Radioduniya::January 2009 by Anil Kumar

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Radio Joining in the Rocking Celebration 7

January 2009 | Vol: II | Issue: 3

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Building New Bridges

Making the Right Waves 20

World AIDS Day 26

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editorial 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 email: sales@radioduniya.in Content Debabani Chakravaety Research Associate Design Team Bishwajeet Kumar Singh Chandrakesh Bihari Lal (James) Om Prakash Thakur Web Team Zia Salahuddin Amit Pal Anil Kumar Shyam Kishore Subscriptions & Circulation Manoj Kumar Editorial Correspondence Radio Duniya G â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 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

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 weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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 likes 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

It is hoped that Radio Duniya will serve to foster a growing network by keeping the community up-todate 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.

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Content

January 2009 : Vol II : Issue 3

10 Cover Story 2009 Building New Bridges

Host Talk

Enliving on Radio Santosh Gnanakar (Saggy), Radio Indigo 91.9 FM

Programming Talk

Passionate About Radio Jaideep, Programming Head, 91.9 Friends FM

Station Talk

Positively Impacting Listeners Neerja Dhillon, Station Head, Big 92.7 FM

Community Radio

Serving Community: The Holy Way P Govindaraju

6, News 1

29, 32,

y Upda

t Indusr Policy

te y Upda

t Indusr

s CR New

Special Story 7

Radio Joins in the Rocking Celebrations

Making the Right Waves

Red Ribbon Radio

26 7

Dear Sir/Madam,

Respected Editor

Thanks for sending me the 1st anniversary edition.

I wish to thank you for initiating Radio Duniya

The contents of this issue has actually covered the

Awards. As a radio professional I am interested to

entire radio duniya. What more I can say I am just

participate in the competition.

hungry for this magazine. So please send the editions well in time. Kindly start a page about work culture and

I read the article written by R K Sukla a few months ago and found it very inspiring. I wish to read such articles regularly.

responsibilities of different capacities in the private FM stations so that the upcoming radio professionals

Thanking you.

get an idea about the work and choose relevant

Utpal Datta

courses, as per there ability.

AIR, Guwahati

R.J. Virendra Dhusia - Radio ka Mukhiya

Hi,

AIR FM Rainbow, Dehradun I read your magazine at an exhibition, it was great Hi,

to know that so many things are happening in Radio. I would like to meet you to discuss an idea which could Congrats to Radio Duniya team. Your last issue

make a very interesting programme/ story.

was fantabulous. Your magazine is the only medium through which I get to know all the radio news

Wishing you all the best .

throughout the country.

Kammal Hiralal Thakur

Thanks a lot for providing us all the information

Film Director,Mumbai

about the important and happening events in radio duniya. Great Work!! R J DEVANGANA AIR FM Rainbow, Dehradun

Hello, Thanks for publishing such a wonderful magazine which compiles all the information about the radio

talk2us@radioduniya.in

Send your feedback to us at

TALK2US

industry alongwith the latest happenings around us Dear Radio Duniya Team,

in a single publication. I eagerly look forward to every issue of Radio Duniya. Thanks once again

Thanks! We wish you and Radio Duniya team a very Happy New Year and wish this new year would

Hemant Gulati

bring lots of happiness and success to you and your

Student, Delhi

team. Thanks & Regards Tarun Goyal Radio Chaska, Gwalior Hi, Thanks for the New Year greetings. Wish you a

Radio Careers Send information about job openings to

prosperous year ahead. Hope this year widens the horizon of Radio Duniya and takes it to new heights. Thanks, Zulfkar Ahmad Jammu

jobs@radioduniya.in

January 2009 | Radio Duniya

special story

Radio Joins in the Rocking Celebrations

he last week of December is a period of fun, festivities and celebrations. The week peaks up to a crescendo amidst shopping, sharing of gifts, goodies and cheer! The winter evenings are transformed into well-lit spaces for extending the fun each day. It was also an occasion for spreading the message of peace and harmony more so in the aftermath of violence, to welcome a peaceful and prosperous new year.

a chance to choose one and justify it. Depending on the response, the gifts were distributed.

The radio industry was totally caught up in this frenzy and had lined up a horde of live, happening programs to heighten up the festivities around Christmas and New Year. Big FM, Red FM, Radio City, Radio Choklate, Radio Misty, Suno Lemon were all abuzz with activities for celebrating the occasion.

Big FM Delhi celebrated Christmas in a specially different way where kids from Udayan Care Orphanage played ‘Junior Santas’ in Big FM Delhi Station and joined the band ‘Bandish’ to spread the message of peace and happiness. Big FM Kanpur followed suit with the Kanpur station joining hands with ‘Hindustan’ for ‘Bachpan’ - an initiative for underprivileged children, in which the Big FM team collected toys and warm clothes from the people of the city and distributed the same to the needy. Music was a common enlivening activity in each of the stations including Hyderabad and Indore.

In Mumbai, Big FM had three of its shows – ‘Santa ki Class’, ‘Chal Kalti Maar’, and ‘Mumbai Mach Mach’ on air to mark the occasion among which Santa ki Class was an exclusive Christmas treat. The idea was on giving tips to people on what presents they could give their loved ones on Christmas. Singers, TV stars and celebrities were all roped in for the occasion. Chennai, Gwalior and Kolkata Big FM stations also joined the party with similar shows and the mood was upbeat with Christmas carols, jokes, food and gala celebrations. Continuing with the fun mood, Big FM Bangalore saw Santa rewarding people who were naughty this Christmas. In an innovative contest, listeners were given real life situations with two options, both of which were naughty. The listener had

BIG 92.7 FM welcomed New Year 2009 with its listeners, offer ing them a well customised programming mix to ensure that listeners celebrate the season with much fun and frolic. While BIG FM’s Mumbai and Delhi Stations entertained the listeners with programme like ‘2008 Ki Last Local’ highlighting the highs and lows of 2008, BIG FM Hyderabad’s RJ Shekhar, as part of his New Year’s Resolution vowed to create awareness on Global Warming among the listeners. BIG FM Delhi also aired the ‘Longest On-Air Dance Party’ on 31 December, in which rocking and foot-

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tapping dance chartbusters were played starting from 6 pm to 3 am. BIG FM’s Kolkata Station aired an innovative ‘Prothom Dine-er Adda’ on 1 January 2009. BIG FM Indore aired a special ‘Year Ender Round Up’ in which BIG RJs discussed the key achievements of the nation, its people, and the failures of celebrities in a very humorous way. Red FM lined up a slew of shows to entice its listeners in the three metros of Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata on the occasion of Christmas and New Year.

Red FM Mumbai organised a show called ‘Santa Ki Jholi’ where the RJs attempted to describe the goodies by feeling the ‘Jholi’ and if any of the listeners could guess what was in Santa’s jholi, they had a chance of winning interesting gifts. Red FM Kolkata ran a show called ‘BajaaoYour-Ghanti with Santada’, in which Santa metamorphosed into ‘Santada’, a Bengali character. Santa paid surprise visits and rang people’s ghantis bringing in gifts and goodies for the lucky ones all of which were captured live on-air. In their show in Delhi, Red FM and Ambience Mall together had Lucky (of ‘Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye’ fame) who would be on the run and the idea was to track him down based on the clues given by the station. If listeners were able to guess Lucky’s correct location

or even give an interesting lead, the person had a chance of winning exciting gifts, Christmas hampers, movie and shopping vouchers. The festivities didn’t end here. There was an interesting line-up of shows specially designed to herald the New Year Bajaate Raho Ishtyle. Among them were ‘2008 Mein Baj Gayi Re’ – a snapshot of all the people/ things/ events in 2008 and Kisne Kiski Bajaayi! ; ‘Red FM Superhits Top 100’ - 100 Rocking, Superhit Songs of 2008 which were aired from 27th to 31st December 2008.

to act as a pressure group raising relevant issues to the authorities, we will also do our bit to spread some cheer in the lives on the people of these cities. Proceeds from all the SMS’s received along with a contribution from Red FM will be donated to a related charity towards the welfare of the victims of the recent tragedies.” Suno Lemon 91.9 FM celebrated Christmas and New Year amid much fanfare. They geared up for the festivities from the 21st of December itself. The celebrations went on-air for ten days from 21st to 31st December 2008. In ‘Zindagi Rocks’ Suno Lemon presented headline-grabbing news of the year2008 related to economics, politics, bollywood and culture. Along with the same, top-100 bollywood songs of the year were also broadcast for whole 10 days. In Zindagi Rocks people of Gwalior were asked to choose their favorite songs from five best songs of the year given to them Radio Misty 94.3 FM planned a series of shows on air to welcome 2009 and partnered with five such shows in Siliguri. On 31st December 2008, Radio Misty played hit numbers on air, to make

listeners tap their feet to the music and at midnight all radio jockeys gave live updates about New Year celebrations. Achievers from different fields of life were saluted on air. Radio Misty also joined in the New Year celebrations at Savin Kingdom, the amusement park in Siliguri. The colourful celebrations had performances by Russian Belly Dancers, Pole Dancers, Item Dancers, DJ’s from Kolkata, Track singers from Mumbai, Fire Juggler, a Fashion Show and many more exciting contests. Blue Mountain Country Club and Resorts partnered with Radio Misty for the New Year unity show. Celebrations by Radio City 91.9 FM involved innovative ‘Whatte New Year’ followed by back to back ‘Whatte Fun’ celebrations. The programme ‘Whatte Fun’ on Radio City 91.1FM, started right from the day of Christmas all the way into the New Year 2009! With ‘Achievers of the Year’, airing on ‘Whatte

Commenting on the initiatives, Anuj Singh, National Marketing Head & Station Head, Mumbai, Red FM, said, “After the recent very unfortunate events, its heartening to see that Mumbai is moving on, and while we will continue

January 2009 | Radio Duniya

Fun Mornings’ from 15th December 2008 onwards, the FM network saluted and felicitated these real-life achievers across 20 cities in India. This was done to spread the Christmas cheer with ‘Ho Ho Santa Claus’. Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM, in partnership with Reliance Mobile in Mumbai, launched a week-long ‘Happy New Ear’ contest to celebrate New Year. Listeners tuning in to Radio Mirchi and participating in the contest got an opportunity to win gifts like MP3 players, mobile phones, ear phones, headphones, ear buds, ear rings and CDs. Some randomly selected listeners were chosen as the lucky winners. Radio Mirchi, Cluster Head, Srinivasa Shenoy said, “Through our ‘Happy New Ear’ campaign we would like to extend our best wishes for the coming New Year. In the year 2009 we will continue to entertain our listeners through our innovative programming initiatives.” MY FM Ahmedabad played the good samaritan bringing warmth to the homeless in the city with the team members embarking on a door-to-door collection drive for old warm clothes covering over 4800 homes. The clothes were distributed among the homeless people on New Year’s Eve. The initiative was supported by Tata Indicom, Timbor Cucine, and Corporation Bank. The collection drive, apart from door to door collection also comprised pick-up points at several city landmarks and media displays in college campuses, local hangouts urging people to donate winter clothing for the underprivileged. The collected clothes were washed and restored for distribution on New Year’s Eve.

