Radio has a history of preserving the traditional music of this country, its folk and classical forms. The public service broadcaster – All India Radio – has kept this legacy alive for over 80 years now. It is unfortunate that our FM policy and lawless copyright regime does not allow commercial FM players to be as versatile and experimental in their programming as they can be, to reflect India’s diverse musical traditions. They are compelled to live with a limited repertoire of film music, and survive on bland and unimaginative playlists. In spite of a hostile FM policy, south India has had considerable success with commercial radio. During Phase II of FM licensing, a remarkably large number of regional players from the south bid for frequencies. FM radio found takers in all the 18 southern cities where frequencies were auctioned, unlike the north where many frequencies went a-begging and city after city went without a private radio station. From Mangalore to Rajamundry, from Tirunelveli to Kannur, every Phase II city in the south has at least one radio station. Incidentally there are 15 players who forayed into FM radio in the south; out of which at least 10 are regional players. Radio penetration in key metros in the South is significantly higher than in other regions. According to IRS 2009, radio penetration in Chennai is 42 per cent, and 35 per cent in Kochi and Bangalore. In comparison, Delhi has barely 28 per cent radio penetration, and the corresponding figure for Mumbai is even lower. We can assume that a key factor driving this high appeal of radio in the south is the quality of its regional language offerings, which are localized not just to the state but to urban and rural areas within the state. Regional players have the advantage of knowing the local market and local ethos, and for obvious reasons localization favors print and radio more than any other medium. Though a broadcaster with a national footprint with 41 stations, localization is at the core of Red FM’s programming and marketing initiatives in all the cities we are present in. | |||||
