NEW DELHI: Having failed to get any bidders for 23 cities in the first batch of the third phase of FM e-auctions, the Government claims that 66 channels in 48 cities were provisionally sold out of 266 channels put to auction in 92 cities.

The second batch auctions were held between 26 October 2016 and 14 December 2016, Minister of State of Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore told Parliament that the proposal to auction 839 FM Radio channels in 294 cities was approved by the Cabinet in its meeting held on 7 July 2011.

However, the Ministry had later announced that the auction would be conducted in thatches given the large number of FM channels.

The e-Auction of the first batch of FM Phase-III comprising 135 vacant channels in 69 cities which were already covered by FM was conducted from 27 July 2015 to 9 September 2015.

The government received Rs.11035.1 million from winners of 96 channels in 55 cities against the cumulative reserve price of Rs.5500 million for the first batch.