bring cheer to the poor recipients of the winterwear but also the citizens who have contributed freely to our noble initiative. It will surely spread the good cheer and warmth in Ahmedabad this New Year and we are proud to be the agents of this service. At MY FM we believe that we can be the vehicle of change and the Ahmedabad team has really proved that MY FM’s heart and soul belongs to the people.” With the world becoming a global village, Christmas and New Year are now celebrated everywhere. It’s an occasion for spreading good cheer, caroling, feasting, celebrating our love with family and friends and gift giving along with the prayers and wishes - Christmas is celebrated with high spirits. All these moments reminds one of childhood days - the days of ‘innocence’. Radio Choklate 104 FM, thought of celebrating this Christmas with innocence, which was symbolised by ‘Bachpan’. A programme called ‘Bachpan Ka Christmas’ was designed where celebrities of Orissa from all walks of life were roped in to share and talk about the many Christmases gone

by when they were young, about what they did, what they miss and what they wish to revisit to make life a beautiful bundle of joy. The Rourkela station came up with an innovative idea to parade out seven ‘Chota Choklate RJs’ aged between 5 to 10 years as Baby Santas with loads of gifts and chocolates to be distributed to the underprivileged, poor destitute children, to promote the feeling of kindness, and spread good cheer. Thus, Team Radio Choklate captured the essence of Christmas on air with a bang! To sum it up, the radio industry made a wonderful effort to enliven the occasion of Christmas and New Year for the people and more importantly shared the message of oneness, compassion and kindness which is so much a part and parcel of the ‘Celebrations’!

Commenting on the initiative, MY FM’s COO – Harrish M Bhatia said, “As a socially responsible radio station, we believe we can do our bit to society. This initiative should not only help

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cover story

2 0 0 9 Building New Bridges

As the sun set on the horizon on the last day of 2008, radio stations, across the country, took the opportunity of taking stock of the things that they achieved in the foregone year and embarked on achieving the goals set for the next year which included connecting to more listeners, being more socially relevant and setting new benchmarks for the radio industry. The radio stations shared with Radio Duniya their reflections on the past year and their dream plans for the next year i.e. 2009. Here is what they had to share with the readers of Radio Duniya

January 2009 | Radio Duniya

Reflections of 2008 “2008 has been very rewarding to us as we launched our Rourkela station. We had already launched our Bhubaneswar/ Cuttack Radio station and the Rourkela station launch was a great achievement for us. Another highlight of 2008 was that we were able to generate more listeners as well as advertiserments. So, 2008 was both rewarding and challenging for making us look forward to 2009.”

Monica Nayyar Patnaik Director Radio Choklate 104 FM

Dream Plans for 2009

“What Radio Choklate stood out to achieve, that of interacting with the audience, has been achieved and now the name 104 is actually on people’s lips. So, it can be said that Radio Choklate is really catching up”.

“In 2009, we want to improve and retain our position. We are also producing and concentrating on backward integration of content generation, which means totally local music which would be in Oriya. This will be implemented in both the stations to reach to Oriya

“In all radio stations of the country raised the standard of the radio industry in the year gone by, connected to newaudiences, set up new stations, initiated new programmes and in the coming year, they plan to march ahead with renewed energy and vigour.”

Reflection of 2008 “It was a year of great music and great radio, for Radio Indigo. With a more focused approach to interactive and relevant programming, Radio Indigo has established itself as a key entertainment destination for the global Bangalorean. From college students to corporates and from teenyboppers to CEOs, the city’s response to its new shows, RJs and music has been overwhelming.” Jayyant Bhokare Chief Operating Officer Radio Indigo 91.9 FM

Dream Plans for 2009 “2009 will see more excitement and fun on 91.9 FM and in particular, the station will get closer to the hearts of Bangalore and celebrate Valentine’s Day in February with the best international love songs ever and cheesiest and worst pick-up lines in the history of love. The station will continue to do its bit for Planet Earth and as part of its

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listenersOur main activity in 2009 would be on marketing and producing indigenous local content for each station. So the journey is expected to be really exciting. We plan to launch more FM stations in Orissa to spread wings to other areas of the state”.

ongoing intiative, Indigo Goes Green, Radio Indigo will ensure Bangalore pitches in as well, with month-long themes on a number of environmental issues, as well as a station campaign on World Environment Day in June.”

Of Lasting Impact “Radio Indigo is committed to preserving the environment and has taken upon the mantle of spearheading eco-awareness in Bangalore. Indigo Goes Green is an on-going initiative and tackles issues that need to be addressed”. “Be it cutting down on air pollution or reducing the usage of plastic, Radio Indigo will be there to ensure that the city does its bit to protect the environment. This year, Radio Indigo vows to bring back the ‘garden’ to the ‘garden city’!”

Amritendu Roy Head Radio Business 91.9 Friends FM

Reflections of 2008

Dream Plans for 2009

“After our launch in February 2007, we had no way of gauging the success of the unique product which we had created in the Kolkata market. 2008 saw the introduction of RAM in the market which gave us fruitful results reinstating our belief that the differentiated product we had created was a winner. We had strived from day one to become the most preferred channel amongst Kolkatans in SEC AB 20+ and we would continue to strive for success in the coming years”.

“We believe that good content, both existing and newly created, would deliver maximum satisfaction to the listeners and keep them loyal to our channel. In 2009, our pursuit is to get associated with music related events and deliver our commitment to audiences as a channel that understands the musical taste of its audiences”.

Haryaanvi signature tune won the Radio Duniya award for the best signature tune; followed by awards from regional institutions. Towards the end of the year, Radio Mantra was ranked as number 1 radio station in all the 5 cities (Agra, Bareilly, Varanasi, Gorakhpur & Jalandhar) amongst SEC ABC, done by IRS”.

Kanwar Sameer National Programming Head Radio Mantra 91.9 FM

“We introduced humour capsules, retro music based night show, annual properties like Top 100 best songs of the year countdown and musical events like Daandiya, Salaam-E-India, Dhol Diwali, etc. Through these events, not only our Jocks got an opportunity to interact with the listeners in person, it also gave us an opportunity to give our radio stations a physical presence wherein listeners could see, interact and feel the brand”.

Reflections of 2008 “2008 was surely a great year for Radio Mantra as it was great to see our plans taking the real shape. First anniversaries of all the 8 stations kept us busy and involved throughout the year. The entire year was very well punctuated with some great innovations, awards and recognitions. The first one came in the month of February when our

“End of 2008 we even launched our ‘Hat Ke Jeene Ka Mantra’ campaign. The campaign basically emphasised that we at Radio Mantra do things differently and so should our listeners. This is reflected in our programming as well as in our BTL activities. For example on Friendship Day, while the other radio stations played contests giving out gifts and dinners for your friends, we

at Radio Mantra invited the city to join us in celebrating Friendship Day with those who have no friends, with the old, orphans and the underprivileged”. “Not only did we show solidarity after the 13/9 and 26/11 attacks by changing our content, programming, songs, etc. but we went a step ahead and got the relevant authorities come on-air and spread the much needed words to stay calm and composed during turbulent times and be assured of their safety too”.

Dream Plan for 2009 “Plan for the year 2009 is very simple though not so simple to execute. Apart from retaining our position, we will be focussing on further improving our programming as per the city’s requirement and taste”. “We would like to come across as a ‘potent medium’to our listeners and clients rather than to be taken as just another radio station which is into contests, games and prizes. We are looking forward to the ministry’s nod on having our own content for news & current affairs which will surely help us in achieving the aforesaid”.

January 2009 | Radio Duniya

Reflections of 2008

Abraham Thomas Chief Operating Officer RED FM

“2008 saw Red FM consolidating its position and reiterating its brand positioning, content and marketing appeal to audiences across classes. Our on-air and marketing innovations established us as a source of some serious entertainment content! Some of the highlights were the Bajaate Raho Awards, which were taken on-ground for the first time in a glitzy awards night, this was also the first time that the event was televised, paving the way for further content syndication for other media. The year also saw a unique integration with Bindaas TV with the show ‘Bindaas Live powered by Red FM’ which reflects Red FM’s bold and brazen attitude. So while our listeners were transcending media, we were also doing the same while keeping them engaged in our brand”.

Dream Plans for 2009 “We have a lot of exciting plans charted out for the coming year like expanding

Reflections of 2008 “2008 was a year of experience, as we were new in the market. We started Suno Lemon 91.9 FM with ‘Imaan Ka Asar’, a radio reality show. During 2008 Lemon started various social campaigns ,i.e. Ladki koi cheez nahin hoti (anti-eve teasing campaign), jash-e-zindagi(AIDS week), ‘gao beta gao’ (music week), earth week(quiz competition among participants and various issues were risen by RJ’s to save the earth)” Ruchi Singh Chauhan Director Suno Lemon 91.9 FM

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“At the end of April, Lemon came up with a new radio reality show ‘Ab Ayega Mazza’. It was a talent hunt and got fabulous public response. People of Gwalior are very fond of music and we received six lakh messages which

the brand beyond radio through content syndication and brand integration. We would also like to see radio’s share in the ad pie rising to double digits and that is only possible with consolidated efforts, towards building awareness for the medium, of all the players and the industry bodies such as AROI”.

Of Lasting Impact “All our programmes such as Red Mike, Bajaao for a Cause, Awaaz Uthate Raho, Bajaate Raho Awards, Prayaas, etc. offer the common people of the city a chance to express themselves on the station. When terror shook Mumbai, Red FM offered its airwaves for people to express themselves and vowed to act as a pressure group and take the people’s voice to the right ears. We will also work towards sensitising society towards certain issues, which need a voice, through our ‘Bajaao for a Cause’ initiative, which stands for not only raising issues that matter but also driving action”.

proved that ‘Ab Ayega Mazza’ was liked by people. People cherished the starting of ‘radio play’. Lemon brought back old memories with the starting of ‘Baanwra man’, a radio play”.

Dream Plans for 2009 “The year 2009 will be an year of more innovations and more competition. As FM radio is quite mature, people also understand FM radio programming deeply. With the starting of 2009 Suno Lemon 91.9 FM is planning to start new series of Radio plays and also make it a regular feature. Lemon is a youth based station. So our prime target is to cater to the youth. From time to time we come up with new innovative ideas and would continue to do so in the future”.

