long campaign that was kickstarted on February 23 with Aisa Mauka Aur Kaha Milega and April 4 will see the culmination of all the activities we had undertaken as the IPL begins. As for sustenance, we will take a call on the basis of the viewership and address the issue accordingly.”

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXQsIgN_530[/youtube]

    Some of the activities that MAX has undertaken include a partnership with Radio Mirchi for 40 stations across India which will include radio spots, RJ mentions, and IPL contests. For OOH, they have taken over 700 units across 70 towns including billboards, bus shelters and various other innovative OOH panels. The print engagement includes both English and vernacular newspapers. They are also engaging the audience through mobile and FB along with BTL activation. It is learnt that the budget earmarked for IPL 5 is almost Rs30 crore.

     

    Mr Seth said: “We are reaching out to our audience with one million printed schedules which will be distributed through multiple outlets. We have planned flash mobs across 10 IPL towns. The mobs will give info on IPL by disruption and the sequences will be uploaded on YouTube which we hope will go the viral route.”

     

    “This is the 5th year of IPL so people know what it is. The challenge is to create something that is innovative and appeals to the consumers. Aisa Mauka is perfect as it talks about IPL being an opportunity to bond with family and friends. It invites people to enjoy the IPL experience,” he added, on marketing IPL which has definitely been a mega exercise.

     

    [youtube width=”400″ height=”200″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkBVlfisg88[/youtube]

    Extraaa Innings T20 2012 on MAX has also come out with a special video featuring its presenters on the theme of Aisa Mauka Aur Kaha Milega.

     

    Here’s a look at some of the marketing initiatives taken by various IPL teams:

     

    Mumbai Indians

    Mumbai Indians has taken the digital route to connect with its close to 2.5 million fans. The unique marketing campaign by O&M is being digitally driven on Facebook’s MI fan page ‘MIPaltan’. The campaign ‘Players become Friends’ is aimed at increasing the interactivity quotient between the players and the fans in the digital space. The fans can get to be friends with Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh, Rohit Sharma, Munaf Patel and other team players and know about their real lives, practice sessions and much more.

    https://www.facebook.com/mumbaiindians?sk=app_358303457535779

     

    MI has also unveiled its new website www.mumbaiindians.com, which offers a fresh view for the fans to know more about the team. The new website presents dynamic online tools, easy navigation and is rich in its contents. The fresh look and feel of the website, designed in keeping with international standards, echoes the value which best epitomizes the team – ‘Play Like One’.

     

    Mumbai Indians has recently signed a brand alliance with Walt Disney India, which marks the first time Mickey Mouse will be associated with cricket. The Mumbai Indians Disney merchandise is available for sale in India.

     

    Delhi Daredevils

    Delhi Daredevils, in its bid to engage its fans, signed four remarkable flagbearers of daredevilry as Delhi Daredevils Superfans. These include India’s only IronMan athlete, Anuradha Vaidyanathan; the youngest Indian climber to summit three peaks beyond 8000m, including Mount Everest, Arjun Vajpai; India’s only ultramarathon runner Arun Bhardwaj and the only Indian woman to ski her way to South Pole, Reena Kaushal Dharmshaktu.

     

    It also launched the team’s Hindi website, making it the first IPL franchise to create an online destination for cricket fans who would like to follow the game in the language. The English website too had been redesigned. Also on anvil is the launch of mobile version of the website. Smartphone users can download a mobile App to get scores and updates. DD also launched its new official song titled ‘Munday Dilli Ke’ to herald the coming season of DLF Indian Premier League.

     

    Chennai Super Kings

    CSK took its ‘Whistle podu’ further by launching a brand new participative cheer video. Titled ‘Chennai Super Kings ku Raise Your Hands’ this video too is a tribute to the unwavering fan support that the team enjoys. The one-minute video captures a fan formation that gathers momentum, with supporters joining in to form a Mexican wave cheering their favourite team. The video was uploaded on YouTube late evening on March 25, and in less than 12 hours it had already generated over 10,000 views.

