FM Round Up: North - The race to stand out among clutter

North India witnessed a spurt in radio stations in 2008 - not only in the NCR, but throughout the northern states.

The radio market showed signs of maturity with many advertisers willing to pump in their money in radio as a medium.

Says Radio Chaska (Gwalior) executive director Tarun Goyal, The year 2008 was good in terms of programming and advertising but the setback of the year were royalty issues and government not agreeing to the independent news....

2008: The Year of the Radio Buyer - Sunil Kumar

For the radio industry in India, if the year 2008 belonged to anyone, it was to the buyer (of radio). Having got a considerable size of audience, the radio groups and individual stations did everything possible to persuade the buyer to buy airtime and other activities on their respective stations. Buyers, on their part, did everything within their reach and understanding to seek more and more about the medium.

'Needed: an alternative music scene' by Niladri Kumar

It's a big thing today if an artiste manages to get 5000 listeners

As a kid, I had heard from my father about the late 50's - 70's era when people thronged theatres in large numbers. There were no auditoriums then, concerts would be conducted in theatres because those were the only venues.

Brand integration: way to go! - Balasubramaniam

Brand integration is the imbedding or weaving of a client's brand with the radio station's brand into content that shares common brand values, personality, or message.

Changing perceptions, building awareness - Anuj Singh

The year began with a wave of optimism about radio's performance and expected growth. A FICCI - PWC report talked about a growth rate of 40 per cent and an expected industry size of Rs 672 crore by the end of the year. Radio CEOs expressed their optimism on opening up of content, relaxation in government policy, growth of radio's share in the ad pie, etc. There was talk of the need to �evangelize' the medium, change perceptions, work towards effective differentiation, etc.

FM round up: South - A year of opportunities

2008 turned out to be a year of opportunities for FM operators south of the Vindhyas, as many players launched their stations during the year. 2009, say most, will be a year of consolidation.

An interesting aspect of the Bangalore market that the initial RAM listenership survey had mapped as a high morning listenership and high out of home listenership TG, was the conversion to Kannada. With the exception of a Radio Indigo, which stuck to its premise of international music, several players preferred to target masses by going the Kannada way.

A rollercoaster ride! - Gaurav Vaz

Looking back at things that have happened with the band over the past few months, I am just amazed! It's been one crazy rollercoaster ride that we have been on and all along I keep thinking, "This is the stuff dreams are made of! and it's happening .. for real!"

There was a lull for some time in the beginning of this year with the band doing a few shows here and there, until we got wind of the 'Roots Music Festival Tour' that was going to change our lives. We never really thought that it actually would.

Live music - juggling the highs and lows

With physical sales of the record industry registering a constant decline of almost 44 per cent each year from 2000 through 2007, the live music business gave new hope to organisers, artistes and listeners alike. With sponsors offering 360 degree deals to the artiste, this seemed to be the best option as the record music industry went through the slump. In 2008, the period till September was good, but in the following months, many concerts got postponed or cancelled. The 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai added to the trouble already created by global recession.

Kabhi Khushi, Kabhi Gloom - Rajesh Tahil

Figure this scene. It's a bit like an old Seinfeld episode. You go to a party; it's the end of the year or beginning of the new one (depending on when you are reading this). Someone asks �it's the end of another year – how do you think it was for radio?' The response is a bit like Kramer's, �it wasn't a bad year, pauses, but it wasn't a great one either'. FM radio stands at the intersection of reality and possibility and we attempt to understand how that unfolded in 2008.

Gulbarga NGO to launch CR station

MUMBAI: The Sharanbasaveshwar Vidya Vardhak Sangha will set up its community radio station in Gulbarga, Karnataka within an estimated three months' time.

With this, the number of CRS will increase to 39 in the country.

According to a government release, the ministry of information and broadcasting has signed a Grant of Permission Agreement for establishing, maintaining and operating a Community Radio Station (CRS) with the Sharanbasaveshwar Vidya Vardhak Sangha, a Gulbarga base NGO.