Reflections of 2008

Nishant Mittal Chief Executive Officer Radio Misty 94.3 FM

“It was a wonderful year for Radio Misty which looked forward to new ideas and innovations to connect to listerners. As the motto of Radio Misty is local people - local voice- local station - local choice, we dedicated this whole year to listeners’ choice. We partnered with events in North Bengal from book fairs, theatre festivals, musical concerts, sports and other activities. Radio Misty partnered with BBC and Radio Netherlands worldwide. We also started a website to connect to listerners. All throughout the year, celebrities from Bollywood, Tollywood, fashion and sports were heard live at misty studios. In addition, two marathon races were partnered by Radio Misty. The biggest event of the year was Police Friendship Cup, jointly organised by Radio Misty, Jalpaiguri and Coochbehar Police. Besides several unique mementos, a ball signed personally by football legend Maradona and Baichung Bhutia was given to the winning teams. This year Radio Misty team had many special on air shows including live

Reflection of 2008 “ We are extremely happy with the way 2008 has gone. With the launch of our two new verticals, Planetradiocity. com- our music portal, and Radio City Connect, our activations division, Radio City 91.1 FM has acquired its pride of place in the radio industry.

Ashit Kukian EVP & National Head – Sales Radio City 91.1FM

2009 comes with a set of challenges which will force advertisers to be very prudent about their spendings and increased usage on specific media vehicles which deliver high ROI and be focussed on delivering high value consumer segments. I think Radio City with its SEC AB TG and large metro presence will benefit from this micro

from mobile studios during Durga Puja and other on air contests in which cash awards, mobile phones and other goodies were given.”

Dream Plans for 2009 “We believe that 2009 will be a wonderful year for us. Radio Misty Sikkim 95 FM will be on air this year, which will be celebration time. We also plan to start new innovative shows and on ground activities this year. Para football tournament will be a big event”.

Of Lasting Impact “We will empower the listeners to design the Sikkim station. In Siliguri a listener’s survey will be started, where we will redesign all shows according to listeners’ wish list. Music in all stations will be according to listeners’ wish list. A lot of social activities as part of corporate social responsibility will be on. We will start with blood donation, eye donation camps for the underprivileged children this year”.

marketing and we will continue to build on this promise along with consolidating our BTL and digital presence.”

Dream Plans for 2009 “2009 is not going to be an easy year for any industry. If the several initiatives being planned by the government play out and the economy does get a boost, we are seeing a recovery as early as April 2009. I think it is a great opportunity for not just Radio City but the entire radio industry to reiterate the medium’s effectiveness and high ROI for brands wanting to use micro or localised marketing as a strategy to manage the slowdown.”

January 2009 | Radio Duniya

Anil Srivatsa Chief Operating Officer Meow 104.8 FM

Reflections of 2008 “The radio industry has closed the past year with many reality checks, both good and bad. An easy medium to operationalise but not as easy to monetize, excessive investment in people and machine added to the pressure. In spite of this, it was a great year for radio in terms of its reach, ad market share, ROI for advertisers in a time of tough economic crunch. For

the consumers of radio, it turned out to be a great buffet serving a variety of content sans the basic music. Meow 104.8 FM (from the stables of The India Today Group), as a pioneer, took the arrows in the chest with a truly differentiated format but was able to achieve, in a very short time, a fiercely loyal audience, a place in the minds of advertisers who put their money where their appreciation was (and this tribe is growing rapidly). A good part of the year was spent in launching 5 of the 6 operational network of Meow 104.8 FM starting in Jan with Mumbai and ending it with the launch of Patiala in August 08.”

Dream Plans for 2009 “2009 is the first year when the network of 6 stations will be in full operational strength and what we look forward to is a greater emphasis on strategic marketing initiatives that will ensure our increased sampling and listener retention. We will evolve in our programming mix to be more relevant than before to our listeners lives through innovative content development, be good partners with the advertisers to innovate for them on radio through programming that

Reflections of 2008 “2008 has been a fruition of a dream since the launch of Chennai Live in July by the Muthoot Group and the response has been terrific.Bringing back the magic of radio to our listeners has been the most satisfying aspect of the whole venture”.

Dreams Plans for 2009

George M George Managing Director Chennai Live 104.8 FM

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“Looking at what we have achieved in the brief 6 months and looking forward into 2009, I must comment that the team is all geared up to face the challenges that lie ahead. I think its all positive as the recent

will include, cutting edge conversations and interactions, an eclectic music mix, cost efficient community development for effective and efficient ground activations; all with an unmatched conviction to see this plan through.” “Our format is inherently socially relevant. Through our programming we will remain in context with social issues, causes and knowledge sharing. Programmes like Kiran Bedi’s ‘Top Cat’ empowers the common woman/man to face the system of governance, ‘Medical Meow’ takes health care issues to the people in a manner never experienced before, ‘Mama Meow’ strives to enable and support the high expectation placed on parenting that has a direct impact on the children who are the future of this country. Shows like ‘Tu Tu Meow’ and ‘Meri Meow ‘ gives expression to a pent up opinion poll on the state of the society today. In addition to this, we will continue to translate the on-air experience to on-ground events with our cause based activities like the world AIDS day, Walkathon for Breast Cancer, the Golden Ovary award (to celebrate women of courage), and more to look forward to in the coming year.” economic slowdown has offered us new opportunities. We have a whole new set of programming opportunities bringing in content never before heard on Indian Radio”. “We have always believed in the direct connect between radio and the city. We relate to various issues that are of relevance to the people of Chennai. We are in the process of undertaking various events and social causes that touch the lives of millions of people in the city. We want to be more than just a radio station. Our passion leads us to becoming an institution rather than just a medium. Its not just music, it is all about walking the ‘talk’ for us”.

news Sonu Niigaam and Raju Singh Live on Air

industry update who were from Israel. He confessed that Israel is one of his most favourite places and he visits the country quite often. Another listener, Shirish sang

‘Main Agar Kahoon’ from the movie ‘Om Shanti Om’ for Sonu while strumming the guitar.

Listeners Get to Meet Shah Rukh Khan with Their ‘Jodis’

reigning King of Bollywood Shah Rukh Khan this afternoon at the Yash Raj Studios in Mumbai.

5 lucky listeners of 94.3 FM Radio One, along with their better halves, got a chance of a lifetime to meet the

The station ran a contest titled ‘Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hain’ based on the recently released, hit Bollywood movie,

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. Over 100 couples called in to participate, of which 5 lucky couple winners were chosen by a Radio One panel of judges to have exclusive time with King Khan himself. Says Vehrnon Ibrahim, National Director Programming, 94.3 FM, Radio One, “Bollywood content, trivia and music is a mainstay of Radio One’s programming based on the huge interest of our urban audiences in this industry. This sort of contest offers the ultimate reward to Bollywood and SRK fans by giving them the opportunity to experience a really special, once-in-alifetime kind of moment of meeting a screen idol with their special someone, making it truly unforgettable.” Adds Raj Gopal Iyer, Station Head, West, “ Urban audiences who are strapped for time and looking for instant gratification appreciate contests such as these, which make them a great value proposition for both the listeners and advertisers.”

Radio City 91.1 FM - Mumbai’s , ‘Whatte Fun Mornings’ hosted by RJ SinghChana featured a live interview with singer Sonu Niigaam and Music Director Raju Singh for their track ‘Soniyo’. Sonu Niigaam and Music Director Raju Singh interacted with listeners onair and reminisced on their early days of working together adding that they might work together on an album next year. Raju Singh shared the fact that he found it wonderful working with Sonu since he brings the music alive with his creative rendition and hallmark variations. After the live on-air interview, both Sonu and Raju met and interacted with over 10 lucky listeners. Sonu was especially touched to meet two listeners

January 2009 | Radio Duniya

host talk

Enlivening On Radio Santosh Gnanakan, popularly known as Saggy has been in media for 12 years now. He has his stints in almost all forms of popular mediums including print, web journalism and television. Saggy has been in radio for 6 years now, and is currently with Radio Indigo 91.9 FM. Saggy is also a musician. He loves travelling and eating out. He loves cricket and believes that his profession in the radio industry is part of ‘God’s Master Plan’. He is really an interesting personality and it is his witty and funny nature that catches on to his listeners.

What made you choose radio hosting as a career? It was brand new for a lot of us and it seemed like an exciting option. I’m always open to a new adventure. Have you tried a crocodile steak? I have. From Print and Web Journalism to Radio, how did that happen? After the dotcom bust, a lot of us were looking for interesting jobs. The radio industry was just about opening up and a few of my friends had already moved into the country’s first private FM station. It’s one of those things that just happened. Part of ‘God’s Master Plan’!

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always something I’d wanted to do. Having grown up in Bangalore, I was surrounded by international music and it’s always been my musical of choice, as is with many Bangaloreans. With most of the radio stations in Bangalore moving towards a regional format, it was only natural I would find myself at Radio Indigo sooner or later. And besides, I live a few minutes away from the studio and it did seem pretty convenient! Tell us something about your Sri Lanka experience. How is it different from your experience in India? As you would imagine, it’s a lot more laid back in Sri Lanka and, when compared to Bangalore, it was a lot easier to access a beach! The radio industry has been around in Sri Lanka for a while and everyone found and established their own space. As far as I can remember, no one really cared too much about the ratings! The station I worked for, Yes FM 89.5, is a top-class outfit. Most of the older and established radio stations in Sri Lanka still use CDs and CD players in the studio and that was quite an experience – walking into my show with my playlist on a printout and a huge box filled with CDs! It was quite unnerving at first, but I eventually got the hang of it! I was also a familiar face on national television in Sri Lanka - I hosted a breakfast show and a late-night music show - and that made the experience even more exciting.

‘, There’s nothing like a healthy shot of life to make you sound good on air!

What according to you are the essential qualities that a radio host should possess?

How did you get roped in by Radio Indigo 91.9 FM? Being the only station that plays 24/7 international music in India, it was

Apart from a decent voice, you need to have an interesting personality. That’s something you have or you don’t. Wit, again, is something you’re blessed with or not. The worst thing on air, apart from a bad song (which you won’t hear on Radio Indigo!) is a jock trying to be funny when he/she isn’t! I always tell

aspiring RJs to go experience the world outside the studio and then get into radio. There’s nothing like a healthy shot of life to make you sound good on air! Talk about the fun part in your breakfast show. What’s its USP? Apart from a rocking playlist, that features the biggest new and classic international hits, it’s the chemistry and energy I share with my co-host Meghana that makes the show interesting. We could be discussing office politics, cycling to work or even arranged marriage - it’s the chemistry that makes the show. I’d have to add, however, that my humour is a huge draw. For my mum, at least. Te l l u s s o m e t h i n g a b o u t y o u r c a m a ra d e r i e w i t h yo u r c o - h o s t Meghna? She’s hard to get along with, so it’s always a challenge. No, I’m kidding. What makes us sound interesting is that we’re two very different personalities on air - I bring the humour and fun to this relationship. Again, I’m kidding. Somewhat. Oh man, I’m dead! Meghana is a sweet girl. Somewhat. Your most memorable moment on air, hosting a show? I announced my wife’s pregnancy on air in Sri Lanka and for the rest of the show, the studio phone lines rang non-stop with listeners calling in to congratulate me. I felt like I’d won a Grammy! Does your dual role, as a creative director and a radio host, complement each other? It certainly tires me! But seriously, having seen both sides of the programming room, it’s that much easier to ideate and execute plans. If a jock tells me that something can’t be done, I know when he or she is bull-s*****ing!

