[HCDX]: FM radio in India

["Mike Brooker" <aum108@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

>From today's edition of the Times of India...when I visited India in 1995 FM
was still a novelty, available only in major cities such as Delhi and
Bombay.

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Meet on radio, FM

By A Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: Top broadcasting companies of the country and some from abroad
have converged in the Capital for a three-day conference on FM Radio. The
objective of the conference, being jointly organised by Exhibitions India
and the Radio Group, is to look at the various aspects of broadcasting now
that the government of India has cleared the entry of private players into
FM broadcasting.

The conference was inaugurated by executive director, Bennett and Coleman
Private Limited, Arun Arora, on June 12.

The event is expected to create mass awareness about the potential of FM.
The conference will provide policy inputs for further streamlining the
recently implemented FM broadcast policy of the Union Government.

The government's July 6, 1999 decision to allow private broadcasting to
operate is expected to create about 150 new FM channels in the country in
addition to the existing network provided by the All India Radio. About 12
channels each will be available with private operators in the four metros -
Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta and Chennai.

As many as eight channels will be available in Vishakapatnam, seven in Pune,
six in Bangalore, five in            Indore and four each in Hyderabad,
Lucknow, three each in Bhopal, Panaji, Patna and Srinagar.

It is estimated about 170 prospective broadcasters, around 8,500 new jobs of
direct employment would be created and about 17,000 jobs of indirect
employment would come up.

Exhibitions India managing director Prem Behl said, ``It is a learning
process for all of us here at the conference. There are representatives from
the US, Italy, UK and we are interacting with them on infrastructure and
transmission technologies.''

Behl said another major area of concern was - how to manage a radio station?
``We have to see where the     revenue is to come from. This has to be
viewed in the light of the advertisement share that the radio industry
has,'' he explained.

The success of a broadcaster depended on the kind and quality of programmes
aired. This not only attracts   advertisers but also helps the listener
choose one channel over the other.

The conference is aimed at exploring the multidimensional opportunities
available in the broadcasting sector. It is a platform for all key players
in the FM radio sector to discuss and debate the latest policy initiatives
of the  government.

About 200 participants had been at the conference till Tuesday. The focus
has been on digital audio broadcasting, entertainment software programming
and recent developments in the Indian radio industry.

Other than the conference, an exhibition showcasing products useful in
broadcasting has been put up. About 19 companies are participating in the
exhibition. The products include VHF and UHF radio microphone systems,
headphones, digital audio cards, broadcasting recording and post- production
hardware and software, networking technologies to audio broadcast and
internet connectivity.

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