Prasar Bharati sits tight on FM proposal

But Prasar Bharati has been dragging its feet on a decision which would not only have opened up the airwaves but also earned AIR as much as Rs 1.16 crore every month from three FM stations 8212; Delhi, Mumbai and Calcutta 8212; through the sale of time slots.

Gill8217;s proposal sought to make use of the two available frequencies, one of which is currently being operated as a 24-hour service by AIR. Gill had, in fact, announcedthe opening of a second FM service by August 15 but it could not take off due to lack of staff. As an alternative, in a note on August 20, the DDG Commercials in All India Radio pointed out that all 24 hours on the FM service could be offered as sponsored programmes, on the same principle as in DD Metro. The note showed that AIR8217;s existing scheme of advertisements only earned it Rs 24 lakh in July 1998 in three FM stations and with the new scheme of sponsored programmes, AIR could earn as much as Rs 1.40 crore a month in broadcast fees for only 12 hours.

Though the move had Gill8217;s backing, private operators had shown an interest in the scheme, and the file was also processed for implementation, it was held back for legal advice. By the time the D-G AIR reacted, issuing guidelines, they were perceived to be too stringent. Meanwhile Gill had been ousted because of the Government8217;s Prasar Bharati ordinance and the whole issue was put on the backburner.