January 2009 | Radio Duniya

‘

I felt like I’d won a Grammy!

How do you manage your time between music and radio hosting? Since radio hosting involves a lot of music, I try to sit in silence for as long as I can, when I’m outside the studio. Usually, this involves locking myself in the toilet at home. I pick up my guitar and strum whenever I can. I’m a part of the band at my church, so that keeps me in touch! Does hosting a particular slot matter much to you? It doesn’t really matter – each slot has its share of listeners and they’re all important. At this point, however, realising that the battle is won or lost on breakfast, I’m keen to stay on breakfast for a while. Where do you see yourself in 10 to 15 years from now? In shorts. On a beach. Wife in one hand. Guitar in the other. Plate of grilled prawns waiting for me at the beach cottage.

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Snapshot Queries: Passion in life My wife and two daughters.

Love listening to Sound of thought in my head.

When not on air... I am playing with my two daughters.

Love watching Any cricket match that involves India

A radio host -born or made Born

Would love to be marooned on an island with... A genie who grants me all my wishes.

Live by the mantra Do I have a mantra?

My epitaph would read Here lies a funny man.

Dream about Holiday, anywhere not close to the office

special story

Making The Right Waves

hen the story of terror attacks in Mumbai broke, there was much talk of news spreading through television channels, blogs and social network groups. Details of the siege were reported minute by minute by people witness to the carnage. Radio however, instantly acted to the crisis that brought the events into immediate focus. As the siege was taking place, radio stations went all out to maintain calmness and harmony among the people of Mumbai. Radio as a matter of fact have an edge over other mediums of communication as they can cater to people who are on the move.

United for Peace India found another strong voice of protest, when all FM players and

listeners of Indore were brought together by 94.3 My FM in an unprecedented show of strength and solidarity against terrorism. Held on 30th November, this initiative saw the entire radio fraternity and listeners in the city coming together to observe a candlelight vigil in support of the Mumbai terror victims and martyrs. At a time when people were numb with fear after having helplessly watched the terror unfold in Mumbai, the My FM team at Indore made an effort to shake people out of this stupor. The initiative ‘Radio United for Peace’ brought multitudes out of their homes to demonstrate brotherhood and unity for the nation, with each lighting a candle of hope. Hundreds of people lighted candles at Hotel Fortune Landmark as a mark of respect to the victims of the Mumbai terror attacks and observed silence for 30 seconds while the radio stations went off air. The highlight of this event was that for the first time in the history of Indore, all 4 radio stations in the town and their listeners were brought together by 94.3 My FM to stand united against terror.

More than 1000 citizens from various age groups and profiles took part in this candlelight vigil. The station’s initiative, once again, demonstrated the enormous power of radio to act as a community leader. Ex p re s s i n g h i s t h o u g h t s o n t h e activity, 94.3 My FM Synergy Media Entertainment Ltd COO Harrish M. Bhatia said, “This initiative was a strike back at the terrorist activities and our fellow radio stations also joined our cause. I appreciate the effort of the entire Programming Team which took up this initiative that brought all competitors together to shoulder our responsibility as an effective and active media player.”

‘Enough is Enough’ The radio stations in Mumbai went an extra mile in serving as an interactive platform for listeners to express their anguish about terror attacks. Red FM launched its campaign ‘Enough is Enough’ in which the airwaves were thrown open to Mumbaikars and the music on-air was reduced to accommodate flood of calls from

January 2009 | Radio Duniya

Army’ on air. ‘Big Citizen Army’ was launched with an objective of training the citizens enabling them to face any kind of calamity and to support a safe, alert and fearless Mumbai. The RJs also played their part, mobilising listeners to join in the movement. The radio station had various civic authorities and well trained personnel, trainers in first aid, disaster management, security services and many more from different walks of life, to speak about relevant issues during the seige. people. The callers included victims, their families, eye witnesses, staff members of the hotels and everybody else who wanted to speak about their experiences, send out a plea, express anger or demand answers for their unanswered questions. The recent act of bravery by Mumbai Police in the crisis hour was lauded by Red FM. As a part of this initiative, Red FM urged Mumbaikars to extend their gratitude to the Mumbai Police by going up to them (if they wish to) and thanking the policemen. Commenting on the initiative, Anuj Singh, National Marketing Head and Station Head (Mumbai), Red FM said, “Our police force has done a commendable job in handling the most delicate, difficult and precarious situation and valiantly rescued a large number of people. Red FM stands for not only raising issues, but also driving action, and through this initiative, we salute our brave men for their display of courage during trying times the city has seen.”

Nahi’ campaign wherein they urged each and every Mumbaikar to join in and speak up. The ‘Halla Bol’ movement

launched the ‘Big Citizen Army’ on air. Veteran and well known poet and lyricist Javed Akthar along with movie star Raveena Tandon took the lead at the radio station to inspire the ‘Big Citizen

Commenting on Big FM’s role on the issue, Neerja Dhillon, Station Head – Big 92.7 FM said “Big Citizen Army is a ‘movement’ of people, by people and for people initiated by BIG FM. This initiative will activate a complete movement in the city not only creating awareness, but creating a feeling of responsibility and alertness. In keeping with the brand proposition, the Big Citizen Army will help in bringing people from all walks of life together in making the city a safer and fearless city to live in.” The radio station in official collaboration with security & medical aid service p r ov i d e r, ‘ To p s l i n e L i f e’ a i m e d

Halla Bol Big 92.7 FM, Mumbai, undertook a special drive to urge each and every Mumbaikar to join them and speak up against terrorism. The started the ‘Halla Bol- Ab Chup Rehne ka Waqt

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at training the entire city through workshops at various colleges, corporate offices and housing societies. The workshops comprised of presentations and interactive sessions with trained personnel which aimed at empowering each and every Mumbaikar to face such situations better equipped.

be taken by civic authorities.

Wajid Ansar i, Sr. V ice President from Topsline also commented that exuberance of youth combined with a sense of responsibility can help mobilise any response much faster than normal. As in any medical condition, be it an accident or a heart attack, an action within the first 30 minutes can affect saving of lives hugely. And with emergency situations increasing, it is imperative that Young India take on the mantle of providing life saving measures, thus helping save lives. At Topsline we live by this motto “We Save Lives”

In keeping with the sombre mood of the city, the station dropped its usual fun and frivolous segments such as Ghanta Singhs, Fataafat Films and Humour Segments. With a promise of not forgetting lessons of the tragic incident and bringing a positive change, the station continued to give a chance to city’s residents to voice their point of view. Radio One recorded and played messages from over a thousand people

Championing the cause of unity and action through its slogan “One Spirit One Mumbai” the station also highlighted Mahatma Gandhi’s message of “Being the change you want to see in the world”.

who called in with support messages. Celebrities such as Rahul Bose and Abhay Deol visited the Mumbai Fataafat show to speak about their experiences and point of view about the inhuman terror strikes. Programming Manager Malini, who was at the Express Towers next to the Trident Hotel was stuck for an entire night before escaping and coming in straight to the studios, shared her story. Malini’s show featured original compositions by local artists with their sentiments on the terror attacks. Drawing from inspirational blogs such as Suketu Mehta’s where he encouraged people across the world to visit Mumbai and in doing so gave the best possible answer to terrorists by beating their purpose of damaging the economy and life. Says Raj Gopal Iyer, Station Head West, Radio One, “In times such as these, we at Radio One believe that being united is the best way to express strength. Citizens of the city are looking for information on ways in which they can channel their feelings constructively. Radio One’s efforts have been focussed on providing them this avenue, by inviting them to speak their minds on air and by sharing their thoughts through this month.”

One Spirit One Mumbai Following the horrific attacks on the city of Mumbai on 26th November, 2008 , 94.3 FM Radio One, immediately made adjustments in its programmes to address the concerns of citizens allowing them to express their sorrow ,anger, shock and frustration over the lack of security and protection provided by existing political machinery. A fortnight after the attack, the station continued to act as a watchdog by airing views of the city and action that has to

January 2009 | Radio Duniya

programming talk

Passionate About Radio It’s almost been 13 years since you joined the radio, How do you see this sector evolving? In the beginning, the first thing that struck people about FM radio was the clarity of transmission. And that is by far the most important reason for the immense popularity of the medium. Just at a time when CDs had begun to reach the common people, here was this radio transmission that emitted crystal clear sound. I’m talking about ’93 / ’94. It was unbelievable – you were actually getting clear stereophonic sound on the radio! Some said it was better than CD quality sound. And those were the first signs of the re-awakening of the medium. Over the years a lot has happened – RJs have taken the place of radio announcers, music is tested by robust market research techniques and then played (it’s not about the presenters’ choice). Spools, Cassettes, CDs, Turntables, etc, have now been replaced with broadcast software which is pre-synchronized and plays everything automatically as per the data one feeds in them. Sure, radio is evolving but I feel from a content perspective we complain too much – saying we’re not allowed to do this or that. I think there’s a lot more to be done even along the rules and regulations that we operate. As radio programmers we need to explore that to the full. Say something about your journey here so far? Well, I’ve been lucky to be at the right place at the right time. I’ve also been fortunate to have been an on air talent for a sizeable portion of the time I’ve

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With over 13 years experience with Radio, Jaideep is a pro at his job. He started out as a RJ in Kolkata, and moved up the ladder as programming head within 6 years of joining the radio industry in Lucknow, and then to Delhi. With half a decade of experience as programming head in different stations, he joined 91.9 Friends FM in August 2006. His strategy has been to emphasise on appealing to niche listeners. His strategy proves to be working quite well with listeners in Kolkata. Understanding the pulse of the listeners and being professionally responsive is his guru gyan!