     

    In another unique initiative, Washington Apple have partnered with CSK as ‘Official Fruit’ for the upcoming IPL season. South India is India’s largest market for Washington Apples and Chennai, in particular, is the key port of entry and distribution hub and also a key market for the company, hence the association.

     

    Kolkata Knight Riders

    Venky Mysore, MD & CEO of KKR on the marketing initiatives said: “KKR recently unveiled its new marketing campaign, ‘New Dawn, New Knights’. The campaign is about the new team that we have formed and its new attitude and intensity. It signifies the new winning spirit that has been brought in by our new players and the new coach. All of these go a long way in ensuring a new beginning.”

     

    He also said that their digital community exceeds 700,000 and before the start of the latest season of IPL, they are confident of reaching a million. The marketing would be mostly done through merchandising on the digital platform as well as through ticketing. “Contrary to public perception, we don’t go out and buy media, because we don’t need to. We have a brand that we constantly work on. Part of how we do that is to ensure the team is doing well, and we also try to be a part of mutually beneficial associations that can be leveraged. Hence, we develop marketing programmes that allow brands associated with us to activate themselves. For instance, we created a lot of content with our sponsors on digital and electronic media last year which they utilized advantageously,” Mr Mysore said.

     

    KKR is working to create new revenue streams like merchandising and licensing. Since various third party reports indicate that KKR is the most valuable brand franchise, they are looking at ways to strike licensing agreements to monetize on the same. As a result of multiple merchandising deals, they have made available a number of branded KKR merchandise like T-shirts, hats, head bands, fridge magnets, pens, ties and so on.

     

    “The market segment that IPL attracts is very different from that of a Test and One Day format of the game. I think it depends on the product. If you look at toothpaste today, you have hundreds of brands, but it all depends on how you package it and how you market it. So the challenge for us is to keep working on the product, its packaging and delivery, and if we do a good job, then we would be successful as a franchise,” he added.

     

    Rajasthan Royals

    Rajasthan Royals has again tied up with Sanskar School for their annual inter-school Kanni Thahryamal Tournament to develop, nurture and motivate young talent at the grassroots level. Various Rajasthan Royals players, including Rahul Dravid, scouted for talent at the tournament and. RR also supported the Ambuja Jaipur Marathon 2012 as Official Fitness Partner.

     

    They recently unveiled the pink-coloured training jersey dedicated to the city of Jaipur, the team’s home. On the digital front, the focus is on interactivity and their fan zone on the website encourages fans to express themselves through content, videos, images, forums or polls. Points are awarded based on interactivity on the website which can be redeemed for exclusive memorabilia and merchandise.

     

    UltraTech Cement Limited is the team’s Principal Sponsor for IPL 5. The cement brand has been associated with the squad since 2008.

     

    Kings XI Punjab

    This IPL team hosts the Kings XI Punjab Cup, a tournament organized to provide a platform for young guns to showcase their talent. Through this annual tournament, KXIP aims to nurture talent at the grass root level by giving them an opportunity to display their talent.

     

    Kings XI Punjab has initiated an activity with Institute of Fashion technology at Punjab University. As a part of the initiative, the aspirants were given an opportunity to design their favourite local team’s merchandise. The chosen designs have been used in the merchandising of Kings XI Punjab.

     

    The team associated with Indraprastha All India Sports Foundation to launch the one-of-a-kind reality show ‘Cricket Champs’. This reality show is being powered by Kings XI Punjab and a number of players from the franchisee are also part of the proceedings. This pan-India initiative is featuring on UTV.

     

    Deccan Chargers

    Emirates International has come on board as the Team Sponsor for Deccan Chargers. DC also kick-started its Blue Campaign in Hyderabad with ‘its gotta be blue’ line celebrating food, music and cricket. Some Tollywood films have also associated with Deccan Chargers for promotional campaigns. DC is also taking the digital route to connect and interact with its fans in a better way.

