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RNI No. UP ENG/2008/25294
www.radioduniya.in December 2008 | Vol: II | Issue: 1 Rs. 50/Annual Subscription Rs. 540/
India’s first radio monthly
Radio Comes of Age Internet Radio
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Children’s Day
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Happenings
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editorial
Radio is Rocking! There is no business like show business! You cannot mellow down the spirit of radio with talks of a global meltdown. Just like consumers will always need food to nourish their bodies, they will always need the soothing voices on air and the food for thought that radio offers. We just need to look around once and we'll realise that radio stations are rocking as we bid goodbye to this very tumultuous year. In a time when people are cutting down on spending and rationalising costs, radio stations have surged ahead with their plans of growth and consolidation. The voices on air are reaching out to more and more people as we go into print. As we ring in the new year, there are a few stations waiting to be launched and some have relaunched with a lot of pomp and flourish. So, radio never stops playing and it never stops dreaming and this relentless spirit is embodied in a special article which talks about resolution of issues like music royalty, multiple lisences and the like through collective efforts in the new year. We also look at the trend of radio stations partnering various television shows and events and coming on board as radio partners. The trend is growing and spreading its wings all across the spectrum with more and more television channels roping in radio stations and developing a beneficial relationship. We had in the past spoken about how radio is not competing with television and now we look at how the two can grow together and attain greater heights! We speak to various radio players and ask them to analyse this trend for us and give us the real picture. As we start planning what to do in the new year, we will need to look at what makes radio the wonderful medium it is... is it the instant connect, the low cost, the tremendous reach or is it something else! We will try and find out what makes radio click with the listeners and the advertisers as well in the next issue!
Ravi Gupta Ravi.Gupta@radioduniya.in
Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Ravi Gupta President Dr. M P Narayanan Group Directors Maneesh Prasad Sanjay Kumar Marketing Team Bharti Malhotra Sr. Manager Marketing Shubha Banerjee Sales Executive Email: sales@radioduniya.in
Content Team Sanjana Sharma Research Associate Ayesha Khanom Research Assistant Design Team Bishwajeet Kumar Singh Chandrakesh Bihari Lal (James) Om Prakash Thakur Web Team Zia Salahuddin Amit Pal Anil Kumar Shyam Kishore
Subscriptions & Circulation Lipika Dutta, Manoj Kumar Editorial Correspondence Radio Duniya G – 4, Sector 39, NOIDA 201301, India Tel: +91-120-2502180-85 Fax: +91-120-2500060 Email: talk2us@radioduniya.in Web: www.radioduniya.in Owner, Publisher, Printer, Ravi Gupta Printed at Vinayak Print Media E-53, Sector-7, Noida, U.P. and published from 710, Vasto Mahagun Manor, F-30, Sector - 50, Noida, UP Editor: Ravi Gupta
It is hoped that Radio Duniya will serve to foster a growing network by keeping the community up-to-date on many activities in this wide and varied field. Your involvement in providing relevant information is essential to the success of this endevour. Radio Duniya does not subscribe to the views expressed in the publication. All views expressed in this issue are those of the contributors. It is not responsible for any loss to anyone due to the information provided.
Content
December 2008 News Children’s Day 8
13
Internet Radio 12 Tune In With a Click of the Mouse
Special Story
Industry Updates 9, 10, 11, 16
13 If Its Happening... Its on Radio
Happenings 30
17 Your Song, Your Voice Bobby Gupta CEO, Nine FM
Station Talk
Feature
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19 Realising Radio Dreams George Sebastian COO, Club FM
Programming Talk 23 Super Serving is the Future Vehrnon Ibrahim VP Programming, Radio One
Host Talk 25 Personal Connect is Essential Blade Shankar, S FM
Training
27 Radio has Huge Potential AJK MCRC, Jamia Millia Islamia
Community Radio 33 Who are the Real Owners? Ashish Sen, Director, VOICES 37 Ilanthalir Community Radio
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23 www.radioduniya.in
Dear Radio Duniya Team,
Dear Radio Duniya Team,
Greetings from Radio Indigo! As loyal subscribers of Radio Duniya, we really like the magazine for all the information it provides to the readers. The first anniversary issue was indeed excellent! Great work!
A very sweet hello to all of you from Radio Choklate! You have always been supportive, and have always given space in your magazine and website to all radio stations, whether they are big or small. Our team eagerly awaits each issue and we know you guys put in a lot of effort into creating such fantastic editions.
Divya Gowda Manager-Digital Initiatives Radio Indigo Bangalore
Reefat Rasool Programme Coordinator Radio Choklate Bhubaneshwar
Dear Sir, Greetings from Silver Inning Foundation. We appreciate the good work done by your organisation. We want to start a community radio and your magazine is a great source of guidance for us during the whole process. Thanks for spreading the radio message! Sailesh Mishra Founder President Silver Innings Foundation Mumbai Dear Friends, The anniversary issue was great! Simply speaking, Radio Duniya has a fantastic editorial team! Keep it up! Radio Duniya has done a lot for the radio industry in the last one year and I wish it continues to contribute to the growth of radio in the future as well. Dilip Dugar Vice President Radio Misty Siliguri
Hi Team RD, Your magazine is the only one medium which gives all the radio news under one roof. It is a great medium through which we get to know all that is happening in the world of radio. Keep up the good work! It will be great if you start an interview section of upcoming RJs as well. Virendra Dhusia Radio Host FM Rainbow India Dear RD Team, I just wanted to write in and congratulate you all on the fantastic anniversary issue. I think it was very well conceptualised and executed brilliantly! Keep up the good work. Amit Om Sharma Radio Host S FM Jaipur
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talk2us@radioduniya.in
Send your feedback to us at
TALK2US
Dear Sir, Your magazine gives in-depth information and analysis of the radio industry. The work that you are doing is commendable as radio is the only media through which people can communicate with the community and also highlight their issues and problems. Keep up the good work!
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You are contributing to the growth of radio by discussing issues of the industry and also giving out information regarding the development of the industry. Ratnesh Pathak Station Head Salaam Namaste Noida
December 2008 | Radio Duniya
s the entire country celebrated Children’s Day on November 14, FM stations across the country, too chipped in with special shows and initiatives for their young listeners. Several FM stations had children as RJs for the day and introduced innovative on-air and on-ground activities.
A
station organised an in-house screening of the movie Roadside Romeo, along with games, contests and station visit for all the kids invited by the station. Puja Sharma, Head - HR, Fever FM, said, “We are happy to be able to provide entertainment for children and celebrate the spirit of Children’s Day with them, and at the same time showcasing the world of radio.”
Big FM’s Gujarat stations – Vadodara, Surat and Rajkot – visited schools and orphanages. As part the on-air offering, the Gujarat stations aired a programme titled Bol Bacche Bol, wherein children joined the stations’ RJs at the studios and took calls from the listeners.
MY FM had planned a special initiative for children on its show My Ka Laal specially dedicated to children where kids went on-air as RJs for an hour-long show. Radio Choklate ran on-air contests and some on-ground activities titled Bachchon ki Toli, where seven junior RJs of Chota Choklate visited an SOS village in Bhubaneswar, Sneha Ashram, KhandagiriI, Sewa Ghar, Khurda and Daya Ashram in Cuttack, for live on-air interaction with the children.
A variety of activities were set across Radio City stations in the country. Special promos and contests were organised, and children got to co-host shows along with the RJs. Radio City Mumbai invited child actors of Colors’ Balika Vadhu – Avika Gor and Avinash Mukherjee. The two interacted with listeners who called in with their questions for the two across Mumbai. Radio One had selected kids taking on the role of ‘junior RJs’ and hosting the entire day’s programmes on the station. These junior RJs replaced all the original RJs on the shows Chill Fataafat, Matinee Fataafat, Campus Fataafat, and Ghanta Singh. Vehrnon Ibrahim, National Director Programming, Radio One, said, “This is our way of appreciating the generation of our young urban audiences, who are incredibly talented, and great fun. It’s a very innovative sound for the station, and is keeping in line with our effort to always provide fresh, interesting programming.”
Tomato FM had a Children’s Day special called Baccha Party, which had several fun and games activities. The station’s RJ visited schools and took bytes from the ‘brilliant’ children and aired them on the station. Tadka 95 FM celebrated Children’s Day with an exclusive Cartoon Examination. The station organised a written examination for the kids of Kota where they were asked questions about various cartoon characters that they watch on TV or read in comic books. An NGO-Corporate collaboration of Child in need Institute, North Bengal Unit, GOAL India and Nine on 91.9 FM extended their support to more than 400 underprivileged and vulnerable children of Khalpara red light area and Kulipara slums by organising a rally on Child Rights to celebrate the occasion.