, ‘ I’d like to see 91.9 Friends FM to be a way of life for everyone in Kolkata

out of the box thinking. After discussing several formats, we came up with the thought that irrespective of hits of today and yesteryears, the music that one relates to most are the songs that one hears during one’s growing up years. So we decided that if we’re targeting a terget group of 22 plus, we need to play them the songs that they could relate to, and get nostalgic about. Also, the 22 plus terget group was thought of since it showed that radio was targeting the youth, and there was a sizeable adult population yet to be tapped. Therefore, we took the call of not playing current music at all, and building upon the ‘Nostalgia’ factor. Apart from the music, the jock profile was kept slightly more mature, mixed with a very informal tone of speaking. spent in Radio. Being an RJ is the best training you can get to be a radio programmer. It teaches you a lot and most importantly it teaches you how to handle and train ‘on air talent’, who are arguably the most important people in a radio station. Also, I’ve always believed radio is more about operations than creativity. Overall, it’s been a dream come true to work professionally in an area that I’m also deeply passionate about. Being part of a great team like Friends FM makes things only better. What has been your strategy behind conceiving programmes in Friends? Like any other city, the radio scenario in Kolkata was cluttered. All stations sounded the same and played the same type of music except one, who focused more on Bengali music than the others did. Most of these stations had been on air for 3 years at that time and we were the 6th station to be launched. In that type of a scenario one had to do some

Say something about the idea of differentiated content? There’s not much that I can say about this except that I feel the phrase ‘differentiated content’ is on its way to becoming one of the major clichés of our times. I really can’t understand what we mean when we say ‘we have differentiated content because we are a total Bollywood station or ‘….. because we are a current hits station’, or, ‘………. we are a station for the young generation,’ or ‘……………. because our tagline says so and so’. People even use fancy jargon as ‘……. We are differentiated because we are a pure Adult Contemporary station’. But for the listener, all these stations sound just the same! Who are we trying to fool in the name of ‘differentiated content’? I think more than us programmers, let’s leave it to the listeners to talk about ‘differentiated content’, and tell us what they think about it.

January 2009 | Radio Duniya

Tell us the story behind the interesting and intimate tag line-’Bondhu Tomar Janyo’. When we spoke about nostalgia and addressed the way our jocks would communicate with listeners, we thought that this station comes across as an old and trusted friend – someone whom you would open up to – someone who gave you confidence. And therefore, the ‘Bondhu Tomar Jonyo’ (Friend, for you) tagline came into place. Which age group or which segment of niche listeners do you seek to befriend? Firstly, with a ranking of No. 1 in SEC AB, 20+, doesn’t make us a niche station at all. So we don’t cater to any niche segment. But yes, we have a TG of 22+, and the RAM results have not only shown that we’ve excelled in our TG, but also penetrated beyond that. How is Friends FM different from others in terms of programming and reach? As I said, I don’t want to make any tall claims about ‘differentiation’, its best the listeners of Kolkata answer that!

independently, I didn’t want to let that slip. We took a few risks (not playing current hits at all is a major risk to take!), but believed in ourselves and today we have a station that we can be proud of.

not to lose what we’ve already achieved. Nothing will please me more that being No. 1 overall – maybe I’ll make that my next ‘personal’ target! And with the fantastic team and atmosphere we have here, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be able to achieve that. I’d love to see 91.9 Friends FM, become not just a popular radio station, but a way of life for everyone in Kolkata. But having said that, we’re not unhappy with what we’ve achieved so far.

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How do you position yourself in a large, ever-expanding radio industry? Currently we’re a single station set-up, and we’ve been concentrating a lot on improving the numbers in Kolkata. So, for now, we’ll keep doing that. But we’re glad to say, we’re currently the most successful single station act in the country. The RAM figures back this statement. What’s your vision in terms of content for the future for 91.9 Friends FM?

Well, personally, I play it by the ear. Listener tastes and preferences keep changing, so we certainly need to be up to the challenge. But for now we’ll continue doing what we are. Yes, I would love to push overall ratings for our station though we need to be careful

Being an RJ is the best training that you get as a radio programmer.

Which show(s) in Friends most popular? (Max 2 shows) I wouldn’t like to single out any show – all our shows have done well and have achieved or are close to achieving leadership status in our TG. What is it that you had in mind when you conceived it? Nothing much really – it was a bit of a personal challenge too. I’ve been in the business for quite a while now and like everybody else seen many ups and downs. So when I had the opportunity of contributing towards designing the programming strategy of a radio station

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special story

Red Ribbon Radio M

ore people than ever before are living with HIV and new infections continue. AIDS is a serious long term condition and people living with HIV often face discrimination. West Bengal State AIDS Prevention & Control Society and Radio Mirchi took a step to make a difference in the lives of a few children who, at a very young age are suffering from the disease. Kids who are suffering from the disease themselves or their parents have it, were between 5-12 years. They were invited by Radio Mirchi for a studio visit. Famous band ‘Prithvi’ performed at city spots and red ribbons were distributed among the people. Chennai Live 104.8 FM of Chennai dedicated the World AIDS Day (Dec 1st) to children by spending the day with AIDS affected kids of Shelter Home, Egmore. In an effort to add color to the lives of these little ones, the station hosted a fun filled event with the presenters of Chennai Live who entertained the children. Speaking on the occasion, Prem Kumar, Station Head – Chennai Live 104.8 FM says, “At Chennai Live 104.8 FM we

believe in doing things that impact lives in a different way, By this initiative on ‘World Aids Day’ our Chennai Live team feels glad to make the little ones smile which is the greatest gift one can give to anyone and we are very glad that we managed to make a special day for them” HIV – the dreaded threat of today’s world has become a very serious issue, taking a lot of lives everyday. ‘Suno Sunao Life Banao’ being the motto of Big 92.7 FM, the Bhubaneswar Station ran a twoweek long AIDS Awareness Programme along with Concern India to bring basic awareness among the masses. On World Aids Day they organized an open debate on the topic, ‘HIV: A Burning Issue’ where youth from Bhubaneswar participated in great numbers. In line with the year’s theme for World AIDS Day (Take the Lead, Stop AIDS. Keep The Promise), BIG FM Hyderabad and APSACS (Andhra Pradesh State AIDS Control Society) pledged to keep the promise of leading the efforts to fight AIDS by launching ‘Take The Lead’ campaign in

colleges. The announcement was made on the eve of the World AIDS Day by RV Chandravadan, IAS, Project DirectorAPSACS. Also present, were renowned Music Director Chakri and Film Actor Nikhil (Happy Days and Yuvatha). Chakri

took the lead to instill enthusiasm in college students and composed a slogan for the campaign. The day also saw first-of-its-kind debate on AIDS held on Radio, students from SP College debated on topics like ‘Safe Sex, Sex with one partner, being preventive is uncool etc. The debate was moderated by BIG FM’s Swapna and actor Nikhil. Commenting on BIG FM’s role on the issue, Swapna Sundari, Regional Programming Head (South) – BIG 92.7 FM said “As a responsible medium, it is our duty to take up the challenge of educating the city about the deadly virus.”

January 2009 | Radio Duniya

station talk

Positively Impacting Listeners It’s been two years that you are working with Big 92.7 FM. Tell us the story of your journey so far. Why did you take the plunge to Radio?

Vans, innovative Meet and Greets, at work meets and lots more. A truly Wow experience for the listener on air and off air too!

From my earlier stint at B4U, Procam till the current role, I have closely worked on the Brand. Be it the B4U Music promotions or the launch of the Hindi Movie channel, to closely working on the Standard Chattered Marathon media wing, it has been a fantastic journey. Being part of the launch team at Big FM has been a great learning. The move to radio was a natural progression. Radio is an exciting growing medium, the potential was multifold, and being part of the launch of the largest radio network in the country was a big draw. The role of Station Director Mumbai is great as Mumbai is one of the most dynamic and crucial markets in the country and offers the best opportunity!!

What do you consider your major achievements to be? What challenges did you face in executing your plans?

Marketing has been your forte all along. Can you give us an idea about what kind of marketing and brand activation strategy have you incorporated so far in Big 92.7 FM?

Mumbai is our focus but we do concentrate on the 20-35 age group. From Josh Mornings at 7am which kick starts your day with hi energy entertainment to Timepass Afternoons at 12 noon to Chillax Evenings at 5pm….the programming and music on the station is as per the mood of the Mumbaiite. It is what they need when they tune in to radio at different times during the day. The late night show is all about love with K.

The launch phase was the most dynamic with a high decibel campaign coupled with a 360 degree promotion across the entire network. Brand management at the corporate office focused on communicating with the listener via different touch points and on-ground activation was a strong focus point for us. We have had great successes with properties like ‘Sing with Sonu concert’, ‘Radio Olympiad’, ‘Association with Lalbaughcha Raja’ ‘Chipak ke Jeeto’. Radio is a very local medium and across the key cities we are connecting with our listeners via Live Radio Booths, OB

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Being part of the Brand team that launched 45 stations in a period of less than two years has been a great learning experience and achievement. Using Street Level Marketing and development of formats that are innovative and touch the listener in the simplest manner has been a great experience. Who are your core group of target listeners? Can you elaborate on the shows planned with them in mind? How important is the time slot of programmes?

What is the strategy behind getting more advertisers? How has their response been? Service leadership and excellence in execution is our focus as a brand. We at Big FM provide brand solutions for our customers. As an industry leader

Neerja Dhillon, Station Head of Big 92.7 FM, Mumbai, has been with Big for more than two years now. She is a seasoned pro at brand marketing and had important roles to play in planning, communication and brand promotions. She had been associated with big names lke B4U in the past and brings loads of dynamism and experience to Big FM.

we have had support from our clients from the very beginning and each relationship is valued and brands have stayed with us, with new relationships being built daily. As you have worked in both, radio and television, our readers would be very interested to know about your experiences in both the media forms? Kindly elaborate on the similarities and differences in each of them. Radio is a local, here and now medium. The excitement of a live medium is completely different than television. The daily adrenalin rush and the power to positively impact the listeners’ life on a daily basis is irreplaceable.

Mumbai being one of the fastest and most vibrant cities of India, do you think the city has a different feel to it? If so, what is the strategy that you employ in tapping your listeners as compared to other cities? The Mumbaiite is always on the go and despite always being on the move, daily routine is part of life. We provide the upliftment of mood whenever a listener tunes in. Our content and music focuses on staying with the listener mood throughout the day. You being a woman and working in such a responsible position, have you faced any gender discrimination in your journey to the top? Is the situation is different for a man and a woman ? No, it’s been wonderful working in the media industry especially Big FM. Our company focuses on meritocracy and performance; gender has never been an issue. The very fact that our Senior VP - Sales and Station Heads of three of our key metros are women speaks a lot of women empowerment at Big. So there is no discrimination or gender bias.

What would be your major areas of focus, in terms of brand building, marketing strategies and programming, in the coming year? In the coming year we will continue to be listener focused, extremely local - our music and content will deliver humour and fun with a twist…truly Life Banao for our listener! We have some exciting music properties coming up and our Halla Bol (Mumbai Citizen Army) initiative will continue till January.