     

    Royal Challengers Bangalore

    RCB launched its new website earlier this month, which is aimed at making navigation easier for its fans. The site has new collection of photos, videos and other downloads for its followers. Most of the initiatives are on the RCB site.

     

    Pune Warriors

    This IPL team has been focusing on interacting with its fans with its website. In keeping with the name, the site has sections like ‘Our Warriors’ which give information about the players, War news and Warrior Club Updates. The Bhartiya Nrityanganas or the cheer queens with the Indian flavour will be encouraging the team on field. The team has also associated with Bookmyshow for buying tickets for the games.

     

  • The fourth Mirchi Music Awards honoured music talent across 24 categories as Radio Mirchi paid its tribute to music with much extravaganza and fanfare. Royal Stag was the title sponsor.

    Rockstar wins album of the year at Radio Mirchi Awards

    By A Correspondent

     

    The fourth Mirchi Music Awards honoured music talent across 24 categories as Radio Mirchi paid its tribute to music with much extravaganza and fanfare. Royal Stag was the title sponsor of Mirchi Music Awards. The awards were held on Wednesday, March 21, 2012.

     

    Bollywood personalities like Saif Ali Khan, Shreya Ghoshal and Bappi Lahiri, Mika, Sonu Nigam, Shankar Ehsaan Loy, Lalit Pandit, Salim-Suleiman, Ram Sampath, Sajid Wajid and Leslie Lewis were also among those personalities that performed during the awards night. Ash King, Harshdeep Kaur, Neha Bhasin, Anushka Manchanda, Tochi Raina, Shweta Pandit, Dominique and Clinton Cerejo, Kamal Khan, Suman Shridhar, Shefali Alvares, Benny Dayal and Ritu Pathak were among other celebrities at the Awards.

     

    There were 24 categories of awards at the fourth Mirchi Music Awards. The winners were decided by a jury that consists of notable personalities from the Indian film and music industry – Javed Akhtar, Ramesh Sippy, Ashutosh Gowariker, Sooraj Barjatya, Prasoon Joshi, Sameer, Shankar Mahadevan, Anu Malik, Aadesh Srivastava, Lalit Pandit, Kailash Kher, Louis Banks, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Alka Yagnik, Sadhna Sargam, Suresh Wadkar, Talat Aziz and Ila Arun.

     

    The Mirchi Music Awards – Winners List is as follows:

    1. Best Programmer & Arranger – Abhijeet Nalani & Giorgio Tuinfort for Chammak Challo from RA One

    2. Best Song Representing Sufi Tradition – Kun Faya Kun from Rockstar – A.R. Rahman, Javed Ali, Mohit Chauhan and Irshad Kamil

    3. Best Raag Inspired Song – Khoya Kya from Kashmakash – Hariharan, Sanjoy Das, Raja Narayan Deb

    4. Special Recognition to Pandit Channulal Misra

    5. Best Upcoming Singer of the year Male – Kamal Khan for Ishq Sufiyana from The Dirty Picture

    6. Best Upcoming Singer of the year Female – Tia Bajpai for Sheet Leher from Lanka

    7. Best Upcoming Music Director of the year – Harshit Saxena for Hale Dil from Murder 2

    8. Best Upcoming Lyricist of the Year – Seema Saini for Sheet Leher from Lanka

    9. Best Song Recording – Vijay Dayal and Mark ‘Exit’ Goodchild for Chammak Challo from Ra One

    10. Best Background Score – Ram Sampath for Delhi Belly

    11. Best Item Number Song – Ooh La La from The Dirty Picture – Bappi Lahiri, Shreya Ghoshal, Rajat Arora and Vishal-Shekhar

    12. Best Album of the Golden Era – Awaara (Shankar Jaikishen and Raj Kapoor)

    13. Royal Stag Make it Large Award – Dhanush and Anirudh – Special Award

    14. Jury Award for Outstanding Contribution to Hind Film Music – Babla Shah

    15. Best Indipop song – Mera Kya Hain Sab Hain Tera – Dil Ki Baatein – Javed Ali, Alaap Dudul Saikia & Ravi Basnet

    16. Best Song of the Year Mirchi Listeners Choice – Nadaan Parinde from Rockstar – A.R. Rahman, Mohit Chauhan and Irshad Kamil