Fever FM commemorated the occasion with underprivileged children from the NGO, Salaam Balak Trust, in Delhi. The FM
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December 2008 | Radio Duniya
news Celebrations
Radio Misty Turns One Radio High Celebrates First Anniversary Radio High 92.7 FM celebrated its first birthday with the destitute children of a home run by Care for Needy Children Rightfully Nurtured, an NGO of New Jalpaiguri. The Radio High team visited the home and created a memorable event for them. RJ Rohit compered the show to remind the inmates about their home that they have left long ago. Children sang and danced to celebrate this occasion. Radio High presented them with cricket gears, footballs, ballons, badminton racquets, frisbees, chocolates and sweets. “We can throw a big party at our first anniversary but we didn’t do it and instead spent some time with the children because our team always participates in events to demonstrate our social responsibility” said Kalyan Mitra. Power FM Relaunched Kolkata’s only ‘Hinglish’ music station, 107.8 Power FM, revealed its new logo and an aggressive new campaign. The event included the grand unveiling of the new Power FM logo, a stage-scorching performance by Sandeep Vyas, non-stop music by the city’s favourite DJ Akash, and interactive cameos from each RJ of the station. 107.8 Power FM now sports a new look, a new attitude and a new slogan that defines the mindset of today’s generation. It is Kolkata’s up-market, youthful cosmopolitan radio station, and possesses the gung-ho attitude that the aspirational youth of today associate themselves with. While the music
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Radio Misty 94.3 FM completed one year and the station is celebrating this occasion with lot of events where listeners can win great prizes. The station has BBC and Radio Netherlands Worldwide as partners. The one year celebrations started with special five hours special show where the entire team of the station performed live. Listeners came to the studio to cut the celebration cake at midnight. Famous Bhojpuri singer Devi and her group performed during the occasion. During this celebrations Radio Misty partnered with State Table Tennis Championship, where Arjun awardee Mantu Ghosh, Subhojit Saha and National Coach Bharti Ghosh were present. The were various prizes on offer for the listeners which ranged from mobile phones, food vouchers, gold and silver coins and passes to all the happening events in the city. Nishant Mittal, Chief Executive Officer, Radio Misty, said, “It is due to efforts of the youthful team of Misty that this radio station is popular in this region. During this one year listeners have supported Misty in a big way.” and programming style of Power FM is at par with any international FM station, the RJs of Power FM are the ones that Gen-Next totally associates with. The new slogan of the station says it all ‘All Hits No Bakwaas’. The station’s marketing campaign, “Have Balls. Do Power” is said to be the most aggressive and hardhitting marketing campaign by any FM radio station in the country to date.
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news Industry Updates
Radio Indigo Plays Good Samaritan Bangalore saw the most horrific of traffic jams in years, on November17 when North Bangalore came to a grinding halt due to a political meet held in Palace Grounds. There where over 6 hours of frustration and stress as children, passengers and working professionals were stranded on th road. The agony seemed never ending and all that the people had access to, was radio in their handsets and cars, which was their only stress buster. Indigo acted quickly in the most needed hour and became proactive in order to help them and relieve some anxiety. Water and refreshments where distributed by team Indigo to all those who were stuck and losing out on the energy and the drive to reach home. Suno Lemon Presents Teesri Aankh Chunav Par Suno Lemon 91.9 FM has started a new activity for the election season titled Teesri Aankh Chunav Par. This is an awareness campaign for listeners and attempts to add more fun in this political season. Teesri Ankh Chunav Par will consist of bytes, interviews and comments. The station has come up with a character Netaji who gives comments on current election scenario in his own satirical way.
The evening show Indigo Lounge with Dhillan transformed into a request show and all those stuck in in the traffic jam had an opportunity to request their favourite songs to make them feel better! Requests poured in non-stop throughout the show in the form of constant messages and calls, which was a record breaker. Santosh “Saggy” Gnanakan, Head of Programming, Bangalore said, “As the traffic jam started building in intensity, we realised that as a true Bangalore station, we needed to step in and do our bit. Apart from mobilising a team and ensuring that people stuck in the jam received water and food, we decided to change our programming format from 8 pm onwards and take in requests from listeners. The response was overwhelming!”
People can put their questions to Netaji and he responds to the questions and presents his unique way to look at the situation. The Sitaron Ka Mohalla is a section where the election Guru, Vidurji and RJ Rudra discuss about the elections and present public views. The station provides a platform to people to present their views, their expectations from leaders and also their difficulties. The RJs go to different parts of the city to know about the difficulties that people have to face. “Through this we give current election updates and some interesting and historical facts related to elections. By keeping in mind the AIR codes we try our best to present each and every thing related to the election” says Station Director, Ruchi Singh.
Radio City’s Love Guru Completes 5 Years Radio City’s award-winning flagship show Love Guru completed five glorious years on November 24. Love Guru is the nation’s definitive, one-stop show on relationships, providing counsel, companionship and comfort accompanied with the choicest Hindi melodies. Hosted with the utmost sensitivity by a warm, compassionate and fun mystery RJ Love Guru, the show airs simultaneously in 16 cities uniting the nation with a single chord. Speaking on this milestone, Apurva Purohit, CEO, Radio City 91.1FM said, “City’s Love Guru was developed as a 10
very distinctly structured, robust concept which till date, remains unmatched in packaging and execution. As an entertainer, the show unequivocally remains nonpreachy yet providing very humane, mature counseling, managing concerns even of an extremely personal nature with great empathy and articulation.” Elated on completing five robustly successful years, RJ Love Guru said, “It all started as a never before attempted concept on radio. I used to be a regular RJ before Love Guru happened; since then life has changed completely. With the sustained success all the skepticism and apprehension of a show like this-appealing to entertainment-seekers on radio was put to rest when we started receiving a deluge of questions, feedback and participation from listeners across the nation. I owe it all to Radio City and our listeners, and pray that this relationship be an everlasting one!” December 2008 | Radio Duniya
news Industry Updates Radio Misty to Organise Mega Carnival AROI Rolls Out Campaign on Radio Evangelisation The Association of Radio Operators for India (AROI), India’s apex body of radio broadcasters across the nation, has embarked on its first ever campaign to evangelise radio. Underscoring radio’s cost-effectiveness as a public broadcasting medium, the campaign sets out to shatter incorrect myths about radio and examines in particular, radio’s effectiveness, especially for delivering localised messaging. This is the first time that radio broadcasters under the aegis of AROI have presented a concerted effort in enhancing awareness about the specific saliencies of radio. Directed at advertisers and media planners, AROI’s maiden Radio Evangelising campaign drives home the fact that radio is the best medium for localised reach and micro marketing, both in metros as well as small towns because of its reach and cost efficiency. This campaign also underlines radio’s effectiveness over the print medium, both from the reach and cost perspective. Commenting on radio’s specific relevance in the current business environment, Apurva Purohit, President, AROI and CEO, Radio City 91.1FM said, “Radio clearly delivers beyond the brief! Contrary to popular belief, radio is more effective than print for local impact and not only reaches out to more people than print but it is also far more cost effective with a far-lesser CPT. Radio is ‘the’ targeted media vehicle which delivers desired message localized to the specific requirements of each market like no other medium. And that is one of the key messages our campaign drives home.”
Thousands of children from North Bengal and Sikkim will participate in Radio Misty Mega Carnival to be organised by Lions Club of Siliguri Magnum in Siliguri from 20th December. The two day carnival is very popular in this region and since last year Radio Misty 94.3 FM has partnered with this event. The carnival will have drawing, fancy dress, group dress, solo dance, solo song, and photogenic baby and fashion show competition. The carnival draws huge crowds from all over the region and this year a special category called Jodi Kamaal ki has been included where twins of any age group can participate. Says Radio Misty’s Chief Executive Officer, Nishant Mittal, “This is the biggest children event in this region. We are always connected through activities for children. This year new themes and shows have been included in this carnival. Winners in all categories will have the opportunity to visit the studios of Radio Misty and participate in the show Masty Ki Pathshala.”
Drenched in heavy rains, a major portion of Chennai witnessed power cut as early as 6.00 am in the morning. People in these areas were in for a surprise and were extremely happy to hear the launch through Radio Mirchi.
Chandrayan Launch on Radio Mirchi Chennai Radio Mirchi surprised the people of Chennai by doing a live show about Chandrayan launch. RJ Anjana started the breakfast show at 6.00 am and exactly at 6:22 am a live countdown was done from the studios showcasing the launch of Chandrayan to the people of Chennai.
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People were also given an opportunity to call in and express their feeling about the launch. A record number of people called in during that time. The futuristic thought of living on the moon made them scout for a Chennai born US resident, who has bought a piece of land on the Moon and had gifted it to his wife for her birthday. “The most memorable thing during the show was when a Sub Inspector from the Police training academy called along with his 750 students. They saluted the nation for this venture and wished us all the best for doing this show” says Maria Preethi, producer of the show. 11
internet radio
Tune in With a Click of the Mouse Internet radio is an audio broadcasting service transmitted via the Internet. It involves a streaming medium that presents listeners with a continuous “stream” of audio over which they have no control, much like traditional broadcast media. It will not be wrong to say that the Internet represents the future of radio. As far as the Indian scenario goes, Internet radio is at a very nascent stage, it consists of a handful of small players in regional languages. We are roughly a decade behind in the online radio revolution. Today players like AOL and Rhapsody enjoy listenership that runs into millions, while we are just starting off on this path. The past few months have seen the launch of two new Internet radio stations in the country. The first online streaming radio station for international music in India, complete with RJ driven programming and original content - Myopusradio.com was launched this year. The station runs with fresh programming 24x7, 365 days of the year. International broadcaster CVC has also launched its new online station in the country. With studios in Karnataka and Australia and correspondents in 26 countries around the world, CVC has brought in a new standard of professionalism and resourcing to online radio. It is now set to revolutionise the world of internet radio in the country. The independent radio station offers the best music from around the globe, including all the latest international chart music as well as Hindi hits. Myopusradio.com is the flagship brand of the Trump It Streaming Platform and “has set the stage for a radio revolution in India,” says, the Station Head, Kashvi Lakshman. She adds, “As a pioneer, growing the market will be our primary focus,” “CVC’s unique, hybrid sound reflects the melting pot of urban India,” says CVC’s Director Mike Edmiston. “When I have coffee at a café in Mumbai, I can drink beans from Kenya, from a cup made in China, while listening to music from the US and reading the news from all over India. The world is a fusion of cultures now and CVC mirrors that reality.” Most Internet radio stations across the world have two simple models which are advertising in the form of audio spots or 12
donations collected from users. The revenue model of Myopus radio is very different from any other radio station on the Internet. And it includes, sponsorship packages, network affiliations and broader markets, dedicated brand channels, retail model, etc. Internet radio is a medium in itself. It can be used for as many purposes that one can think of. Stations can be for pure music entertainment, standup comedy, online lectures or just plain weather reports. The possibilities are as endless as the Internet itself. Accordnign to Mike, “We’re living in a digital world. The next logical step for radio is to go beyond offering a one-way monologue and engage in an interactive conversation with listeners. The internet is the best medium to facilitate that.” The only thing that the Internet radio stations have to keep in mind is that if they have a great product and they do it right, they will come to occupy a special place in the minds and hearts of the consumers. However, they will have to bear in mind, that others will follow them, once they figure out how to do this right. As Kashvi says, “Being pioneers, we have to be able to stay ahead of the game because there are bound to be plenty of people following at our heels”. She adds, “Having said that, we have had a dream start as an organization and we hope there will be many noteworthy milestones to follow.” December 2008 | Radio Duniya
special story
There was a time when radio was relegated to the background. It was seen as the poor man’s medium, but not any more, with the privatisation of radio and the coming in of cool n hip radio hosts, the urban youth has come to identify with the medium. The radio stations of today are more than mere radio stations, they are brands in themselves, and the presence of these brands extends beyond the mundane. There is a convergence of media happening today, radio stations are tying up with television shows, films and other mediums to attract more listeners and deliver value to the people who tune in. There are obvious perks for radio stations in this trend, but television channels and films also get considerable mileage out of this alliance. We decided to unravel the mystery and spoke to a few radio players to know how they were benefitting from this and what it meant for radio in the long run! Here is what they had to say...