‘,

The whole nation was in a state of shock over the recent terror attacks in Mumbai. Do you think popular mediums like the radio has a proactive role to play in such trying times? If yes, please elaborate how? As I said earlier, radio is a very local medium with an ability to provide extremely local information to the consumer. We were constantly providing updates to our listeners live from the three venues and hospitals as well. Helpline numbers were immediately posted on our website and also were given out on air. Our RJs were constantly taking listeners on air who wanted to express their views and vent their feelings. Radio being a very intimate medium, people can relate to it and speak their mind out. Post the attacks; we have launched ‘Halla Bol’, A Big initiative. ‘Halla Bol’ saw people from all walks of life like Rahul Mahajan, ad film maker Prahlad Kakkar, singers Shaan and Adesh Srivastava, Dr Mangeshkar who was one of the hostages, students from various colleges and Mumbaikars who had come in to contribute their bit to the initiative. The focus of ‘Halla Bol’ was to not just blame different authorities but to prepare them for any future mishaps. We have collaboration with Topsline Life Security services to create ‘Big Citizen Armies’ in the city via training camps in offices and colleges. Workshops and presentations

Radio is a local, here and now medium.

on security and medical aid during such disasters and calamities by trained personnel are done. The entire response to this initiative has been tremendous in terms of listener call ins, listeners who are coming forward to be a part of this and make a difference. It’s completely in sync with our brand proposition of Life Banao! What are your views on radio stations airing news? As mentioned, Radio is a medium which can be consumed when one is mobile, when one is travelling or when one is out of home. Airing news on radio should be allowed, as radio is the only medium which can inform people about any crisis or calamity with very less lead time.

January 2009 | Radio Duniya

news

industry update Swarathma - Launches Debut Album Bangalore based Hindi band, Swarathma, winner of Radio City 91.1FM’s RC Live, launched their debut album - ‘Swarathma’. Unveiled through an evening of music, revelry and a live performance by Swarathma themselves. The launch of the band’s self-titled debut album was a sparkling affair with Music Director duo VishalShekhar in attendance. Speaking on behalf of the band, Jishnu Dasgupta, Bass Guitarist, Swarathma exclaims, “This album is the first thing in our collective lives that we’ve given our everything - more than 100%, of our time, effort and emotional energy. It’s been the most creatively draining and yet enriching experience ever. We believe in taking our voice to the masses and Radio City has helped bring this dream alive!” Commenting on the album, Vasu Dixit, Lead Vocalist, Swarathma adds, “The eight songs on the album - our babies, have put us through so much that looking back at the journey almost hurts. It was a lot like marrying and moving in with the girlfriend of many years – you get to know her deeper and closer than you thought possible.” Close on the heels of their album launch, Swarathma will be touring across India, taking their music to audiences across the nation.

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Akshay Ke Saath Patang Udaao! Red FM, celebrated ‘Makar Sankranti’ with a bang as Red FM listeners got a chance to fly kites with Akshay this Makar Sakranti! Red FM’s association with ‘Chandni Chowk to China’ offered lucky Red FM listeners a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fly kites with their favourite Khiladi. Fun and craziness was truly at its best with the presence of Red FM RJ Malishka in her chirpy avatar. Splashing the big blue sky with vibrant Red FM kites, the winners and the stars celebrated the colourful festival, with a lot of energy and excitement. The ambience ensured sheer fun and laughter for everyone present. Speaking on the initiative, Anuj Singh, National Marketing Head and Station Head, Mumbai, Red FM, said, “Bollywood forms an important pillar of Red FM’s on-air programming. This unique association with T-Series, along with Warner Brothers, Ramesh Sippy Enterprises and People Tree for the film Chandni Chowk to China is our way of bringing exciting Bollywood content for our audiences.”

Radio Choklate Dates A.R. Rahman Radio Choklate designed ‘Taal Se Taal Mila’, a special programme on A.R. Rahman’s birthday. A special 4 hour musical package on air was dedicated to his music, composition, his instruments, his songs, his movies as a birthday gift to musician Rahman because he is the reigning pulse of Indian music. This programme celebrated the journey of Rahman from his childhood to this day. In order to tap his huge fan following special contests were held for listeners on every show, with huge life size posters as gifts to his fans. There was more in store for the

listeners and fans, as Radio Choklate held a grand concert in the heart of twin city of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, giving a platform to his fans to come on stage and sing Rahman’s immortal numbers along with best singers of Orissa’s movie industry. To commemorate the living legend on his birthday in true choklaty spirit, a huge piano was placed on stage with life size cutouts of Rahman to make the people feel his presence with his live bytes being played at background and to top it all, a huge cake in the shape of 42, his age, of 104 kg depicting the frequency was cut by the smallest fan present on stage and distributed to the public.

Radio Misty Joins Gold Cup Football Radio Misty partners with Sukna Gold Cup Challenge Football Championship which starts off on Saturday to promote local talents. The tournament was organised by the Sukna Games and Sports Association at the Sukna playground on the outskirts of Siliguri. This is the fourth year that the tournament is being organised in which 20 teams will participate. The teams are coming from across the region, Calcutta, Sikkim, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. “This year Radio Misty has joined hands with us to create a big buzz” said Suren Pradhan, the secretary of the association. Teams like Kanchenjunga FA, SSB Ranidanga, Mahananda Sporting Club, Bhutan’s Tr a n s p o r t U n i t e d F C , Nepal’s Mechi FC, Morning f c , Ba n g l a d e s h , Mo h u n Bagan are taking part in this tournament. Radio Misty Chief Executive Officer Nishant Mittal said, “This tournament is very popular in this region. We are happy that we are with them. Radio Misty will air live updates from venue.”

R J R i s h i Ho s t s S h ow s f ro m Campuses BIG 92.7 FM in its endeavour to reach out to the youth in the city, is partnering with a host of leading college festivals. Beginning with the NM College festival ‘Umang 2008’ earlier this year, successful partnerships were extended to Mithibai College’s ‘Kshitij 2008’, Jaihind’s ‘Talaash 2008’ and Sydenham’s festival ‘Brouhaha 2008’. As part of its youth connect initiative, the station hosted its very famous and much loved afternoon game show ‘Chal Kalti Maar’ with RJ Rishi from the campuses, while

Songs Captivate Listeners Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM organised ‘Suryvavukaga Oru Song’ Contest at at GRT Convention centre Chennai where 12 enthusiastic participants sang their favourite Vaaranam Ayiram Songs! These twelve participants were short listed out of 250 contestants based on auditions that happened over two days at the Studios of

Radio Mirchi. Sriranjani Sridhar and Aishwarya captivated the audience with their rendition. The contest lasted for 2 hours with the last contestant Balaji singing the folk number ‘Anjale’!! Actor Surya was particularly impressed with the way Aishwarya performed ‘Anal Mele’. Aishwarya was declared the winner and Balaji and Sharat walked away with the runner up awards. The session ended with a Surya’s group photograph with all participants and the winners.

covering various aspects of the festival. The game-show saw full participation from the students who came forward in large numbers to play the game and speak their mind. The interactions made for excellent on-ground connect with the target audience while making for superb on air content, with students discussing subjects ranging from sports, music, careers and much more. Speaking about the partnership, Neerja Dhillon, Station Director, BIG 92.7 FM - Mumbai said, “The city college festivals provide us with a great sampling opportunity wherein we can reach out to newer audiences hence helping us increase our listenership base.”

January 2009 | Radio Duniya

‘ In d i a n Oc e a n’ c o m e s f o r w a rd t o e n c o u ra g e ‘Manthan’ Fever 104 FM hosted the second in series event, ‘Fever Off The Record’ held in the capital. The chosen band for the month, Manthan, joined the internationally acclaimed band Indian Ocean in the jamming session and enthralled the audiences with their music. Speaking on the occasion Neeraj Chaturvedi, Station Head, Fever 104 FM Delhi said, ‘The performances by Manthan and Indian Ocean were truly impressive. It was hard to believe that Manthan is an upcoming band. They exhibited an immense range of talent and I hope we continue to discover such fresh talent in this city.’ Amit Kilam and Asheem Chakravarty of Indian Ocean express their excitement as, ‘It was one of the unique opportunities to perform with such a talented band. We are glad to partner in promoting Delhi’s talent and would like to congratulate Fever 104 FM on their attempt to recognise original Hindi music brilliance.’ Prashant Tamang in Sikkim The winner of Indian Idol 3, Prashant Tamang and two other finalists Parleen and Deepali visited the studios of Sikkim’s first and only private FM Station – NINE on 91.9 FM on December 20, 2008. Prashant was on a visit to the state when he listened to NINE FM and expressed his wish to visit the Station. The trio spent more than an hour with the entire NINE team. He was on air for around 30 minutes and shared his views and future plans with the listeners and motivated the upcoming talents of the region. He also revealed his plans of releasing his new album as a New Year’s gift for all music lovers. In the evening, he interacted with a large number of fans who had gathered outside the studio of Station Nine on 91.9.

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news Policy Initiatives of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting T h e M i n i s t r y o f In f o r m a t i o n & Broadcasting has taken several policy initiatives and operational measures to ensure smooth flow of information to the masses as well as quality of content and reception of telecast signals on the electronic media during the year. The major initiatives are regarding Policy on Internet Protocol TV, Digitalization of Cable Services, Head-end-in-theSky (HITS), DTH Service, Satellite Radio Service, FM Radio, Community Radio, 54th National Film Awards, 39th International Film Festival of India, Azadi Express, Public Information Campaigns, Print Media Policy, Revision of DAVP Rates for Advertisements, Revision of DAVP’s Advertisement Policy. The recommendations of the TRAI on satellite radio were considered and a draft policy was prepared by the Ministry and referred to TRAI for further recommendations. TRAI’s recommendations on the Draft policy have since been received and Government is in the process of coming up with its views on the same. A draft Content Code formulated by the Committee with Secretary I&B as its head to review the existing Programme and Advertising Codes was posted on the website of the Ministry. After considering the response from broadcasting organizations, Civil Society groups, Consumer Forum etc., the Committee submitted its final report to the Government on 5.3.2008. Fo r t h e T V c h a n n e l s, T h e Ne w s Broadcasters’Association (NBA), a representative organization for the TV news channels, submitted its Code of Ethics and the guidelines for the Disputes Redressal Authority to the Ministry.

policy CCEA approved the proposal of Prasar Bharati as Host Broadcaster and PIB as Press Organ for coverage of Commonwealth Youth Games Pune 2008 and Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010.

Political Advertisements on Radio The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has amended the All India Radio Code allowing political advertisements.

For the FM radio, the Cabinet approved the grant of permission to the FM broadcasting companies for creation of subsidiaries, and merger/demerger/ amalgamations of companies by way of transfer of shares in partial modification of the policy on expansion of FM Radio Broadcasting services through Private Agencies (Phase-II). Total 241 private FM Channels are operational in 83 cities of the country. A total amount of Rs.1609 crores received by way of licence fees from private FM Channels, including Rs.40.5 crores during the current year. The Government has also conveyed its views on FM Phase III policy to TRAI and sought for its recommendation. The Policy on Community Radio was liberalized during the year to bring in the civil society and voluntary organizations also under its fold. Earlier, only educational institutions were permitted to set a community radio. The policy has been modified by the government with a view to allow greater participation by the civil society on issues of development and social change.

