MxMIndia

Tag: Sunil Kumar

  • It's World Radio Day, and despite the reach and vibrancy of the medium, it's considered unsafe for independent news + Comment by Sunil Kumar

    Does anyone care about radio?

     

    “Radio is a wonderful way to interact, learn & communicate. My own #MannKiBaat experience has connected me with people across India.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a huge thumbs up to the medium that is being celebrated across the world today. “Greetings on World Radio Day. I congratulate all radio lovers and those who work in the radio industry & keep the medium active & vibrant,” the PM tweeted earlier.

    Indeed it was the monthly ‘Mann Ki Baat’ airing soon after he assumed office that confirmed the reach, power and vibrancy of the medium. While television and the internet have assumed prominence, radio has been flourishing.

    In fact broadcasters are the biggest advertisers on radio, underscoring the fact that to be successful on telly, you can’t not be on radio.

    More Power to Radio on World Radio DayBy Sunil Kumar

    Today, the world has more radio than ever before. Almost every Feature Phone and an Android Smartphone offers local, analogue radio. (People the world over hate Apple not offering that on iPhones). So the number of people with personal access to radio in the world is pretty much uncountable. That aslo makes radio more intimate a medium than any other.

    There are more ‘radios’ than ever before, thanks to advances in engineering and technology. Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) has increased the number of local radio stations in many a country to a phenomenal number. As a matter of fact, Norway has shut down FM to optimise the use of available spectrum. Apps such as Tunein and Streema can get you a ‘local’ radio station from any part of the world to any other. And how can one miss the ‘radio’ button on any music streaming app – iTunes, Gaana, Wynk, Saavan.

    Live radio has far longer shelf life now by way of archives and Podcasts.

    Podcasting has meant emergence of thousands of listening communities, and they are largely about technology, news and current affairs, business, sports, literature, comedy, history, wellness, trivia, spirituality and so much else, not just music. That has made radio so much more democratic. Anyone can broadcast to anyone on this new form of radio. No regulation, no censorship, no major investment.

    Not to forget, India has more radio stations than ever before. We have 800 or so terrestrial stations in the country. We are going to have these many more in the next couple of years.

    All this means, people are consuming more radio than ever and advertisers are spending more money on it.

    Sunil Kumar is Managing Director of Big River Radio, a radio consulting firm; and Managing Partner of Blue Broadcast Systems, a company engaged in FM transmission infrastructure in the private sector. He moved from advertising to radio in 1993 and has since been actively evangelising the medium.

     

    On January 14, 2013, the United Nations General Assembly formally endorsed UNESCO’s proclamation of  World Radio Day. During its 67th Session, the UN General Assembly endorsed the resolution adopted during the 36th session of the UNESCO General Conference, proclaiming 13 February, the day United Nations Radio was established in 1946, as World Radio Day.World Radio Day is now in its 6th year and the 2017 edition being celebrated has seen UNESCO inviting radio stations and supporting organisations to join in to celebrate radio and how it helps shape our lives.

    In India, where some parts are media dark and literacy and income levels are low, radio plays a key role for information and entertainment.

    However, as Prime Minister greets us on World Radio Day, his government has done all that it could do to ensure the medium doesn’t stay active and vibrant.

    As per newspaper reports, the government has informed the Supreme Court that it is against permitting community and private FM radio stations to air news because of a “possible security ris.”

    Legal news portal quotes a Home Ministry Affidavit saying: “All these stations, channels are run mainly by NGO/other small organizations and private operators, several anti national radical elements within the country can misuse it for propagating their own agenda”.

    The apex court is is hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by NGO Common Cause in 2013, seeking a direction to the Centre to allow private radio stations and community radios to broadcast news, arguing that radio is a more accessible medium for the masses, particularly the poor, notes the LiveLaw.in report (http://www.livelaw.in/cant-allow-pvt-fm-stations-air-news-centre-sc/_). The NGO is being represented by noted lawyer Prashant Bhushan.

    “It is believed that news and current affairs, with their inherent capability to manipulate the minds of the people have been advisedly kept beyond the limits of private radio stations. Any shift in this policy would necessitate to an adherence adherence to a rigorous code of conduct; a proper monitoring mechanism and penal provisions of violation of such a broadcast code”, said the home ministry affidavit the report adds.