    17. Best Album of the Year – Mirchi Listeners Choice – Rockstar

    18. Best Lyricist – Javed Akhtar for Khaabon Ke Parinde from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

    19. Best Music Director – A.R. Rahman for Nadaan Parindey from Rockstar

    20. Best Female vocalist – Sunidhi Chauhan for Ishq Sufiyana from The Dirty Picture

    21. Best Male Vocalist – Kamal Khan for Ishq Sufiyana from The Dirty Picture

    22. Best Song of the year – Senorita by Shankar Ehsaan Loy

    23. Best Album of the Year – Rockstar

    24. Lifetime Achievement Award – Khayyam

     

  • 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.

     

  • According to Radio Establishment Survey 2011 findings, although the mother tongue of 51 per cent of FM device owners is Marathi, an overwhelming 80 per cent of them prefer Hindi music

    Will Marathi content be a shot in the arm for FM in Mumbai?

    By Robin Thomas

     

    What’s common between radio stations in Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Kolhapur, and Kochi? They give almost equal prominence to local music along with the Hindi or Bollywood songs. This is in direct contrast to the Mumbai market where FM stations mainly play Bollywood songs which are quite popular with the Mumbai listeners.

     

    According to RAM’s (Radio Audience Measurement), Radio Establishment Survey 2011 findings, although the mother tongue of 51 per cent of FM device owners in the city is Marathi, an overwhelming 80 per cent of them prefer Hindi music and RJ talks on radio. Nevertheless, the survey also revealed that as compared to 2007, the preference for music and RJ Talk in Marathi has witnessed an increase in 2011.

     

    It’s not that the all the FM stations in Mumbai have ignored the Marathi speaking audience. Big FM, Radio Mirchi and Radio City play Marathi songs, but only on Sundays and they are the only radio stations to do so.

     

    Big FM, for instance, has been airing Masala Chaha every Sundays between 7am to 9am since 2009, much before Raj Thackeray’s diktat to the radio stations to play Marathi music. But even then, a Big FM spokesperson was of the view that although there is a market for Marathi music, Mumbai being a cosmopolitan city, most Mumbaikars prefer listening to Bollywood music. “There is surely a market for Marathi music, given the high population of Marathi speaking public. However, Mumbai is a cosmopolitan city with a wide audience base, and a mass channel has to play the music that appeals the most… which is Hindi, a lot of it being Bollywood. Phase III will unleash the true potential of radio and will allow for more differentiation in content, along with newer genres and radio stations that will cater to a more specific audience base.”

     

    Radio Mirchi airs ‘Mumbai Dhol’ every Sunday, between 12 noon to 3pm, hosted by RJ Rohit. ‘Mumbai Dhol’ covers the culture of the city, the happenings and plays back to back Marathi music, contemporary and the classics.

     

    Indira Rangarajan, VP, Programming, West & Central, Radio Mirchi stated: “The response to our Marathi show – ‘Mumbai Dhol’ has been very good. Following the resurgence of Marathi films and music, we had decided to experiment with a slot specifically for Marathi songs and it has worked well. I believe there is plenty of scope for Marathi music in Mumbai and over the years this popularity will increase further.”

     

    RadioCitytoo plays Marathi retro songs every Sunday evening between 5pm to 6pm during ‘Sandhikali Aasha’, a radio programme hosted by RJ Vishaka.

     

    After looking at the Marathi content being offered by these three stations, one wonders if there scope for more Marathi content on Mumbai radio stations? Or will the Marathi music lovers have to wait a little longer for a radio station that caters to their tastes?

     

    Unlike the private radio stations, the government-owned FM stations, AIR FM2 Gold and AIR FM1 Rainbow, play a mix of Hindi and Marathi songs every day. The private radio stations would do well to take a lesson from these government-owned radio stations.