The trend of radio stations partnering various television shows and events is good. The most important point is that television channels and events have realised the growing reach and strength of radio as a medium. Hence it benefits more for television and events to reach out the target group through radio, which is a very interactive medium. Plus, I feel the benefit is mutual for television as well as radio. From a listeners’ point of view, it extends the brand image in his mind beyond footprint that the station has. Having said that, I believe that there is no direct benefit for an advertiser, since they treat them as two different mediums. If radio stations have more below the line activities and events to offer to the clients, such as tie-ups or partnering with television etc., this acquires immense value for radio as a medium.
Jayyant Bhokare COO, Radio Indigo
A few of the associations and tie-ups that Radio Indigo has done are – a few concerts with DNA, the Russel Peters Show, Iron Maiden live, a few local college fests and events and our in house events like Indigo Jazz and Blues Concert, Indigo Acoustics etc., Non traditional Revenues (NTR) is the future for the radio stations under which events and activation will become key sources of revenue. Partnering with other mediums will be important to increase the reach... We at Indigo would want to give a Bang for our Clients’ Buck!
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Cross media advertising and tie-ups are beneficial. The trend of radio stations partnering with television shows is something new and innovative. It helps radio make its present felt and enhances brand recollection as well. Radio is surely benefiting from such associations. It helps build an image in front of the listeners. The brand recognition and recall factor is very high from these kinds of tie ups. It also helps to build up the brand loyalty among the listeners as it gives them a kind of assurance. For the advertisers it is kind of assurance that their money has not gone down the drains, as radio station in which they have invested is building up its image and also their listenership and popularity increases by associating with popular shows. Indirectly advertisers are benefiting as they are associated with that brand.
Nishant Mittal CEO, Radio Misty
Radio is coming up as a necessary medium for the people rather than just an entertainment medium. Now people spend more time in their cars than at home in front of a television set, thus it is necessary for television shows to tie-up with radio station and promote their shows. Televisions channels need radio to build a sense of curiosity in the listeners to watch that particular show, and this would in turn give a boost to the ad revenue. Radio Misty 94.3 FM has tied up with some television shows and have got good response to these associations. We have tied up with CCN for Geetmala, apart from this we have partnered with talent hunt shows. I believe that this trend will be growing in future. There will be more tie ups and joint promotion between television shows and radio. Radio is the best medium for promotion as it is cheap and more effective than any other medium of advertising. We will gain from increased ad revenue and popularity.
The trend of radio stations partnering various television shows and events is meant to engage the audience across different media. Basically it stems from the assumption that radio content has the potential to be adapted for audiences across media. Essentially the type of content revolves around the world of entertainment, live events, etc. Since television shows and events are always on the look out for fresh content, radio which has come up as a great source of live and entertaining content can use this opportunity to syndicate content and to further engage their audiences through different media.
Anuj Singh National Marketing Head and Station Head, Mumbai, Red FM
I think there is immense value created for the brands, the audiences and the listeners. For audiences the media doesn’t matter, it’s about a deeper connection with their favourite RJ / brand that they can develop. It’s their opportunity to find out more about Red FM and its RJs, to make choices based on certain differentiated aspects and to develop preferences. For brands, tie ups like these help us further engage our audience by exposing them to a new facet of the brand. Beside that, the number of exposures to our brand also increases ultimately resulting in the brand being embedded in their minds. For advertisers, they now have access to a huge base of loyal audience across media. So in all there is value creation for everyone. Ultimately it is the quality and quantity of audiences aggregated which matters to the advertisers. If this helps us engage our audiences better and increase our reach, it will ultimately help us offer better value to clients.
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December 2008 | Radio Duniya
An interesting example of engaging audiences is the content tie up initiated with Bindass TV with their show called Bindass Live Powered by Red FM – Speak your freakkin mind!, The show hosted by RJ Malishka of Red FM, is a perfect brand fit for us because of our proposition of being the Station for Expression. Malishka with her bold and brazen personality embodies the Bajaate Raho attitude and takes the same personality and attitude on television in her show Bindass Live. I believe this is only the beginning of cross media synergy. Talking about Red FM in particular, as industry leaders we believe in setting benchmarks in the industry and have been doing so with our foray beyond radio. Tie-ups like Bindass Live powered by Red FM are unique and never before done, and we believe that it will definitely help us create better value and offer it as tangible benefits to advertisers in the long run.
Radio has always been a strong media platform for television channels. Television channels are one of the largest spenders on radio over the last 3-4 years. So I guess the trend of radio stations partnering various television shows and events is just an extension of that trend and is a testimony to the growth and importance of radio as a medium today. The television channel gets the advantage of promotion for their shows while as a radio station we get value like. For listeners the advantages are many, besides hearing exclusive content, celebrity interviews, etc. the listeners also get the opportunity to meet the celebrities, go to the sets of the show, attend on-ground events related to the television show etc.
Anand Chakravarthy Sr. VP Marketing, BIG FM
From radio’s point of view, these tie-ups do key things - they give the brand visibility on television which reaches out to their own audiences; it also gives accesses to content/stars etc which helps build stickiness in the product. However the greatest value is still to the television channel as it gets excellent promotion for the shows and stars whenever something comes on radio. BIG FM has been working closely with all television channels and has partnered several on key properties. We have been partnering Zee Sa Re Ga Ma Pa for 2 years in a row now. Also, we have been the radio partners of Star Plus’s Nach Baliye for 2 years in a row. Zee Bangla, Zee Kannada, Star Vijay, NDTV Imagine, 9X, Sahara One, Colours, etc are all channels we have partnered with for various events and programmes. This trend has various advantages for both the broadcaster as well as the television channel and this will continue for some time.
There is no doubt that the trend of radio partners for various television shows and events is just a beginning for the greater reach and value of the medium. Radio stations are surely benefiting from this trend, as they get greater brand visibility through the medium of television. For radio stations this trend is also a validation of their efforts to seek parity in the treatment meted out to radio and television. Radio is also set to gain from increased ad revenue and popularity, as a result of such associations. For television channels the benefit is manifold as radio stations provide an excellent platform for the promotion of the show and the stars. Since television shows and events are always on the look out for fresh content, radio which is a great source of live and entertaining content is using this opportunity to syndicate content and to further engage audiences through different media. Also, if radio stations have more below the line activities and events to offer to the clients, this acquires immense value for radio as a medium. So, this is just the beginning... radio has proven that it is a medium that can align with many other mediums and add to the entertainment quotient with its inherent qualities. Radio is rocking across the horizon and it will continue to entertain the listeners and also rake in the moolah for the advertisers and clients. www.radioduniya.in
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news Industry Updates
Bengalurina’s Radio City salutes Anil Kumble Bengalurina’s Radio City 91.1FM brought all of Bengaluru together in paying a fitting tribute to Namma Bengaluru Huduga Anil Kumble. From Kengeri to Hosur, Devanahalli to Whitefield, all roads lead to Garuda Mall, M.G Road where the station set up a colossal ‘Goodwill Message Board’ in a tribute to Bangalore’s favourite cricket icon Anil Kumble. With this campaign, the station called all Bangaloreans to come, share their sentiments and inscribe personalised messages for the cricket star further to his recent retirement from cricket. Measuring a colossal 80ft by 10ft, this enormous goodwill message board will be will be formally presented to Anil Kumble after being signed by the listeners. Commenting on the initiative, Rana Barua, Executive VicePresident and National Head – Programming
RNW ties up with Radio Chaska Radio Netherlands Worldwide (RNW) and Radio Chaska 95 FM have concluded a media partnership. The station will air the popular monthly chart show Euro Hit 40; one hour show of the latest pop music from the European charts, compiled by RNW and presented in English.
and Marketing, Radio City 91.1FM, “As the city’s ‘Total Bengaluru’ FM station, Radio City 91.1FM captures the pulse of Bangalore city. Be it the right mix of melodies and entertainment, we reflect the Bangalorean spirit across all our initiatives. When it comes to Anil Kumble, Bangalore has a lot to be proud about and we are celebrating this Bangalorean pride! This initiative brings us and all of Bangalore city together as a community to convey our love, gratitude and best wishes for this remarkable sportsman!”
Fever FM launches ‘Off the record’ Fever 104 FM has launched their latest initiative - Off The Record, to encourage original musical talent. True to its spirit of being all about the music, Fever 104 FM intends to provide a platform for young artists and bands that are yet to be discovered. Fever 104 FM will handpick Delhi’s most promising talent and offer them an opportunity to perform and jam with the established artists of the music world. Speaking on the initiative, Neeraj Chaturvedi, Station Head – Fever 104 FM, Delhi says, “Fever ‘Off the Record’ has been conceived to promote the discovery of home grown music and performers, at the same time to give music fans in Delhi a chance to discover new music.” Amateur bands that can create music in Hindi and are keen to participate can send in their demo CDs through post at the Fever 104 FM office. The bands will then called for an audition and short listed by a team of experts. To be eligible, the entries need to have at least two songs recorded on audio recording software of one original song and one popular song with at least 70% Hindi lyrics. Flagging off the event was a breath taking performance by Dhun, a young aspiring band who enthralled the crowd with their amazing range of music.