Accordingly, such advertisements will be allowed to be carried on All India Radio but would also include FM radio also since they too adhere to the AIR Code. Such advertisement shall be subject to pre-broadcast scrutiny by the Election Commission of India/authorities under the Election Commission of India during the period when model code of conduct is in operation.

January 2009 | Radio Duniya

Discord over Royalty Continues

Political Advertisements on Radio

Radio channels and music companies are still locked in a tussle over royalty despite repeated interventions by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry. The last meeting like several others preceding it also failed to break the deadlock between the radio channels and music companies. The main issue of contention is over the amount of royalty fees.

On December 12, 2008, a meeting was called by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry between the music and radio industries along with the Registrar of Copyrights and Secretary, HRD, to start a cumulative process for nationalising music royalties for radio. Music royalty has been a contentious issue for quite sometime and the meeting is the first step towards attempting to solve the issue of royalty between music industry and FM radio.

Music companies like Saregama India, Sony BMG Music, Universal Music, Tips Industries, Venus Records and Tapes, and others demanded that royalty fees be doubled from the current rate of Rs 660 per hour while FM operators argue that the amount asked for by the music companies is too high. At present, radio channels pay nearly Rs 100 crore as royalty to Phonographic Performance Ltd, which represents major music companies and if the music companies’ demand is accepted, FM operators will end up paying nearly 50 per cent of their annual revenue as royalty, says The Association of Radio Operators in India (AROI). The music companies say tunes and lyrics should be treated separately and FM channels should take licence for both as playing either without licence amounts to copyright infringement. The AROI on the other hand, says the levy for different genres of music — like film music, classical music, etc. — should be different and the fees should vary according to the revenue generation capacity of channels. “All FM channels should not be weighed on the same scale. So the squabble continues. The Information and Broadcasting Ministry, however, is hopeful that a compromise will be reached and the matter will now be presented before the Copyright Board on January 28.

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The meeting was attended by Subho Ray, President, IAMAI; Bhushan Kumar, PPL IPL CEO, Big Music; Prashant Pandey, CEO, Radio Mirchi; Rahul Gupta, Head of AROI’s Music Royalty Committee; Uday Chawla, Secretary, AROI; Anand Chakravarthy, Senior Vice President - Marketing, Big FM; Harish

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Bhatia, Business Head, My FM, along with the Registrar of Copyrights and Secretary, HRD. AROI’s Rahul Gupta said, “The music industry and radio industry has a bit of difference on the royalty issues and it has been difficult for both sides to discuss the issues. There had been numerous attempts on the part of the radio industry. The I&B Ministry had called for a meeting to encourage both parties to talk rather than meet in court. It encourages an amicable solution and gets the parties on to the negotiating table. The Ministry got a perspective from the radio and music industries. The radio industry explained their issues related to unrealistic content costs, which the music industry expects us to pay. Resulting from this meeting, FICCI has offered to offer a forum for negotiations and talks between the two groups.”

station launch

Radio One Launches Kolkata Station Radio One 94.3 FM, has rolled out its 7th station in Kolkata thereby completing its metro foot print. Radio One has further announced a sales alliance with Radio Misty 94.3FM for Siliguri and Gangtok as part of its East package which will be sold jointly. ‘Our aim is to provide listeners a certain local flavour at the same time focussing on the metro nature of our brand’, said Vehrnon Ibrahim, National Programming Head, Radio One. Radio One is following its ‘all rounder’ talent model in Kolkata just as it did with its Pune and Ahmedabad station that function with not more than 12 people totally. This is now becoming the industry norm as city costs need to balance out especially in times of lowered revenues. We believe that it’s the quality and not quantity of people that make a radio station great. We believe that with creative people like Shekhar leading programming and a resourceful sales head like Azam leading sales in Kolkata under the able leadership of Rajeev Bhandari, Station Head, North and East, we will be able to provide listeners what they need in Kolkata without making the station quantity heavy, Said Vineet Singh Hukmani.

Serving Communities: The Holy Way Community Radio, a truly people’s radio, perceives listeners not only as receivers and consumers but also as active citizens and creative producers of media content The backdrop The power of community radio lies in its participatory nature, as both its content and technology are people-oriented. Community broadcasting provides news, information, cultural content and entertainment to communities defined by geographical location or common interest. The diversity of programme content available through community broadcasting, broadens the media choices available to listeners and customers. In India, it almost took a decade for the Government to allow community radio institutions to function at the community level. However, even before the cabinet approval in November 2006, individuals, groups, civil society organisations and non-governmental organisations were involved in running community radio institutions within the prescribed legal framework. The instances of Namma Dhwani, SEWA Radio, Helwel Vani and many others reveal an inherent trend of the community to come together and make their voices heard. The Kutch Mahila Vikas Sangathan was an initiative in Bhuj, Gujarat that used the medium-wave broadcast channel of All India Radio (AIR). As far as the ongoing initiatives are concerened, the Pastapur initiative of the Deccan Development Society of Andhra Pradesh is one that uses the rich oral tradition of the community, and is managed entirely by Dalit women. Alternative for India Development (AID), Bihar, which has a radio initiative

in Daltonganj, in the Palamau District of Jharkhand, uses purchased air-time from a local AIR channel. Namma Dhwani, the VOICES initiative in Budikote, Karnataka, cablecasts programmes, made by the community members themselves, right into their homes. Some of the most recent community radio initiatives include, Charkha’s Pechuwali Man Ker Swar in Ranchi, SEWA’s ‘Rudi no Radio’ in Gujarat and Agragamee’s ‘Ujjala’ in Jeypore, Orissa. Institutions like One World South Asia, The Population Foundation of India are also involved in establishing several community radio networks in India, especially in states like Orissa, Bihar and Rajasthan. Holy Cross Community Radio Holy Cross Community Radio was launched on 26th December 2006 as a new initiative of Holy Cross College, Trichy. In the initial phases of establishment, Holy Cross Community Radio was available on 90.4 MHz frequency and the channel had eight hours of transmission (including repeat transmission) a day. It reached in and around ten kilometers of Holy Cross College. The target audience of this radio initiative were the women from Dharmanathapuram and Jeevanagar areas, which are the major slum areas in Trichy. One of Holy Cross’s favourite programmes ‘Pudhiya Jananam’ was initiated on 19th June 2007. Pudhiya Jananam, meaning new birth, buttresses community awareness through interactive

programmes on health, hygiene and other factors of daily importance. Pudhiya Jananam, also called as ‘Science for Women’s Health and Nutrition’, is supported by the Rashtriya Vigyan Evam Prodyogiki Sanchar Parishad (RVPSP), Department of Science and Technology, Government of India and implemented by Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA). A case study conducted by Holy Cross The article is a compilation of a case study that focused on the reach and access of the Holy Cross campus radio to women in Trichy and its role in the community development of the local slums. The study adopted both qualitative and quantitative research methods for the collection of data. The study is based on a survey that was carried out with the help of an interview schedule. Apart from this, two focus group discussions with the women of Dharmanathapuram and Jeeva Nagar area were also executed. Simple percentage and cross tabulation methods were used to interpret and analyse data. Methodology The study was carried out during the month of May 2008. The universe/ population of the case study were the women from Dharmanathapuram and Jeeva Nagar area. Out of a total population (of the two slum areas) of more than 1000, 170 respondents were chosen as the sample. The study was based on a survey research method using a purposive random sampling technique to select respondents. An interview schedule was prepared and administered personally at the residence of the respondents. The households were selected by using simple random sampling method i.e., the nth number

January 2009 | Radio Duniya

respondent from each street. In case of the non-availability of nth number respondent, the researchers approached the next house hold. In order to make the case study more relevant and contextual, two focus group discussions were adopted. The focus group comprised of women respondents from the study area. Separate focus group discussions were held at Jeevanagar and Dharmanathapuram. In each group there were twelve women respondents. The specific aspects taken up for these discussions included the frequency of listening to Holy Cross community radio, the type of programmes preferred by the respondents, usefulness of this programmes, the frequency of participating in radio programmes, the likes and dislikes about a programme, additional programme requirements, the impact of the Holy Cross community radio, etc. The facts that emerged from the discussions were recorded, the verbatim of which was later transcribed to be added to the findings of the study. Survey findings The data revealed that 27% of the respondents participated in the Holy Cross community radio programmes. According to some women, Holy Cross’s radio programmes increased their self confidence, generated awareness about pollution, health and hygiene and helped in their personality development. 38% of them felt that ‘Pudiya Jananam’ was the favourite radio programme. Findings of the study reveal that most of

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evening hours and another 4.1 % of them listened during the night hours. 2.4% of them listened to the radio during afternoon and another 1.8 present of them to listened to radio during the morning, afternoon and night.

the families living in the two slum areas live under narrow circumstances. They look forward to hearing more about skillbased programmes to overcome their financial difficulties.

According to Table 2, most of the respondents (38.3%) felt that ‘Pudiya Jananam’ is the favour ite radio programme in Holy Cross community radio. 17.1% of the respondents wished to listen to both ‘Pudiya Jananam’ and ‘Intraiya Special’. 6.5% of them desired to hear ‘musical’ programme and 3.5% respondents

According to Figure 1, majority (65%) of the respondents listened to Holy Cross Table 1. Respondents’ radio listening schedule Time of Radio listening Frequency Percentage community radio (37% of the respondents in Morning 86 50.6 Je e v a n a g a r a n d 2 8 % Afternoon 4 2.4 Evening 7 4.1 of the respondents in Night 8 4.7 Dharmanathapuram). 35% All-time 42 24.7 (13% of the respondents Morning, Afternoon and 20 11.8 Evening in Jeevanagar and 28% Morning, Afternoon and 3 1.8 of the respondents in Night 170 100 Dharmanathapuram) of the respondents did not listen to Holy liked ‘Intraiya Special’ only. 34.7% Cross community radio as they preferred of them did not listen to Holy Cross other radio broadcasting services to community radio. Holy Cross community radio. Figure 3 manifests that 27% of the Figure 2 delineates that 60% of the respondents (18 respondents from respondents opted for radio programmes Jeevanagar and 28 respondents from that aired songs, 39% of the respondents Dharmanathapuram) participated did not have any programme preference, in the Holy Cross community radio one respondent preferred the phone in programmes and 73% of the respondents programme and one respondent wanted did not participate in the same (67 to know more about beauty tips. respondents in Jeevanagar and 57 respondents in Dharmanathapuram). Table 1 shows that the majority of the 25% of the respondents participated respondents (50.6%) listened to radio in in Pudia Jananam programme and 2% the morning, 24.7 % of the respondents of the respondents participated in the listened to radio all Table 2. Respondents’ favorite community radio day long, 11.8 % of F a v o r i t e p r o g r a m m e s i n Frequency Percentage the respondents community radio 59 34.7 l i s t e n e d i n t h e Do not listen community radio Music 11 6.5 morning, afternoon Pudhiya Jananam 65 38.3 and evening. 4.1% Intraiya special 6 3.5 of them listened to Pudhiya jananam & Intraiya 29 17.1 100 170 radio during the special