     

    Naval Toshniwal, CEO, Tomato FM, a Kolhapur-based FM radio station, was also of the view that although the potential for Marathi music is huge, Mumbai being a cosmopolitan city will play more Hindi or Bollywood songs. “Yes, there is a huge scope for Marathi music in Mumbai. However, no private FM station would want to play only Marathi music, it will have to play Bollywood or Hindi songs too because of the cosmopolitan listenership. Looking at the current FM scenario where every station sounds the same, I believe that a radio station which plays a little more Marathi music will create some amount of differentiation in the market.”

     

    FM stations in the city play Marathi hit songs during prime-time, especially on occasions like Maharashtra Day or Gudi Padwa. For instance, Big FM Mumbai will be playing Marathi songs during the breakfast show from March 19 to March 23, celebrating the occasion of Gudi Padwa.

     

    According to Janardhan Pandey, Associate VP, Mudra Max: “Although the market may not be big, the potential for Marathi listenership is huge in Mumbai. The issue, however, is that there has not been any serious attempt by FM stations to woo the Marathi listeners. Awareness about Marathi programmes aired on radio stations seem to be non-existent, the Marathi programmes or music are played during mostly non-prime time. However unless a FM station does not aggressively promote its Marathi programmes, and plays Marathi songs more frequently, it will neither add new listeners nor will it attract new advertisers. There are a lot of retail advertisers in the city catering to the Marathi audience.” Ajay Rao, Vice President, Dentsu stated: “There is a huge scope for Marathi listenership in Mumbai as Marathi generates high level of passion.”

     

    The good news is that increase in the frequency of Marathi music on radio stations could mean attracting new listeners to radio, and perhaps even new advertisers. Moreover, multiple frequencies may bring some good news to the Marathi music lovers as it will bring new genres of radio stations.

     

  • This year’s edition will see world renowned radio guru, Tony Hertz, conducting a workshop on the art and craft of radio advertising

    Mirchi Kaan Awards to celebrate best in radio advertising

    By A Correspondent

     

    Introduced in 2004, the Mirchi Kaan Awards acknowledges and honours the contribution of individuals and organizations that have led the way in creating clutter breaking radio advertising. The awards have been instituted to encourage continued creative focus on radio advertising and are now synonymous with excellence in creativity in radio.

     

    While every year, the journey to the awards ceremony is a fun-filled, vibrant process keeping in mind the personality of Radio Mirchi, this year the focus is centred solely on the quality of work. Which is why, this year’s edition will see world renowned radio guru, Tony Hertz, conducting a workshop on the art and craft of radio advertising. Mr Hertz’s passion for radio has seen his career, which spans over 40 years and across six continents, as creative director at multiple agencies and the boss of two radio specialist outfits.

     

    With his experience, he has served twice on the Cannes Lions Radio Jury, on the 2011 D&AD Radio panel and as president of the Clio Awards Radio Jury. Apart from 22 Clios, multiple Gold and Silver ILR Awards, London International Awards and The New York Festivals Awards, Tony is also the only person to have won both D&AD Black and Yellow Radio Pencils.

     

    The country’s most prestigious radio awards, Mirchi Kaan will work towards raising professionalism and talent among writers. And their new mantra is to listen, learn and shine.

     

    The last date to send entries to Kaan Awards is March 18.

     

    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 makes its international foray with the launch of the brand in the UAE. From February 1, Radio Mirchi will be heard inDubai,Abu Dhabiand Al Ain and will the first Indian radio brand to go international.

     

  • Radio City, Radio Mirchi, Big FM, Red FM, Fever FM, Radio One, Oye! FM were some of the top FM stations in the big four metros

    RAMcheck: More surprises for FM players

    By A Correspondent

     

    TAM Media’s Radio Audience Measurement (RAM) – which covers four key metros, Mumbai,Delhi, Kolkata and Bengaluru – released its latest radio listenership figures for Wk 4 to Wk7 (Last two weeks of January 2012 and first two weeks of February 2012).