Radio Netherlands Worldwide is the international broadcaster from the Netherlands. For more than 60 years RNW has been an established player in the field of news and entertainment broadcasting, reaching millions of people every day all over the world. Country Manager RNW, Amitabh Srivastava says, ‘This partnership with Radio Chaska gives us exposure in central India and also gives us a window to showcase some of our best cultural programmes. Our variety of music programmes will give listeners of this station a new perspective on Dutch culture. Besides giving entertaining programmes, we will surely focus on some of our best infotainment programmes in the future for the benefit of listeners since Gwalior is regarded as an educational hub in India.’
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December 2008 | Radio Duniya
station talk
YOUR SONG, YOUR VOICE Bobby Gupta, CEO, Nine 91.9 FM, a passionate contributor to the broadcasting industry started his career with All India Radio. Gupta has played a pivotal role in setting up two stations in North Bengal and Sikkim. Coming from the hospitality industry, he possesses a better connect with listeners and believes that simple thinking is the key to success.
How and when did Chinar Circuits decide to enter the FM scenario? While identifying areas for expansion in the booming economy, we discovered that the entertainment and media industry was growing faster than the Indian economy, something like 1718% per annum. And within that Radio was growing at 24-25% a year. So in 2005 when the Government invited bids for new FM licences, we didn’t take much time to decide that we had to pick up two stations – Siliguri and Gangtok. Why did you decide to name the radio operations ‘Nine FM’? Can you elaborate on the brand name? Actually we didn’t have to do very much about naming. The frequency allocated to us by the WPC, that’s 91.9, did it for us. With two of the three numerals being nine, we thought why not have that as our brand name. Plus of course nine sounds smart, hip and classy — the kind of stations we were planning anyway, and it has worked like magic for us. You launched with the tagline, ‘Your Song, Your Voice’, can you elaborate on this tag line for us? “Your Song. Your Voice.” is to do with the fact that our stations reflect the listeners’ interests, their aspirations, their attitude, www.radioduniya.in
their world view. That’s the ideal way for an FM channel to work, one cannot impose anything on the audience. The better understanding you have of them, the more effective your programming will be. The tagline also conveys that we are a local station and not a part of one of the ‘national networks’. What were the challenges in setting up the first Nine FM station? The biggest challenge was understanding the audience — their likes, their dislikes, their expectations from an FM channel, how an FM radio station will fit into their daily lives, their attitude towards other media, etc. We are happy that we assigned the job to a professional market research agency from which we got precise answers and indicators. Once we had these, we put together the station sound and feel, the station format, music library, clocks, presenters, shows, station IDs, advertising campaign, calendar of events accordingly. It has been a few months since Nine was launched, how has the journey been? Exciting, there hasn’t been a dull moment! What’s radio other than a game of ideas? It’s fun 24x7. We have a team of young people — producers, presenters, engineers, event team, sales people — all of them full of imagination and energy, all very 17
passionate about radio, it’s great to work with them. Then we have some very forward looking set of clients, very open to ideas and concepts that we give them. Who is your target audience? And what are the special shows that you have developed for them? Demographically, 18-35 men and women in SEC A and B categories. Psycho graphically, people with need for achievement, openness to new ideas, cosmopolitan outlook but with pride about their culture, city, state. They are family oriented but highly social, they go out for movies, travel, invariably have a hobby or an interest. All our shows have been developed with that in mind. We do not have a national or a regional or a state template. We are in touch with our audience on a daily basis, we live with them, party with them and we know what they want and when. Can you elaborate on the music and programming line up at Nine FM?
surveys, know that we are way ahead of the competition in terms of the audience size. In Sikkim, by virtue of being the only station, we have 100% audience to ourselves. We are hoping to have some kind of rating mechanism in place soon. Going beyond numbers, what we’ve established is thought leadership, which is what’s most significant when it comes to the qualitative aspects our listenership. What would you say are the major issues that the radio industry is facing at present? One of the major issues is how to educate the advertisers and their advertising agencies about the strategic roles radio can perform in any marketing plan and how they should go beyond the spot when buying radio. AROI (Association of Radio Operators in India) is doing a great job of it. And of course some large operators are running individual campaigns to educate advertisers. Then there’s the issue of royalties for the music we play. The money we are having to pay to music companies is just not viable.
Our listeners at both the stations have this need to know the very latest that’s happening in the world, so we give them that. They want to hear the very latest of music — Bollywood and International. We play that for them, in addition, we play a lot of Nepali music in Sikkim. People in these areas are very close-knit, so we encourage community building amongst them through special interest programming.
Of course, there are several other issues like education and training for fresh talent, restrictions on FDI, content creation, etc., which AROI and FICCI Radio Forum are addressing at the right forums from time to time.
How has the response of advertisers been? Who are your prime advertisers?
We are happy about these recommendations. However, if we are allowed to put out local news, gathered by our correspondents from areas that are never covered by national news agencies, it will make better sense to our audience. Our audiences can get the national, regional and international news from newspapers, television, internet, etc. Only a local FM station would go to areas not reached by any other medium.
We started getting inquiries from advertisers even before we went on-air. A large number of our advertisers are national brands with a strong presence in both our markets due to the rapid economic growth there. Telcom majors, education, automobiles, real estate, almost all categories of brands are there on our client list. Plus of course we are emerging as the most credible and cost efficient medium for retail advertising in our markets. You now have two stations – one in Sikkim and the other in Siliguri, how different are the listeners and the markets? Oh, both are entirely different and in more ways than one. For instance, Sikkim can do with a lot more international music than Siliguri can. People in Siliguri love their Bollywood music and are far more expressive on various issues that we talk about on our shows. Where would you rate Nine FM in terms of listenership and reach? In the absence of any objective audience measurement activity in place — unlike Kolkata, Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi, where one has RAM — it would be unfair to say that we are clearly the number one in Siliguri. But from several other
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What are your views on the recommendation to allow radio stations to air news from certain agencies?
What according to you are the advantages/disadvantages of operating a radio station from a small city as compared to big cities? Small cities have that homogeneity about themselves which makes any programming format appeal to a large proportion of people whereas the large cities audiences are so fragmented that no one knows who’s listening, who’s not, who’s liking or disliking what. The advantage with small cities is that the audience has a much higher emotional involvement with the station than the audiences in the large cities would with stations there. One disadvantage with the small stations is that we don’t have the same access to celebrities and stars that the stations in say Mumbai or Delhi do. But we are trying to change that by setting up satellite studios in Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi soon. In terms of advertising, in small cities Radio works much better for retail advertisers than it does in big cities due to the credibility factor.
December 2008 | Radio Duniya
feature
Realising Radio Dreams The Way Forward
A
ll our radio dreams are just waiting to be realised. As we come to the close of this year, I am hopeful that there are going to be quite a few developments that will define the future of the radio industry, specifically FM radio in the days to come. The realisation of our radio dreams will depend on the fulfillment of many hitherto unfulfilled requests. On top of everybody’s mind are the regulatory issues, which include the concerns over trading of licences, management outsourcing, allotment of multiple licences / frequencies in the same city, giving a level playing field to private FM radio vis-a-vis All India Radio in areas of content by allowing news, current affairs, and sports on private FM radio channels, and of course, the issue of music royalty. The industry also wishes for the implementation of the recommendations of TRAI to enhance the FDI limit in radio to 49% from the current 20% . The policy on satellite radio and community radio needs to be more transparent and positive, while not being contrary to that for FM radio. Community radio was supposed to be free of advertising; subsequently “limited” advertising has been allowed which is not objectionable per se, but goes totally against the interests of FM radio. Similarly, we hear that the I & B Ministry is considering offering terrestrial towers for satellite radio! In terms of programming, I feel that freeing FM radio from regulatory shackles like content restriction, and allowing multiple-licences will certainly open up new formats, encourage innovations and new programming / show concepts. And I am happy that AROI`s efforts have borne fruits, albeit limited. News is now allowed, of course with riders. And just recently, political ads have been allowed on FM radio. For ensuring timely payments and reducing the incidence of bad debts, the industry must formulate credit monitoring systems and accreditation norms on lines of INS. Perhaps AROI should be a constituent of IBF; or AROI should be the third accreditation body after INS and IBF? Further, an effective and commonly accepted currency of listenership research must be developed and regular radio events be organised to provide a platform for interaction and deliberation among various constituents of the industry. As of now, RAM covers just four cities. When will we see listenership research available for the all markets covered by FM? Also, the training of talent and attraction of fresh talent is important. Advertisers must be convinced about the efficacy and flexibility of the medium of radio.
before rushing ahead towards opening Phase III of the rollout. The technical and professional capability of BECIL in facilitating Common Transmission Infrastructure (CTI) must be reviewed. Provision for electricity supply from respective state government electricity boards is part of the work contracted to BECIL, yet so many stations are still functioning on DG power! The Ministry must simplify and reduce paperwork and permissions for which the licence-holder is made to run around currently. From the day of winning the bid, to execution of CTI, the Government must minimise time taken, as there has been undue delay during Phase II. There should be a review of the logic and necessity of the variety of fees collected by the Ministry and Prasar Bharti under numerous heads, including high rentals paid for radio towers. If Prasar Bharti wants to monitor FM radio stations, why should the FM stations fund the exercise? The Government must actively intervene to ensure speedy settlement of music royalty issues. The Copyright Board seems to be more preoccupied with other matters and the I & B Ministry and Ministry of HR don’t seem to be in any hurry to resolve an issue which has such a profound influence on the economic viability of FM Radio. This is the single most important issue which AROI will have to grapple with along with other content like news, current affairs and sports. As far as the technological innovations go, since FM radio, like mobile telephony, has been a recent development in India, we have been able to access the latest technology available in the world. It should be possible to bring radio closer by integrating more with the Internet, and mobile devices like I-pod and other hand/wrist-held devices. FM radio stations must be allowed to broadcast the service via Internet as well (vide live streaming). HD radio and digital radio have already been introduced in some markets abroad, I am not sure when we can have such technology considering our licences are for ten years, consequently studio and CTI installations are new and we may have to carry on with what we have for another eight or nine years. As we usher in the new year let us all hope that these wishes are granted, and the industry and government work together for the growth of the medium of radio.
