NEW DELHI: With a large number of FM radio broadcasting companies having applied for migrating from FM Radio Phase II to FM Radio Phase III, the government has extended the last date for grant of signing of Migration Grant of Permission Agreement (GOPA) to 31 December this year.

Earlier, this date had been fixed at 30 June last year, by which time around 25 broadcasting companies had applied.

Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&B) sources told Radioandmusic.com that these 25 included Reliance Broadcast, Asianet Radio, BAG Infotainment, HT Media, Malayala Manorama, Music Broadcast Pvt Ltd., Radio Mid-Day West (India) Ltd., Mathrubhumi, Sun TV Network and Udaya FM.

Others were Clear Media (India) Pvt Ltd., Entertainment Network India Ltd., Gwalior Farms Pvt Ltd., India Radio Ventures Pvt Ltd., Kal Radio Ltd., Malar Publications, Muthoot Broadcasting Pvt Ltd., PCM Cement Concrete Pvt Ltd., Purvy Broadcasts Pvt Ld., Digital Radio Broadcasting Ltd., Raneka Fincom Pvt Ltd., South Asia FM Ltd., D B Corp Ltd., Syntech Informatics Pvt Ltd., and Puran Multimedia Ltd.  

The government will commence e-auctions this year on an ascending basis, and this may continue over a period of three years to increase the number of Private FM Radio Channels from the present 245 to around 839 covering another 227 cities having population of over 100,000. 

Under Phase-II currently in existence, 245 FM channels are operational covering 86 cities, each with a population of over 300,000 or more.

Even as the Government has said that private FM radio channels will be permitted to carry news bulletins of All India Radio in unaltered form, it has been clarified that broadcast relating to subjects like sporting events, traffic and weather will be treated as non-news and will therefore be permissible.

Other subjects coming under non-news and current affairs are coverage of cultural events, festivals, coverage of topics pertaining to examinations, results, admissions, career counseling, availability of employment opportunities, and public announcements pertaining to civic amenities like electricity, water supply, natural calamities, health alerts etc. as provided by the local administration.

The Ministry had constituted two Committees - Inter ministerial Committee, and Application Review Committee - to guide and supervise the process of e-Auction.