NEW DELHI: The radio sector is poised for an exponential growth in India. In Phase III, a total of 806 private FM radio stations are to come up in addition to the 245 channels at present.

More are to mushroom from the public broadcaster. All India Radio, which presently broadcasts FM channels from 172 stations, has commissioned another 320 FM radio stations.

As many as 246 of these will, in fact, be transmitters beaming programmes from other centres.

Of the AIR FM stations under implementation in various parts of the country, Uttarakhand is to get the largest number with seven. Following this will be Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Maharashtra who are to get six channels each. Arunachal Pradesh and Orissa will have five each and the other states will get two to four channels each.


Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting CM Jatua said that the policy guidelines for Phase III are under consideration.

A total of 216 cities and towns are to get private FM radio for the first time in Phase III, out of the 302 identified by the Government and split into four categories.

Of the 86 cities and towns which have private FM Radio channels, 67 are to get additional channels.

Permission given to 20 private FM channels had been revoked by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry for various reasons.

Among the four main metros, Mumbai will get two more channels while Delhi and Chennai will get one each. Kolkata has filled its quota of nine private FM channels.

So will the Phase III FM radio expansion have too many players operating in a cluttered environment?

ENIL CEO Prashant Panday believes the space will not be cluttered. "Phase III will open up new markets. And every city will have not more than 2-3 players," he says.

NEW DELHI: The radio sector is poised for an exponential growth in India. In Phase III, a total of 806 private FM radio stations are to come up in addition to the 245 channels at present.

More are to mushroom from the public broadcaster. All India Radio, which presently broadcasts FM channels from 172 stations, has commissioned another 320 FM radio stations.

As many as 246 of these will, in fact, be transmitters beaming programmes from other centres.

Of the AIR FM stations under implementation in various parts of the country, Uttarakhand is to get the largest number with seven. Following this will be Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Maharashtra who are to get six channels each. Arunachal Pradesh and Orissa will have five each and the other states will get two to four channels each.

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting CM Jatua said that the policy guidelines for Phase III are under consideration.

A total of 216 cities and towns are to get private FM radio for the first time in Phase III, out of the 302 identified by the Government and split into four categories.

Of the 86 cities and towns which have private FM Radio channels, 67 are to get additional channels.

Permission given to 20 private FM channels had been revoked by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry for various reasons.

Among the four main metros, Mumbai will get two more channels while Delhi and Chennai will get one each. Kolkata has filled its quota of nine private FM channels.

So will the Phase III FM radio expansion have too many players operating in a cluttered environment?

ENIL CEO Prashant Panday believes the space will not be cluttered. "Phase III will open up new markets. And every city will have not more than 2-3 players," he says.