George Sebastian Chief Operating Officer, Club FM george@clubfm.in
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting must open a dialogue with licence holders in Phase II and iron out pending issues www.radioduniya.in
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radio duniya awards 2009
Submit Entry NOW
Nominations Invited In The Following Categories
Last date: 30 January 2009
AIR STATION To accolade the AIR station, which has exhibited innovation and zeal in achieving the AIR objective of covering varied subjects from G to G (grassroots to global), appealing to all levels of audience. •Nominations are invited from the Station Heads. •The station should be functional for a minimum of three months as on 30th January 2009. FM STATION To recognise the FM station which creatively stands out, striking a chord with the Indian population through its programs, music, interviews, games, community contribution and more. •Nominations are invited from the Station Heads. •The station should be functional for a minimum of three months as on 30th January 2009. COMMUNITY/ CAMPUS RADIO STATION To acknowledge the community/campus radio which epitomises the spirit of community radio by airing programmes that have mesmerised the community/students at large. •Nominations are invited from the Station Heads. •The station should be functional for a minimum of three months as on 30th January 2009. RADIO HOST Pleasant voice, perky ‘n’ warm, connecting, spontaneously creative, community conscious, passion for music - are words which describe a Radio Host! However, the judicious mix of all these qualities will decide the Best Radio Host 2009. •Nominations are invited from the Programming Heads and endorsed by the Station Directors. •Radio hosts who are freelancing can submit their nominations directly. •The radio host should be presently, on air for a minimum of one year to be eligible. RADIO ADVERTISEMENT To award the most innovative & creative advertisement with unique impact on the audience. •Nominations are invited from the Advertising Agencies or Marketing Heads of the Companies/Radio Stations. •The advertisement should have been on air during the period of 30th January 2008 to 30th January 2009.
radio duniya awards is to acclaim and honour the professionals from the radio industry for their innovative contribution.The award is an attempt to boost the morale of the new comers, who are here to carry the legacy of radio further ahead for the generations to come.
RADIO SHOW The award for the best radio show/programme is a tribute to the most comprehensive and engaging radio show. •Nominations are invited from the Programming Head, further endorsed by the Station Head. •Only programme/show aired between 30th January 2008 to 30th January 2009 are eligible. RADIO WEBSITE The award is to acknowledge the most interactive, innovative, user-friendly and popular radio website. •Nominations are invited from the Head of the Company. •The website should be functional for a minimum of three months as on 30th January 2009 SIGNATURE TUNE To award the signature tune which fulfilled its purpose of giving a mass appeal to the brand •Nominations are invited from the National Programming/Marketing/Branding Heads and further endorsed by the Head of the Company. •The signature tune used between 30th January 2008 to 30th January 2009 should be nominated. SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY INITIATIVE To acknowledge the most responsible social initiative programme by a radio station, which has made people aware about water resources, pollution, conservation, social and management issues. •Nominations are invited from the Programming/Branding Heads, further endorsed by the Head of the Company. •The social responsibility initiative should have been organized between 30th January 2008 to 30th January 2009 in order to be eligible. MARKETING CAMPAIGN To give credence to the most motivational marketing campaign of a radio brand, which justified its marketing/sales strategies. •Nominations are invited from the Marketing/Branding Head and further endorsed by the Head of the Organisation. (CEO/COO/Business Head). •The Marketing Campaign should have been running during the period of 1st January 2008 to 30th January 2009.
A distinguished jury comprising of personage from the media industry will contribute in an unbiased manner to the decision making process for the awards. The Jury will review the content, credibility, realistic approach, creativity, accuracy, technicality, awareness value and motivational element of the nominations.
Radio Duniya 2009, G-4 Sector 39, Noida Tel: +91-120-250 2180-85 Fax: +91-120-2500060 email: talk2us@radioduniya.in www.radioduniya.in
news Industry Updates Bharath Vishwanathan appointed as National Sales Head of Hello FM Fever FM celebrates India-England one dayer
Hello FM has announced the promotion of Bharath Viswanathan as the new Vice President & Head – National Sales. His focus will be enhancing the business and expanding the revenue base nationally. “He has been a key player in our success and we are proud to appoint him as the Vice President & Head – National Sales”, said Rajeev Nambiar, CEO, Hello FM.
Fever 104 FM took a team of 12 lucky listeners to Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore for the India-England one-dayer. The listeners were enthralled with the ring-side view from the Northern Stand of stadium even as the whole country was looking forward to the crucial tie between India and England. Adding to their delight was the opportunity to watch it with their favorite Fever 104 RJ’s, Rajesh, Soma, Sumesh and Arjun. In addition, they also picked a wild-card listener who became the twelfth man of Team Fever. “At Fever 104, we always look for opportunities to facilitate our listeners in realizing their dreams. Creating Team Fever for the grand India-England one dayer in Bangalore was one such initiative for us to bond with our listeners in the most enjoyable manner.” said Anjali Paul, Station Head, Fever 104 FM Bangalore. The lucky winners are selected on the basis of a Cricket Quiz that was organized on-air by Fever 104 FM. Listeners who answered correctly and came up with most exciting comments were chosen by Fever 104 FM to be a part of Team Fever for the cricket match. Indigo Goes Green Indigo goes green in an attempt to uplift Bangalore’s spirit of being a Garden City and in an endeavor to support a “Greener Earth”. Radio Indigo intends to root the message into every listener on the significance of recycling paper, keeping the city clean, car-pooling to reduce traffic and pollution, practice of cloth bags as a substitute for plastic bags etc.
Ever since his association with Hello FM, Bharath has spearheaded the team that increased the market share of Hello FM manifold thereby ensuring that the station becomes the defacto FM radio network in Tamil Nadu. In his last assignment Bharath and his team were instrumental in introducing innovative promotions and on ground activities that have ensured continued top-of-the-mind recall for Hello FM in the minds of the listeners. Bharath is a Post Graduate in Commerce and has decade long experience in entertainment industry. He has worked with Entertainment Network India Limited (Radio Mirchi), Turner International India Pvt. Ltd., Adlabs Films Ltd. (Radio) – Big FM.
As part of the on-ground events, one of the creative segments of Indigo campaign suggests public transport to all those who travel long distances. Highlights of the campaign are to persuade everyone to ‘Plant a Tree, Save the City’ and to maintain our Bangalore litter-free.
Jayyant Bhokare, COO of Radio Indigo said, “This is a small step in the direction of being responsible corporate citizens. The need of the hour is to volunteer and do whatever possible to save our earth. Radio Indigo being the pioneer of such cause oriented initiatives has taken this up as a serious issue against global warming. This is also a huge opportunity for clients to associate, since sustainability has become the keyword for the future” Indigo’s On Ground schedule is ingenuous with efforts pooled for ‘Cycle to Work’ initiative, where people across the city are encouraged to use bicycles to commute as a alternate to polluting cars and bikes. Popular city celebrities are also joining hands to cycle their way for a greener and cleaner Bangalore.
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December 2008 | Radio Duniya
programme talk
Super serving is the future Vehrnon Ibrahim, VP Programming, Radio One, has been in the field of entertainment for the last 25 years. He selected his college because it had the best music team and since then he has been a music producer, audio engineer, singer, studio designer, DJ, production designer for live events and jingle writer. Before joining Radio One, he was the National Programming Head at Red FM. He has also been the Creative Head of Innomedia and Group PD for Indigo FM.
Did your experience in other media help you in working for the growth of radio, if so, how? Oh yes, sure. When I was a DJ, I used to worry about what song to play next - that’s good but not over played. I would want to space out all the new hot songs and use them like energy packs in a video game. This is what programming music radio is all about. Audio production is again very much at the heart of good radio. Designing the “soundscape” seems fantastic but is actually the art of hearing the end product production in your head, then using the tools you have and getting it down on tape or now days, on to a file. As a singer, I was a pain and now as a manager, I know what it was like to be a performer and I can deal with performers quite sympathetically. How has the journey as VP Programming Radio One been? One of the major challenges has always been to surround myself with people who are motivated and great at doing what they do www.radioduniya.in
and who bring a certain amount of fiestiness to the table. I have been lucky to always work for and with some great people and at Radio One, I think I have hit the jackpot. It is always great to have a powerful team. At Radio One I can happily say we have some of the very best talents in the country. Let’s talk a bit about the brand name. Why is it Radio One and Fataafat? Why are we called Radio One? Well it was a tough choice for us as all food products, colours, sizes and temperatures were taken but there can be only one Radio One and that’s us… Brands are very important in the radio space though the product is more so. The Fataafat brand is a core thought that now runs through every aspect of the product and that’s the way it should be. I have created filters to make sure the essence of the brand flows through programming at a primal level as well as the more subtle levels. Saying it is just saying it, living the brand, exemplifying “Fataafat” on air is what it takes for the brand to be experienced by the listener. 23
Where would you rate Radio One among other private FM channels in terms of listenership and reach?
As the VP Programming Radio One, what is your vision for radio in the country?
Simply put, we don’t rate ourselves amongst the others simply because we are not playing the same game as they are playing. Its like scoring a goal in cricket, or a checkmate in golf, why would one do such a thing, why would one rate themselves on these successes? We are playing the masstige game not the mass game, we are leaving that for others.