     

    According to the latest RAM data, for listeners of 12 years of age and above, all places of listening, and according to radio channel shares,RadioCity, Radio Mirchi, Fever FM, Big FM, Red FM, Radio One, Oye! FM were some of the top FM stations in the big four metros.

     

    Mumbai:

    Radio City surged ahead of Radio Mirchi as the most popular FM station in the city with 15.5 per cent channel share from Wk 4 to Wk7, 2012 whereas Radio Mirchi’s channel share stood at 15 per cent. Ranked three is AIR FM2 Gold which more or less remained unchanged in listenership share from wk 4 to 7, 2012 as against Wk 52, 2011 to Wk 3, 2012. As compared to Wk 52, 2011 to Wk 3, 2012, six FM stations witnessed growth in their listenership share in Wk 4 to Wk 7, 2012 namely, Radio City, Fever FM, Red FM, Radio One, Oye! FM and AIR FM2 Gold.

     

    Source : RAM

    Market: MUMBAI

    Demographic: All People 12+ Filter Demographic: None

    Statistic: Share %

    Daypart: Sun – Sat 12:00 AM – 12:00 AM

    Place of Listening: All

     

    

     
    

    Delhi:
    

    Fever FM once again manages to retain its leadership position inDelhi, its nearest rival in Delhi is Radio Mirchi, if the government owned AIR FM2 Gold is excluded. According to figures for Wk4 to Wk 7, 2012, AIR FM2 Gold is close behind Fever FM for the top spot. What remains to be seen is whether or not Fever FM is able to retain its leadership position inDelhi.
    

     
    

    The Wk4 to Wk 7, 2012 RAM numbers reveals that in comparison to Wk 52, 2011 to Wk 3, 2012 only five FM stations witnessed any growth in the Delhi market. The FM stations to have seen growth in their listenership shares are Radio City, Big FM, Red FM, Oye! FM and AIR FM2 Gold.
    

    The other FM stations in the Delhi market are Radio One, Hit FM, AIR FM1 Rainbow, Vividh Bharathi and Akashavani Delhi.
    

     
    

    Market: DELHI
    

    Demographic: All People 12+ Filter Demographic: None
    

    Statistic: Share %
    

    Daypart: Sun – Sat 12:00 AM – 12:00 AM
    

    Place of Listening: All
    

     
    

    

    

     
    

    Bengaluru:
    

    In Bengaluru too, Radio City continues maintain its numero uno position, the FM station has managed further grow its listenership share in Wk 4 to Wk 7, 2012 as against Wk 52, 2011 to Wk 3, 2012. The second most popular FM station in Bengaluru is Radio Mirchi followed by Big FM and Red FM, ranked third and fourth respectively. Ranked fifth is AIR FM1 Rainbow and Radio One is ranked sixth. The five of the eleven FM stations in the Bengaluru market which witnessed growth in listenership share areRadioCity, Red FM, Radio One, Fever FM and Radio Indigo.
    

     
    

    Market: BENGALURU
    

    Demographic: All People 12+ Filter Demographic: None
    

    Statistic: Share %
    

    Daypart: Sun – Sat 12:00 AM – 12:00 AM
    

    Place of Listening: All
    

    

    

    

     
    

    Kolkata:
    

    Radio Mirchi has not only maintained its leadership position in the city, but has also witnessed some growth according to the Wk4 to Wk 7, 2012 RAM data as against Wk 52, 2011 to Wk3, 2012. Kolkata is the only RAM market to have seen no change in atleast the top three rankings. Radio Mirchi, Big FM and Friends FM continue to be the top three FM stations in the city. Ranked four is Aamar FM, followed by Fever FM, Red FM and Oye! FM. Of the thirteen FM stations in Kolkata, six FM stations in the city have witnessed growth in their listenership shares: Radio Mirchi, Fever FM, Radio One, Power FM and AIR FM1 Rainbow. Although Friends FM remained stagnant in its listenership share, nevertheless it is comfortably placed at number three. The other FM stations in the Kolkata market include Radio One, Power FM, AIR FM1 Rainbow, AIR FM2 Gold, Akashavani Kolkata and Vividh Bharati.
    