Interview programme. (See Figure: 4) Table 3 indicates that 34.7% of the respondents did not listen to Holy Cross community radio. About 32% of the respondents agreed to the statement ‘Holy Cross community radio created awareness about the pollution prevailed in their area’. 5.9% of the respondents strongly agreed to it. While 12.9% of the

respondents refused the factor and 1.8% of the respondents strongly disagreed to the same. 12.4% of them remained neutral. About 44 % of the respondents accepted that the Holy Cross community radio created awareness on epidemics and child health in their area and 5.9% of them strongly accepted it. 12.9% of the respondents stayed neutral, while 2.4% of them showed their disagreement in the factor and only one respondent among them (.6%) strongly disagreed to the factor. About 22% of the respondents agreed that the Holy Cross community radio created awareness on AIDS/ Cancer among the women in those slum areas and 4.7% of them strongly agreed to it. 21.2% of the respondents maintained neutrality on the issue. 14.7%

of the respondents Table 3. Respondents’ favorite community radio programmes Changes Awareness Awareness Awareness disagreed to it and Area developments of of of AIDS/ of Human 2.9% of them showed and awareness pollution epidemics Cancer (%) rights / (%) in and child Women’s their disagreement of the their area health (%) Laws (%) towards the factor. respondents A b o u t 1 8 % o f Don’t listen 34.7 34.7 34.7 34.7 the respondents community strongly refused radio Strongly Agree 5.9 5.9 4.7 3.5 t h a t Ho l y Cro s s Agree 32.4 43.5 21.8 7.1 12.4 12.9 21.2 21.2 c o m m u n i t y Neutral Disagree 12.9 2.4 14.7 15.3 radio has created Strongly 1.8 .6 2.9 18.2 awareness about Disagree 100.0 100.0 100 100.0 H u m a n r i g h t s / Total believe it. We gathered them all and W o m e n’s L a w s among women. 15.3% of the respondents made them listen to the programmes. All disagreed to it, 21.2% of the respondents of them were surprised to hear our voice stayed neutral and 7.1% of them agreed in air and they congratulated us. We felt to it. Only 3.5% of the respondents very happy at that time. It motivated them and they came forward to present agreed to the proposition strongly. programmes.” Geetha (39), Jeevanagar, during the discussion stated, “I have Focus Group Discussion The Focus Group discussion revealed participated about 20 times in Holy that Holy Cross radio sensitised many Cross community radio programmes, people living in the two communities such as story telling for kids, beauty tips, of Jeevanagar and Dharmanathapuram and cookery tips. I prepared the script slum areas, about nutrition, health and and delivered it on my own. I could sanitation issues. Though during the handle the microphone efficiently.” discussion, a few members of Jeevanagar expressed that the radio signal they Conclusion received was of low clarity, and there Most of the respondents, according to was some disturbances in the frequency, the study, opinionated that Holy Cross yet people from Dharmanathapuram community radio initiative has fostered felt that the community radio was more local participation and awareness informative and they get a clear idea generation. 44% of them accepted about what is AIDS, health and hygiene that the radio programmes created and how to keep their surroundings awareness on epidemics and child health care in their area, 22% of them clean etc. agreed that the radio programmes Justine (29), Dharmanathapuram, created awareness on AIDS/Cancer. during the focus group discussion said, Results of the survey and fall out of “I have participated four times in radio the discussion also reveal that some programming. I narrated some science people living in the two communities fiction stories and gave some tips for of Jeevanagar and Dharmanathapuram maintaining skin during summer. After slum areas face resource constraints that presenting programmes in Holy Cross debar them from engaging themselves FM, we shared our experience with in any form of community initiatives family and relatives, but they could not whatsoever. Dr P Govindaraju Professor and Head, Department of Communication, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli. email: p_govindaraju@yahoo.com

January 2009 | Radio Duniya

news Including the Excluded: Community Radio for the Disabled Ramana Voices is a unique community radio (90.4 MHz) which works for people with disabilities, and has been on air since October 2008. Following a community radio workshop held before the launch of the station at the Shree Ramana Maha Rishi Academy for the Blind, and organised by Voices, for people with disabilities, the participants learnt and prepared a programme interviewing one disabled person. This programme was subsequently broadcast on All India Radio. The listeners were so moved by the feature that many called in to get connected to the person in the programme. There was also sufficient interest generated among the listeners to help the people with disabilities. At the workshop, the participants, interacted with Kumar, a person who became mobility challenged after he met with an auto accident. His story of struggles, challenges and subsequent triumph over his disability inspired many people in the workshop. The participants put together a story and an interview with Kumar, which was broadcast on AIR. Several listeners of the programme were moved by his story; they helped to pool in resources which enabled Kumar to pick up the threads of his life again.

Au d i o Do c u m e n t a t i o n o f Na t y a Sangeet Ganpatrao Mohite, the legendary actor-singer, better known as Master Avinash, shared his experences on his 101st birthday on January 1, 2009, in a programme produced by Radio FTII (90.4 Mhz). The programme, ‘Bandhat Sada Pyara: Master Avinash’, is based on Master Avinash’s biography, which will be aired as a series of 25 episodes. The

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episodes will focus on the era of natya sangeet in Master Avinash’s words and will be an attempt in audio documenting the illustrations of the days gone by. The series has been written by Madhu Potdar and directed by Sanjay Chandekar, while the music has been composed by Smita Late, Nilesh Kawle, Neha Deshpande, Vaishali Jundre, Manoj Chandekar and Avinash Hiddugikar.

Community Radio in Gulbarga The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has granted permission for establishing a community radio station to Sharanbasaveshwar Vidya Vardhak Sangha, an NGO based in Gurbarga, Andhra Pradesh. The community radio station is expected to be operational in three months as per the agreement. With this, Handbook of Community Radio. Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio a n d C o m m u n i c a t i o n ( B N N RC ) has published a Community Radio Handbook for Good Governance a n d De ve l o p m e n t t o m e e t t h e needs of various stakeholders of the community. It i s a w e l l c o m p i l e d b o o k containing information on diverse aspects of technical and management skills,procedure, prospect, sustainability, working environment, interest issues, culture, socio-economic status, problems and prospects of community radio and should be of interest to all stakeholders of the community including concerned policy makers, donor agencies, regulatory, technical and monitoring committee members, and people from the administration. The Community Radio Handbook should also delight the readers as it would give them a get better

the number of community radio stations in the country will go up to 39. Co m m u n i t y ra d i o i s a social space wherein people from different communities can express themselves, share their views and particularly empower women, youth and marginalised groups to take part in local self governance and overall socioeconomic and cultural development of the area. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting especially encourages community radio stations, because along with indigenous knowlege being disseminated through radio, it can also be a mode of informing people about different developmental initiatives of the Government. This ensures transparency and accountability in the system which in turn promotes the implementation of development schemes.

understanding of the relevance of community radio in poor communities; the broad applicability of community radio to a range of sectoral activities such as health, rights, education, livelihoods, and conflict prevention; the need to deepen the capacity of community radio broadcasters at all levels to conduct effective monitoring and evaluation.

Lalit Lokvani- Voice of the People. ‘Lalit Lokvani’, a village community radio is all set to be operational in UP. It is a joint initiative of a Sai Jyoti Gramudyog Seva Sansthan (a non-governmental organisation) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The range of transmission is 15 kms and it is expected to reach around 60 villages comprising 1 lakh people. The programmes will be produced by the villagers themselves and therefore, quite expectantly there is a palpable sense of excitement among the villagers. Those selected for the production of the programmes have been provided technical training in reporting, researching, programme production, and broadcasting. As part of their capacity building exercise, they have prepared programmes on local culture, festivals, development, women and health issues. “Community radio is the real voice of the people, it is a communication service that caters to the interests and needs of a certain area, its culture, craft, cuisine and above all social and development issues,” said Mridul Srivastava, the Station Director of ‘Lalit Lokvani’. According to Augustine Veliath from UNICEF, “The Government of India made a policy of issuing private community radio licenses for 5000 stations in November 2007. This made it possible for registered non-government organisations to enter the field. UNICEF saw the potential of this medium and selected Lalitpur, one of its integrated project districts for setting up the maiden community radio station.”

Co m m u n i t y ra d i o - A So u rc e o f Sustenance Community radio has provided a new lease of life to the Dalit women of Pastapur. Their inspiring works have even found mention in books and

documentaries on the subject. This Community radio is an initiative of the Deccan Development Society

which started way back in 1996. It reaches a 30-km radius and covers up to 100 villages. The radio airs programmes on gender, education, agriculture, health, music, local culture, weeding and cropping and brings out the indigenous knowledge of the communities to the fore. UNESCO has also supported the station as part of its ‘Women Speak to Women’ project. The Communication for Social Change Consortium has produced a video documentary, ‘Women of Pastapur’ on the subject of traditional herbal medicine. These poor Dalit women of Pastapur have found respectable jobs as reporters,

camera-persons and in other roles in the Community radio stations. As one woman enthusiastically observed, “If we had not learned to operate the radio, we probably would still have been daily labourers. Now, there is more respect for us in the community. Today, everyone recognises us. They say, ‘Hey, they work for the radio.’ Earlier no one noticed us.” To say the least, these women have found their cultural identity, their source of livelihood, and are on their way to achieving autonomy and self reliance for themselves as well as their communitiesall, thanks to the community radio.

FM Channel for the Students Something exciting awaits the students of Gujarat University! The University is aiming for a channel exclusively for its students after it recently received approval from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Union Home Ministry, giving it permission for a commercial frequency. It would be a channel ‘for the students’, ‘of the students’ and ‘by the students’. To star t with, GU (Gujarat University) will soon have a fourhour broadcast, on 90.8 FM. This is a commercial frequency, which will also give the University’s community radio a slot for advertisement which will help it to sustain itself. As Vice-Chancellor of GU, Parimal Trivedi said, “The station can be selfsustaining and will not have to depend on university grants. We have been given permission of a commercial time of 10 minutes in an hour. Eight months after the announcement of community radio, GU is final getting started with the nitty-gritty of launching the FM channel. “The station will cover a radius of 10 km covering close to 200 colleges that are situated in the city. We are planning broadcast for four hours in the first phase and will increase the duration when needed” . The University has also started looking into technical details. This includes acquiring the equipment, setting up the studio and planning programmes. “We plan to have three types of programmes, purely academic, infotainment and city history and heritage. The delivery of the programmes involves faculty members and students from various affiliated colleges and eminent personalities from the city,” Trivedi added.

January 2009 | Radio Duniya

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