Radio is dying in the US, kids just aren’t interested. They have their iPods and listen to their choice of music and Podcasts. Streaming radio stations have all but replaced traditional FM broadcasters. This is due to the super serving nature of these net streams and pod casts. Eventually, at some point highly focused programming will be available for very narrow target groups and advertisers will be able to pinpoint communications to their TG. Super serving is the future. But to get there, there will have to be many changes in FM first.
Our listeners are quality listeners in high quantity and not merely a mass listener. We are going after and instigating the fataafat generation. In this respect we are delivering a high quality listener to our advertisers. We have a 12 % share of listenership but a 18 % share of revenue and a 92% growth in revenue, I would think that pretty much speaks for itself in terms of our ranking.
All radio stations now claim to be different and innovative. How is Radio One different from the others?
Niche formats will be created as soon as multiple frequency
ownership, lower royalties and license fees for less profitable formats are allowed
Our fataafat brand differentiates us from the others. We cater to the fataafat listener and they have specific wants and needs. They want love, money and fame and we provide that. Just tune in and hear Love Fataafat - the couples contest, Malaamal Fataafat - the cash quiz game and One Minute Game Full Day Fame - where the prize is fame. But its more than that also, our music is selected and rotated with a specific attitude to target the Fataafat generation. They want it now and that’s what we provide them. Our on air talent are also selected for the Fataafat generation, they are comfortable in English as well as Hindi or the local language. What is the strategy of Radio One in terms of deciding the kind of content for each city that it operates in? We are the largest focused radio network in India. Our target group is the same nationally but that’s it. I have not made any national programming policies for music, content, clocks, shows or anything. I don’t believe in it. Maybe, and I say maybe, if all our stations had started at the same time with competition at the same level too then I would have had national policies but now each station is at a different stage in its product cycle and each faces different challenges. If I had a national music policy then each station would be constrained and not supported by it. We have the best music managers in the country and I am confident to let them lead from the front, I am always there at the back anyway.
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T h e re a re s o m e re g u l a t o r y restrictions in operation as of now. What kind of changes in these regulations would you welcome? Diversification of formats will happen along with multiple frequency ownership, lower royalties and license fees for less profitable formats. This again is a logical progression and its only a matter of time.
News is important also but it will be the style of news that will be the differentiator and not merely the news itself. Radio news is about reaching the mass, it will be an effort in reaching the lowest common denominator. We are getting ready for it and are extremely excited about it. Stations running news media, either TV or print will have an edge on this and independent radio stations will find it difficult. News is a useful and logical addition to current programming. What are your views on the future of niche radio stations in the country? What genres do you see developing in the future? As I have said, niche formats will be created as soon as multiple frequency ownership, lower royalties and license fees for less profitable formats are allowed. Till then no one is going to blink. No one is going to want to try something less profitable. Look at the talk radio station for women. Commendable as it may be and it is, it has not and will not work. Having a 1% share in a 8 station market is not going to work but with 30 stations and no one owning more than 7% share, 1% is not so bad and is probably super serving a demography that some client somewhere wants to communicate to. And it is in this super serving that lies the future. Simply put, as soon as the I&B Ministry allows the radio industry to bifurcate not merely in to different formats but targeting different demographies, we can move forward.
December 2008 | Radio Duniya
Personal Connect is Essential What made you choose radio hosting? That is something even I am trying to figure out! I was an elocution fanatic, so after I completed my graduation one of my friend suggested that I try hosting on radio. I talk a lot; it can be on anything, all thanks to the elocution competitions that I participated in. I always dreamt that someday I will do something related to cinema, because that is an obsession with me. When I got this opportunity I had no doubts about it and grabbed it with two hands as it is a better platform to get in to a good opening to begin my career. What are the pros & cons of the job? The pros are since it is a daily show I get to interact with the listeners and enter into people’s heart and minds every day. The most thrilling part is that people who have heard my voice don’t recognise me even when I am near them and it’s more thrilling to see their reactions after they get to know who I am. Jockeying is not like any other profession, even if it rains, floods, whatever, I’ve got to be in office to do my show, because, there will be lakhs of hearts waiting to hear me and I don’t have the heart to disappoint them. If not radio hosting, then what?
RJ Shankar, popularly known as ‘Blade Shankar’ is mischievous on air and entertains listeners with a mix of humour, fun and information. He produces the award winning shows Blade No1 and Chinna Thambi Periya Thambi. He believes that being yourself on-air is the way into the listeners hearts. His success mantra is ‘a day at a time’ and as there is so much to hear, ‘there is so much to do’ he asserts. www.radioduniya.in
I would definitely be doing something in the entertainment industry for sure, I am into theatre, dubbing MC-ing, but without radio I think everything will be incomplete because it’s a part of me now. I seriously can’t think of a life without radio! Describe your most memorable radio moment? There have been many memorable moments in these five and half years. However there are few instances which are really close to my heart. One is when my show Blade No.1 and China Thambi Periya Thambi won the best show award. Every day, when any of my radio friends say that Blade Shankar is the most recalled show in the city, it is memorable for me and also the day when I interviewed AR Rahman! Was there anyone or anything that inspired you to take up this profession? My friend Sakka Jacob was the one who suggested that I try radio, I’m really thankful to him. Had it not been for him I don’t know where I would be, in fact he was more confident than I 29 25
was. Sometimes, you will be driven by others, it depends on who you are driven by. Fortunately It was a bunch of good old friends who drove me! Even my family, friends, and colleagues played a very important role in my success. What are the essential requirements for being radio host? The first and foremost requirement is to make the listener feel that the RJ is his/her friend. The RJ must be honest on the show as it is a very transparent medium, he must be talkative and crisp but at the same time humourous and creative to keep his listeners tuned in. An RJ should also be aware of what is happening in and around to keep himself updated and it reflects on the show. On the whole an RJ should be sensible and just another ordinary man on-air.
imagine when will people listen and to what. We need to have a good and credible measure of radio listenership. What is that one most important factor that makes listeners connect to a radio host? Personal connect. We can see many stars on the big screen but very few will be able to connect to audience. The beauty is, in visual media so many hidden factors can contribute to this. But, in radio only the RJ’s voice and his / her conversational style creates that connect. All my listeners never treat me as an RJ, rather they treat me as a good friend.
How do you prepare yourself for every show? The core content of my show Blade No.1 is jokes. Humour is something which is spontaneous so I basically don’t sit down and prepare for it. Every small incident that happens around me inspires me. There is no script for my show and the delivery is instinctive which sounds more lively and interactive on-air. Usually I don’t prepare, I do it when I talk, when I drive and when I chat with my friends. What is your show all about? What makes it different from the other shows? Blade No.1 is all about Kadi Jokes (PJ’s) in which I imitate people in a humours manner. It’s a programme which makes listeners laugh. Laughing doesn’t mean laughing aloud, but laughing ‘at heart’. Since this is a live programme on radio, people tune to have some fun and laugh. Making someone laugh is never an easy task but my listeners do that. Every day my listeners call in and challenge me with their creative jokes and their only motto is to defeat me on-air.
Snapshot Queries: The most important thing in my life? My family, work, friends When not on-air, I am With my DVD player I live by the mantra If you win you need not explain, if you lose you should not be there to explain.
A radio host is “born” or “made”? Made. I agree, there are a few who are born with talent like many singers and instrumentalist but the ratio is very less when compared to ‘made’ factor. Proper training and practice are the fundamentals. Experience takes you to the next level. From there onwards, personal dedication, passion, brilliance, etc., decides the rest.
I dream about Ruling the world( but the world is very big what to do..?) Will never forget The day my show Blade No.1 won the best show award.
Does hosting a particular prime slot matter to you?
Love listening to Ilayaraja, A.R.Rahman, Michael Jackson and Shaggy.
Absolutely not! However there were days when Programming Heads were concerned about drive time listenership and drive time shows as they are claimed as prime time slots. But in my experience in all these six years, the show and content decides the success and not the slot.
Love Watching Comedy, action, adventure, Spielberg and Mani Ratnam films
So, time doesn’t matter at all. Also, technically speaking with the invasion of mobile telephones having FM features have silently contributed to FM listenership. With this you can even 26
My epitaph would read Anbe Sivan - (Benevolence is God), I will be back again to give another success.
December 2008 | Radio Duniya
training
RADIO HAS HUGE POTENTIAL The Mass Communication Research Centre (MCRC) was established in 1982 by Anwar Jamal Kidwai, the then Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia. MCRC was set up in collaboration with York University, Toronto (Canada) and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). It has a wide range of sophisticated media equipment for its studios, editing set ups and outdoor production work. MCRC is one of the renowned names in the field of media training and has churned out well known names like Simran and Roshan Abbas to the radio industry. Radio Duniya spoke to Obaid Siddiqui, Professor of Journalism to find out more. What is your view on the radio industry in the country? I love radio and hope that just like it has survived as a medium of communication elsewhere in the world it will survive in this country too. The phenomenal growth of radio in this country in the past 10 years or so has proved that this medium has not only staged an impressive comeback, but also it will take up the challenge posed by television in the days to come. I believe that future of radio is very bright in this country and I am also waiting for the day when private operators will be allowed to broadcast news and current affairs. What are your views on the growth of radio training institutes in the country, with the growing number of FM channels? Contrary to the general perception, radio, as a medium is far more difficult as compared to television. Right now, there is hardly any radio training institute worth its name in this country. They are merely producing radio jockeys whereas the industry needs radio journalists; people who can produce good radio programmes like dramas, features and documentaries. We also need good TV reporters and presenters of news and current affairs to come to radio, because very soon, may be after the next general elections, the government will allow www.radioduniya.in
private radio operators to broadcast news and current affairs programmes. Do you feel there should be greater synergy between the industry demands and the kind of training given to students? The answer is yes. Unfortunately, there is a huge shortage of teachers and trainers who can teach and train youngsters as radio journalists. Also, there are hardly any institutes in the country that provide proper training to radio professionals. Keeping in mind the urgent requirement of the industry, it is very important to have a greater synergy between the industry demands and the kind of training that is given to students. What kind of radio training does MCRC offer? What sets MCRC apart from other media training institutes in the country? We don’t produce radio jockeys, this is what sets us apart from other institutions. That doesn’t mean that our students have not earned name and fame as radio jockeys or presenters. Fiza Khan alias Simran Kohli and Roshan Abbas are both the products of MCRC to name a few. In M.A. Mass Communication we actually prepare people to work as producers and programmers. 27
On the other hand in M.A. Convergent Journalism we train them to work as reporters, news presenters, producers and programmers. In short our courses are far more serious in nature as compared to those which are offered by other institutions. We also have a campus community radio station which provides our students an opportunity to gain experience in radio production. In the present scenario job-guarantee is a major factor for students when they enroll for a course. What is the kind of placement opportunities that MCRC offers to its students? The television industry has reached to a point of saturation. In the next few years the radio industry will grow at an unprecedented rate. In the next two years or so the Government will grant 700 new licensees to start new radio stations and according to an estimate there will be around 1000 radio stations in the country in the next 3 years. To run those radio stations at least 50 thousand trained people will be needed, and our students will be trained to do that work. Can you tell us more about the faculty at the institute (specifically radio training faculty)? We have a Reader and Lecturer who teach radio production to the students of M.A. Mass Communication and P.G Diploma in Development Communication. I teach the students of M.A.