     
    

    Market: KOLKATA
    

    Demographic: All People 12+ Filter Demographic: None
    

    Statistic: Share %
    

    Daypart: Sun – Sat 12:00 AM – 12:00 AM
    

    Place of Listening: All
    

     
    

    

    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
  • 
		
		
    
			
    According to RAM (Radio Audience Measurement), the OOH listeners include listenership in cars, at work and other out of home places
    
			
    RAMcheck: Most popular FM stations heard out of home
    
			
    By A Correspondent
    

     
    

    Unlike our regular RAMcheck reports which didn’t differentiate between any places of listening, this time MxMIndia decided to concentrate exclusively on radio channels’ out of home (OOH) listenership. According to RAM (Radio Audience Measurement), the OOH listeners include listenership in cars, at work and other out of home places. TAM Media’s Radio Audience Measurement from week 40-43, 2011 to week 52- 3, 2012 reveals the most popular FM radio station out of home. RAM is currently present in four metros – Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Kolkata.
    

     
    

    Mumbai:
    

    According to the RAM data for OOH listenership, the top five FM stations for Mumbaikars are Radio Mirchi, Big FM, Radio City, Fever FM and Red FM, excluding the government-owned AIR FM2 Gold. The radio stations, from week 40- 43, 2011 to week 52 to 3, 2012, have not seen much variation in their channel shares.
    

    

     
    

    Delhi:
    

    In Delhi AIR FM2 Gold is the most popular FM station followed by Fever FM, a strong number two in OOH listenership share. While the number one and two slots have a clear position in OOH listenership, there is no clear winner for the number three position. There is a close fight for number three position between Radio Mirchi, Radio City and Red FM. However in Wk 52′ 2011 to Wk 3′ 2012, both Radio Mirchi and Red FM received 12.4 per cent station share whereas Radio City received a station share of 11.1 per cent. The other FM stations in the Delhi market include Big FM, Radio One, Oye!FM, Hit FM, AIR FM1 Rainbow, Vividh Bharati and Akashavani Delhi.
    

    

     
    

    Bengaluru:
    

    Radio Mirchi is the number one FM station in Bengaluru followed by Radio City, Big FM, Red FM and Radio One. Between Wk 40- 43, 2011 to Wk 52, 2011-Wk 3, 2012 the radio channel share for Radio Mirchi was at its peak in Wk 40 -43, 2011 with a share of 23.1 per cent. Radio City, the second most popular FM station in OOH listenership, was also at its peak in wk 40 – 43, 2011 with 21.2 per cent share. However in week 52, 2011 – Week 3, 2012 the station share for Radio Mirchi dropped to 22 per cent whereas Radio City’s share was 18.9 per cent. The other clusters of FM stations in Bengaluru are Fever FM, Radio Indigo, AIR FM1, Vividh Bharati, AIR FM1 Rainbow, Gyan Vani and Akashavani Bengaluru.
    

    

     
    

    Kolkata:
    

    Kolkata has a clear number one and number two FM stations in Friends FM and Radio Mirchi. Ranked third is Red FM. The gap between the top three FM stations is significant. While Friends FM received a market share of 23.4 per cent in Wk 52, 2011 – Wk 3, 2012, the same week saw Radio Mirchi receive just 18.3 per cent market share and Red FM receive 12.4 per cent share. The other clusters of FM stations in Kolkata are Fever FM, Aamar FM, Air FM2 Gold, Oye! FM, AIR FM1, Rainbow, Radio One, Power FM, Akashavani and Vividh Bharati Kolkata.
    