    India is perhaps the lone democracy where the dissemination of news and current affairs programmes on radio remains a monopoly of the Government-owned broadcaster, the PIL added as per the LiveLaw.in report.

     

  • FM radio network Radio One is likely to go 24×7 English for in Mumbai and Delhi stations

    Radio One likely to turn English in Mumbai & Delhi

    By Robin Thomas

     

    FM radio network Radio One is likely to go English for its Mumbai and Delhi stations, MxMIndia has learnt from industry sources. This shift is likely to take place next month or early February 2012. MxMIndia did not receive any official confirmation from Radio One at the time of writing this, though industry sources have confirmed the development. Radio One, a joint venture between Next Mediaworks Ltd and BBC worldwide, operates in seven cities – Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Pune and Ahmedabad.

     

    An English FM radio station in Mumbai and Delhi may add a fair deal of differentiation in music, but what remains to be seen is how advertiser-friendly it will be, given that listenership levels are lower than those playing just Hindi music.

     

    MxMIndia spoke to few industry players on whether Mumbai and Delhi markets will open up to an English FM station. One of them was of the view that an English FM station in Mumbai in particular will create a much needed differentiation in terms of music. There is a market for English audience, but it may take some time to get established, what remains to be seen is how the advertisers will react to this change. Another industry observer was of the view that while there is a market for English music listenership in both Mumbai and Delhi, it could still be challenging for the FM station in terms of revenue generation, as the audience size is small.

     

    On the other hand, Sunil Kumar, MD, Big River Radio feels the fact that there are audiences willing to pay a huge sum for rock concerts, the number of English newspapers, the popularity of serials such as Friends, are sure indications that there is a market for an English FM station. “There is a market for English music listeners, these are the people who have an international or global outlook, they travel abroad and are well attuned to English music. An English FM radio station will bring an additional audience to radio – that is, those who do not listen to radio. Just look at the number of English movie channels, English GECs, news channels, they are doing extremely well. Therefore, for a premium channel you don’t need a large audience but, you can charge huge premium for the audience they deliver to, which is often people in the higher socio-economic group,” he said.

     

    It may be recalled that when Fever FM was launched in Mumbai, it initially aired both Hindi and English songs after which they had to completely switch to Hindi. Radio One too has experimented for long with its English format in its earlier avatar of Go92.5 and Radio Mid-day. Market pressures and the desire to catch up with the more mass Bollywood hit music format got it to go completely in Hindi. Hit FM is the only 24×7 English FM station in Delhi, while Mumbai currently has no fulltime English FM station. The other 24×7 English FM stations in the country are Radio Indigo in Bangalore and Chennai Live in Chennai. All India Radio’s FM Rainbow station also plays English music.

     

  • Tune in, and cash in. The medium that reaches everyone everywhere is here to stay, and grow.

    The Anchor: 5 reasons radio will flourish, forever

    By Sunil Kumar

     

    #1 It is Local:

    People are more curious about or interested in the happenings in their city or town. Interest in local culture is developing and radio caters to that local culture which other media just cannot. Radio is absolutely local.

     

    #2 It is Participative and Interactive:

    Radio is the only medium where people can air their voice… leave a request… and it provides numerous other ways for active listener participation. Increased density of mobile phones is encouraging this interactivity further. Even social media has its own set of limitations…

     

    #3 It has an Abundance of Content:

    Today different kind of music is played on radio. It is not limited to Bollywood. Since it is a local medium, the music played too is in local language and in accordance to local taste. Today large number of music is produced in India, especially local music. ‘Kolaveri Di’ is one example. Bhajans, Sufi music, or hymns are some other music one can hear in different parts of the Country. In addition to these, the availability of sports commentary and multiple frequencies will offer listeners with more even more differentiation of content.

     

    #4 Car Listenership is Rising:

    Nearly all cars today have FM stereo attached, and as the number of cars continues to increase, it will further increase car listenership. More cars on the road also means frequent traffic jams. There are also those who travel long distances, and as a result time spent in listening to radio is also likely to increase.

     

    #5 It’s Free:

    Unlike any other, radio happens to be the only medium which is actually free.

     

    Sunil Kumar is MD, Big River Radio and a veteran mediaperson