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Convergent Journalism because of my vast experience as a Broadcast Journalist. We also invite eminent broadcasters from All India Radio and FM stations as guest faculty from time to time. Every year we organise workshops for the students of these courses and invite BBC trainers from London to conduct those workshops. What is the present size of the batches? How many batches are being run at present? There are 50 seats in M.A. Mass Communication, 20 seats in M.A. Convergent Journalism and 40 seats in P.G. Diploma in Development Communication. How does having your own community/campus radio station help the students in the training? Students of all the three courses work for the campus community radio. They produce programmes for Radio Jamia. They also work as presenters and by taking part in live transmissions they learn how to work in real conditions. What are the specialised technical training that you provide at MCRC? We have two radio studios where students can record and produce programmes. We also teach them how to record sound inside and outside the studios. Students also learn sound editing on softwares like Nuendo and Protool.
December 2008 | Radio Duniya
news Industry Updates Radio Misty gets Different Frequency for Sikkim Fever Presents Sufi Music Concert by Zila Khan Fever 104 FM partnered with the Isha Foundation and presented a musical evening with Zila Khan, the high priestess of Sufi Music and Sounds at Kamani Auditorium in New Delhi. Zila Khan was also at the Fever 104 studios, in Delhi 1st November. Speaking on the occasion, Neeraj Chaturvedi, Station Head, Fever 104 FM Delhi said, “We are privileged to partner the Isha Foundation for the social cause of AIDS awareness and rural development. At the same time, the concert will be a Sufi delight for our listeners. We hope to bring many more musical treats to Delhi.” The funds raised by the concert will be used to undertake various social outreach projects of Isha Foundation. Isha Foundation is an international non-profit organisation dedicated to rural rejuvenation, promoting HIV/AIDs awareness and rural crafts, educational reforms, environmental stewardship and individual rejuvenation for holistic and healthy living. Radio One Celebrates King Khan’s Birthday
Radio Misty 95 FM will go on-air at Sikkim soon, this will be the first FM station that can be heard in entire Sikkim. Radio Misty, which is aired on 94.3 MHz in Siliguri, has been allotted a different frequency 95 FM in Sikkim. Says Radio Misty CEO, Nishant Mittal, “Misty, due to its location, can be very well heard in Sikkim from Siliguri. With the same frequency in both cities, airwaves from both stations will be overlapping, making it difficult to catch the frequency of the station in Gangtok. So, we applied for change in frequency which has been granted.” Radio Misty has already started campaign for its launch in Sikkim with outdoor hoardings and road campaigns. Talking about the two different frequencies in the two cities, Mittal says, “People always relate to the brand name and not the frequency number. For our future bids, we would always want to bid for the 94.3 frequency. With the change in the frequency, we do not intend to change our logo or tagline, the new hoardings will only change the frequency number in our hoardings with the same tagline Gungunate Raho”
Says Vehrnon Ibrahim, National Programming Director, Radio One, “This is Shah Rukh Fataafat. Tune in anytime of the day, and instantly you will be immersed into a rocking celebration of the life and times of Bollywood’s biggest star on his special day.”
Fans of Bollywood’s reigning king, Shah Rukh Khan, had a special treat on November 2 as Radio One 94.3 FM, thrilled them with a day-long playlist of Shah Rukh’s songs, movie history, TV history, stage shows, trivia, gossip and conversation. The playlist included songs and dialogues from movies like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge to Om Shanti Om and Chak De India. Listeners called in to share stories, wish Shah Rukh on his birthday and request their favourite songs to be aired. Radio Mirchi Presents Vaaranam Ayiram Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM organised a special screening of Vaaranam Ayiram for its special invitees and listeners along with the stars of the film. The temperature inside Inox increased considerably where Radio Mirchi listeners had a chance to catch up and interact with their favorite star actor Surya. Director Gautam Menon and actress Divya were also present at the venue.
Ayiram in front of actor Surya and director Gautam Menon. Since the songs of the films are already a hit, the announcement of the contest has generated a lot of excitement among the listeners.
In an effort to take the excitement of the film outside the cinema theater, Radio Mirchi announced The Vaaranam Ayiram Singing Contest for its listeners. This contest will be held in the 1st week of December where listeners with singing talent will have a chance to sing their favorite song from Vaaranam www.radioduniya.in
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Radio One celebrates Halloween with stars of Raaz 2, at Hard Rock Cafe, Mumbai.
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December 2008 | Radio Duniya
events Power FM Relaunched
d
Stars of Sorry Bhai at Radio City
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Actors of Balika Vadhu at Radio City
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COMMUNITY RADIO: WHO ARE THE REAL OWNERS?
Community based radio stations, when effectively managed by local committees, can demonstrate key principles of local ownership and collective decisionmaking. Each of these is essential for good governance and democratic values to flourish. www.radioduniya.in
The Ownership Debate Ownership is the heart of a community radio station. It determines the content, programming and sustainability. As the name suggests, community radio is radio of, for and by the community. Consequently, community radio is about a community’s voice – its production, dissemination and feedback. All of these hinge on the crucial question of management and ownership. For instance, Who owns the community radio station? What is meant by community and community ownership? A global evaluation conducted by the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) in 2006-2007 has thrown up interesting pointers in this regard. Conducted in the regions of Asia-Pacific, Africa, Latin America and Europe, the study assessed the social impact of community radio. It noted that, “Community Radio is characterised by its social objective and the community it serves; its aim should not encompass the creation of financial wealth and it should be owned by and be accountable to the community. Community radio should encourage participation in its programming and management, and support a strong democratic and dynamic civil society...”.
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Community Radio Stations across the world reflect a range of diverse models. The African experience emanates from a strong tradition of rural radio; Asia-Pacific throws up a mix of independent and quasi autonomous community radio stations, North America and Canada have active community radio movements with a strong presence of co-operative radio. These diverse models underscore Michel Delorme’s observation in the nineties: “It is called popular radio in Latin America, rural or local radio in Africa and free or associative radio in Europe. All these describe the same phenomenon: gaining voices and democratising communication on a community scale…” Despite the diversity of these models, there is a cross cutting factor: Community management and ownership. It is this factor that characterises the unity in diversity for community radio. A relatively recent player in the arena of community radio, India finds itself currently caught between perceived and articulated NGO-campus-community divides when the focus of our attention should be to ensure that the community radio stations provide the basis of their objective: to build community life.
Measuring Sustainability in Community Radio The community is the frontline stakeholder in a community radio station. Members of the community decide what constitutes the programming culture, produce the programmes, strengthen and sustain the development of the community through the station broadcasts. Unlike public or commercial radio, there is no divide between editorial / programme and advertisement /distribution. There is no difference between the listener/user 34
and the producer of community radio programmes. While this might be community radio’s USP, it also indicates that community radio, unlike private radio is a process. Raghu Mainali, Founder, Nepal’s Association of Community Radio Broadcasters, pointed out that the sustainability of a community radio station is to be measured in its impact, not in the institution. If financial and technology capital have a role to play in this process, it is human capital that constitutes the critical factor. Volunteers are the life blood of community radio stations across the world. The spirit of volunteerism, in many ways, drives the community radio station. However, community/volunteer ownership is not achieved within a day.
Fostering Local Participation Empirical and anecdotal data indicate that some models work better than others in building and fostering a sense of community ownership. Studies and surveys of community radio stations in Nepal provide an apt example. Nepal boasts of a tradition of three models: cooperative, local administration, and NGO radio. Even a cursory comparative study confirms that the co-operative model has proved to be the most effective in terms of sustainability. The reason lies in the fact that the co-operative model prevents the stations from being dependent either on its donors or the private houses that may sponsor some of the broadcasts. The community controls shares of a co-operative radio station strengthening their ownership and facilitating easy and quick decision making. A community need not necessarily be driven December 2008 | Radio Duniya
only by geography, but also by special interest groups. The Women Voice Radio (Radio Suara Perempuan) in Pariaman, West Sumatra (Indonesia) is a case in point. ‘Women Voice Radio’ emerged solely as a response to the acts of violence against women in the community and all the programme content was created in local language/languages (mainly Minang language). Using the local language, the programmes focus on a range of issues including health, religion, children, education as well as giving information on economic issues. As Programme Manager, of the Combine Resource Institution, Indonesia, Ade Tanasia, rightly pointed out, “every Sunday afternoon, a listener gathering is held. On that occasion, ‘Women Voice Radio’ gives everyone the opportunity to be a broadcaster.” In doing so, it facilitates community participation and ownership.