    

     
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
  • 
		
		
    
			
    From offering love tips to motivating a husband to lose weight for his wife, radio stations are leaving no stone unturned to celebrate V-day
    
			
    FM stations celebrate Valentine’s Day
    
			
    By A Correspondent
    

     
    

    In case you don’t remember what’s special about today,  just tune into any FM radio station and you will know that love is in the ‘air’. And when television channels, newspapers & magazines and the internet have something to offer this Valentine’s Day, can FM radio be far behind?
    

     
    

    Here are some of radio stations and their big plans for the day:
    

     
    

      

    • Big FM
      • 

    

    Big FM will be playing love songs or romantic songs throughout the day. Big FM Hyderabad station has been running an on-air contest – Jodi No.1 since the last four days wherein listeners share their love stories with the RJ. On February 14 – Valentine’s Day – actors Siddharth and Rana Daggubati will select the best stories, announce the winners and reward them during the morning show.
    

     
    

    Big FM’s Delhi station will air ‘Big Love Meter’ which will test how well the listeners know their partner. In addition, an RJ will travel across the Delhi city in a ‘Mobile Big Booth’ conducting ‘Love Meter’ tests on married and unmarried couples. Big FM Delhi will also have ‘Club 927’ which aims to engage housewives by conducting a quick ‘Love Meter’ tests on their husbands over the phone.
    

     
    

    Big FM Mumbai station has roped in Rajeev Khandelwal and Mugdha Godse to co-host the morning show with RJ Ankit to promote their movie ‘Will You Marry Me?’
    

     
    

      

    • Red FM
      • 

    

    For Red FM Delhi it all began with one phone call from the Delhi Traffic Police Head Constable, Ramesh Kumar who wanted to lose weight as his wife constantly complained about him being overweight. This conversation was followed by a nine day activity wherein Red FM Delhi RJs Swati and Peeyuush decided to make head constable Kumar lose some weight and get fit before Valentine’s Day. Red FM Delhi is calling it ‘Ek Moti Si Love Story’.
    

     
    

    The Delhi station also roped in Bollywood celebrities like Kareena Kapoor and John Abraham who gave tips to lose weight. It is also said that people of Delhi also stepped in to help Mr Kumar lose weight by lending him their old treadmill, waking him up in the morning, taking him out to jog and so on. A run was organized at Hindu College where 300 students ran with Ramesh Kumar to boost his morale and support him in his endeavour to lose weight. The event is said to have been attended by Joint CP Traffic Satyendra Garg and Former National Hockey Captain Rajpal Singh. On February 14, Red FM will send Ramesh Kumar and his wife Raj Rani for a date to Le Meridian to reminisce about 27 years of their marriage.
    

     
    

      

    • Radio Mirchi
      • 

    

    On Valentine’s Day, Radio Mirchi’s late night show, ‘Purani Jeans’ aims to become a love messenger for its listeners. RJ Anmol will read out the love letters that were penned down by listeners for their loved ones. The listeners were given an entire week to send in letters for their loved ones to RJ Anmol.
    

     
    

      

    • Radio Misty
      • 

    

    Radio Misty will play love songs the entire day, along with live shows, centred around Valentine’s Day. It started with Love Forever week where the music and shows focused on the Valentine theme. The station will air live shows with listeners in-studio sharing their real life stories. Beside this, Radio Misty will have OBteams in different part of Siliguri to have live connect with listeners. The entire week listeners will be given the opportunity to win gifts, including candlelit dinner with their loved ones.
    

     
    

      

    • Indigo 919
      • 

    

    Radio Indigo 919, Bangalore will launch Heartline 919 on Valentine’s Day. Heartline 919 has been packaged for the young Bangaloreans. Over the last decade Bangalore has burgeoned to a global city with a significant part of the population being under the age of 25 and living away from home. Given the stress factors in corporates today, the need to maintain a work-life balance and to handle relationship and other personal issues, which is usually neglected gain significant importance. Heartline will address issues such as this every Tuesday between 10 pm and 11 pm starting the February 14.
    

     
    

    Heartline 919 has been edited and co-conceptualised by Sophia Purushotaman, a UK national and an Indian resident, and hosted by Dr Shyam Bhat and Teja.