FM Phase III e-auctions will begin shortly: Uday Kumar Varma

NEW DELHI: The e-auction for the third phase of FM Radio is expected to take off ‘as soon as possible’ with all administrative and other hurdles cleared, according to Information and Broadcasting

Experts gaze at crystal ball at IRF

MUMBAI: As new digital technology permeates the music industry at an ever-increasing rate, experts discuss the implications and consequences of the digitalization on FM radio at the recently concluded India Radio Forum (IRF). The FM radio and music industry will have to put in place structures that enable monetization of digital music to benefit from digitalization, a panel of industry experts said.

IRF 2013: RadioÆs selling power is under estimated

MUMBAI: Selling process does not follow straight line anymore. Innovative media planning and most importantly creating a ‘jugalbandi’ (partnership) with the right media partners is the way forward for marketers and advertisers to meet targets and connect with audience.

Speaking at ‘Using Radio in Your Media Campaign: The Advertisers’ Perspective’ at India Radio Forum (IRF) Lodestar UM chief growth officer Habeeb Nizamudin said that the era of loud solos (advertising) had given way to a new era of creating new harmonies of partnerships.

IRF 2013: Digital is the future for radio

MUMBAI: To reach out to wider and newer set of audience, the private FM radio industry unanimously considers digital as the future of the emerging industry even as the much awaited FM Phase III is expected to be the game changer.

IRF 2013: Radio needs to explore emerging markets beyond metros

MUMBAI: The low profiled but ubiquitous radio is the voice of emerging India beyond the metros- a market that is set to propel the country’s economic growth, Futurebrands India MD & CEO Santosh Desai said.

Siddhartha Roy: "The fundamental vision of Hungama has not changed"

Hungama Digital Media Entertainment, the pioneer internet giant that started as a promotions marketing portal- Hungama.com in 1999, has today become a trailblazer, leading across digital entertainment, mobile and value added services, promo marketing, aggregating and publishing of bollywood and south Asian entertainment across the globe.

Copyright Amendment Act won't benefit indie acts: Rahul Ram

MUMBAI: Unlike their Bollywood counterparts, the country’s indie artists are unlikely to reap any benefit from the Copyright (Amendment) Act 2012 passed by Parliament.

The newly passed bill makes it mandatory for music companies and producers to share royalty with singers, lyricists and scriptwriters. The bill declares authors as owners of the copyright, which cannot be assigned to the producers as was the practice till now.

Ficci Frames 2013: Innovate beyond ads for robust paid digital ecosystem

MUMBAI: As India has emerged as the third largest internet market with an expected growth of 150-600 million consumers in the next four years, the need to build a paid model differentiated from the current ad based ones is the focus of most aggregators.

At the Ficci Frames 2013, the session ‘Digital content consumption on the rise: developing a robust paid ecosystem’ highlighted the transition from free to paid models.

Anil Srivatsa: " New industry needs a cooperative eco system"

Radiowalla Network Pvt Ltd CEO and co-founder Anil Srivatsa:

Year 2012:

We have two services, Spotradio and Radiowalla. Spotradio is a market leading custom in-store audio creation service and delivery platform that enhances customer engagement and shopping experience for retail chains, corporate and educational institutions.

A) Growth and Revenue: We are in the investment phase for now being a year old service, but it is safe to say that we will achieve operational break even within 12 months with this service.

2012: Crest and trough for FM radio

MUMBAI: With high expectations and wind beneath its wings, 2012 commenced with a ray of hope for the nascent FM radio industry in India. It all turned around in an instant with the struggling economic situation acting as a major deterrent of growth. Adding to the misery was the delay of the long awaited FM phase III auctions, which further hampered the industry. Even though it was a tough year for the medium, radio managed to prove its mettle by being ‘same yet quite different’ in the year that was.