Community, Campus and Ownership At a time when co sharing spectrum space and campuscommunity divides have occupied centre stage in India’s community radio dialogue, the relationship between campus, community and ownership requires further exploration and deeper engagement In several parts of the world, independent campus community radio stations can and do exhibit community ownership to varying degrees. In fact, independent campus radio stations, exhibiting community participation, management and ownership are members of the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC). The crux of the ownership question lies in a community radio station’s management structure. The details below which outline CKUT 90.3 FM community radio station in McGill university (Montreal, Canada) will sharpen the point. CKUT comprises of more than 200 volunteers working with a staff of coordinators, not just to make creative and insightful radio programming, but also to manage the station. The station operates on a collective management system that includes volunteers in decision-making. As its home page points out, “The station wouldn’t exist without the energy and talent of volunteers from across Montreal’s and McGill’s communities.” The larger community is also involved in fundraising support and “finding creative ways of keeping the station not only running, but constantly improving itself.” Significantly, the Board of Directors that “read the fine print, include McGill students, McGill faculty and administrators, CKUT volunteers, staff and members of the general Montreal community.” While differences exist between the two, the question of management and ownership could well provide a bridge between campus and community. In doing so, it could play an important role towards enabling both to respect their differences and build on their commonalities.
Assessing the Social Impact
fast rules, a few examples and suggestions from different parts of the world provide useful food for thought. In South Africa, community hearings (along the lines of public hearings) are a regular feature in the life of a community radio station where the community collectively engage in determining if the radio station has lived up to its expectations. A similar model might be considered in the Indian context. The findings of AMARC’s social impact assessment (through questionnaires or face to face interactions) provide a systemic approach, both short term and long term, which address the effectiveness of the community radio station not just in terms of programming, but also ownership and movement. These included questions on the purpose of the radio station, how it was meeting this purpose, how responsive the station was to the needs and interests of the people, how the station was making a positive contribution to the community, and if the station had failed the community. For the assessment of programme effectiveness, various questions related to the kind of programmes people listened to and their reasons for it, the level of involvement of the people in the station’s operations, what all they had learnt in the past 3 months from listening to the station and what they expected to learn in the next 3 months were asked. Impact or social influence was assessed through questions on how people participated in the station, were they approached to participate, their knowledge of how the stations was being managed, level of satisfaction, changes in beliefs, opinions, values as a result of the station and their suggestions for guidelines according to which the station should operate.
Conclusion In several ways, as community radio advocate and practitioner, Louis Tabing has affirmed, community radio is an ideal. With the launch of a some NGO led and rural community radio stations over the last few months, maybe we are inching towards it. The ideal community radio - in terms of community participation, management, and ownership may not have arrived, but it remains an ideal that is worth aspiring towards. As more and more people get involved in the community radio movement in India, with the government planning to give out many more lisenses, it is time to bury the hatchet and work together for the development of the medium as a whole, whether the station operates from a campus or is supported by an NGO should not be a reason to devalue its worth.
Ashish Sen Director, VOICES, and President, AMARC (World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters) – Asia Pacific Region sen_ashish@yahoo.com
Ultimately, two questions remain: Who measures community ownership? How is it measured? While there are no hard and www.radioduniya.in
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news CR News
IGNOU launches course on community radio The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has announced its plan to launch a six-month certificate programme in ‘community radio’ from January 2009. IGNOU will launch the programme in collaboration with the Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA).
residence and in keeping with the local language proficiency of the applicant. CR stations willing to offer internship facilities can sign an MOU with IGNOU. In addition one/two person/s from CR station will be appointed student counselor to guide the student during Internship and assess his/her performance. Payment to the Counselor will be done separately and as per IGNOU norms. Students will be sent in groups of 4-6 and for the January 2009 Session, the internship will be held in the month of May 2009 only.
V N Rajasekharan Pillai, Vice Chancellor, IGNOU said, “In the certificate programme IGNOU has added a 10 day internship as a compulsory component of the programme to ensure that students get a first hand experience at a community radio station”. The Open University will also offer over 150 scholarships for students opting for the course. “The course will generate quality hands to operate the community radio stations. The scholarships will act as an encouragement, not only for IGNOU, but also for those who wish to learn the arts and crafts of community radio broadcasts”, Prof Pillai further said. The course has been designed with special emphasis on understanding community, assessment of community needs and preparation of programme content with community participation. As a student will have to bear the cost of travel and stay at the CR station for Internship, preference will be given to students from living in close proximity to CR stations. The Internship component of this course will be at a functional community radio station close to the student’s place of First CR in Noida goes on-air The first community radio in Noida - Salaam Namaste CRS 90.4 FM went on-air on 22nd November at the Institute of Management Studies. Community awareness on issues like health, law and order, development and social issues will have a voice in Nodia now. The licence for starting community radio had been granted to the Institute of Management Studies by the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. “On September 16, 2008 we received the grant of permission from Information and Broadcasting ministry which is a license to make the radio functional,” said Sanjay Kumar, Head of Admission and Public Relations, Department at IMS. District Magistrate, Gautam Budh Nagar, Shravan Kumar, said the services of Salaam Namaste could be used for creating public awareness regarding various issues. “Community radio will be beneficial for the city as issues pertaining to the grassroots level would be discussed by the people,” he said.
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AMARC celebrates 25th anniversary The International Secretariat of the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) organised an international Symposium entitled 25th Anniversary of AMARC: Development and empowerment through Community Radio. The Symposium was held at the McGill Faculty Club and Conference Centre, 3450 McTavish Street in Montreal, Canada. The International Symposium reflected on AMARC’s 25 years learning, and explore contemporary challenges to the Community Radio global movement. This event brought together Community Radio practitioners, non-governmental organisations, development agencies and multilateral institutions’ representatives. The participants reflected on the link between the communication processes facilitated by community radio and their contribution to achieve sustainable development, democratisation and social inclusion. The participants will also adopt the Declaration of Montreal. Through service to members, networking and project implementation, the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) joins together more than 4,000 Community radios, federations and Community radios partners and stakeholders in more than 115 countries. The principal impact of AMARC since its foundation in 1983 was to accompany and support the establishment of a world sector of Community Radios.
December 2008 | Radio Duniya
Ilanthalir Community Radio:
Voice of the Youth R
ajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD) has set up its Community Radio Station inside the campus on the frequency of 107.20 Mhz. The station named Ilanthalir (budding leaf) community radio is targeted towards adolescents, both school going and non-school going between the age group 10 to 19 years, youth of age group between 15 to 35 years and others in the community involving SHG and Gram Panchayats in and around Sriperumbudur (near Chennai). The community radio station airs various programmes that comprises of programmes on career, health, life skills, social issues, etc. This community radio station also focuses on development of communication skills for students with programmes on spoken English and self development. The transmission covers almost all the educational institutions in 45 village panchayats located within 18 to 20 km around Sriperumbudur, Kancheepuram district, and in some parts of neighbouring Tiruvallur district.
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“The mandate of RGNIYD is holistic development of youth and adolescents. Through Ilanthalir CRS we are focusing and addressing the developmental needs of adolescents. It is a CRS for adolescents, by adolescents. The entire ownership of the programmes are with them”, says Rajasekaran, Director, RGNIYD.
Objective The main objective of launching the community radio service, is to widen RGNIYD’s bond with the local community and to bring out the talent in adolescents in rural areas. The station strives to bring out talents of the adolescents in the town and rural areas by progressing and strengthening its programming. The programmes are broadcast in Tamil keeping in mind the fact that most of the people residing in and around the area speak the language. The status of community radio listenership would be higher than other community radio stations with special reference to target listeners.
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coping with emotions, etc. are recorded at the community radio station of RGNIYD.
Community Involvement in CRS
The programmes broadcast by the community radio station focuses on issues such as education, health, art and culture, sports and recreation, science and technology, employability and life skills, career opportunities. Social messages are delivered adopting various methods such as drama, song, debate and group discussions by adolescents, who write the scripts and direct the programmes. According to Radhakrisnan Nair, Project Head, RGNIYD, “Ilanthalir Community Radio Station aims to cater to the educational needs of the adolescents. It provides information to children on life skills, health and nutrition, career and other related issues and concerns of adolescent. Ilanthalir is focusing on the out of school adolescent through the teen clubs formed with the co-operation of Grama Panchayith’s and NYKS network.”
The programmes broadcast by the community radio station will focus on issues such as education, health, art and culture, sports and recreation, science and technology, employability and life skills, career opportunities. Programme Production Teachers from the schools in and around the community help the students in bringing out the concepts and ideas on various topics like environmental issues, social issues, life skills. Topics such as self awareness, empathy, decision making, critical thinking, creative thinking, problem solving, effective communication, inter personal relationship, coping with stress, 38
Since Community radio encompass of 50% community programmes, RGNIYD has planned to have programmes which are community based like interviews with Panchayat presidents, SHG (self help groups) coordinators and members. Meetings with SHG coordinators are conducted with the help of concerned Panchayat president of the village. SHG members are assembled to form teen club with their children. By identifying their talents, they are made to produce and present radio programmes in a creative manner. Programme with road side shopkeepers, vendors has been planned to carry out as Vox pop (Voice of the People) by which they get to voice their views and also communicate with others at an ample range through radio medium.
Opinion
R. Sreedher Director, CEMCA
Ilanthalir Radio station is situated a little away from Chennai city. Its clientèle will be changing everyday - from the agricultural labourer to a factory worker, since many new industries in automobile and IT sector are coming up in the area. My feeling is that at present the management is only concentrating on increasing the reach of RGNYID projects and schemes through this radio. The involvement of the community, as seen from the write-up, is peripheral and still follows the concept “I know what you want and you listen to me”. I do not think that the CR station has done any scientific mapping of the listeners in their coverage area or analysed their media needs. I wish that this ideally located CR station, with public funding, gets into action, gives shape and comes out with a plan to give ‘voice to voiceless”.
December 2008 | Radio Duniya