RadioandMusic
| 07 Dec 2024
Ishq FM's latest offering 'Arijit On Demand'

MUMBAI: The city hoardings are filled with posters of Arijit Singh and a tag line stating 'Arijit On Demand'. Somewhere in the corner of these hoardings, one notices a heart that reads Ishq FM. Does the name ring a bell? Well, the rebranded radio station, Ishq FM is seen everywhere these days.

The TV Today property that has three radio stations -- Mumbai, Delhi, and Kolkata -- has launched a new show titled 'Arijit On Demand'. As the name suggests, the show is all about Arijit's songs that air thrice a day starting at 9-11am, 2-4pm, and 9-11pm.

The team at Ishq FM is promoting this week old property on a grand scale. They have been running a campaign #ArijitOnDemand since 19 December in the Mumbai and Delhi stations. Kolkata is currently not airing Arijit Singh songs.

The show is currently scheduled for three weeks, but if the response turns out to be good, the show might get an extension.

Ishq FM programming head Shivangini Jajoria says, “Social Media has been buzzing with likes, views, shares and numerous demand of Arijit Singh songs. Our combined reach on social media is more than eight million and it's increasing every minute. This campaign is definitely one of the most successful in the recent history. #ArijitOnDemand is trending on twitter too.

Social is one of the most important aspects of this show as the listeners demand for their favourite Arijit song on it. The team at Ishq FM and their RJs respond to these comments and tweets. Request for the songs are later fulfilled on-air, but before playing them the listeners are informed as to when their favourite song will be played on this very medium.

“We will be where our listeners are and get them back to their radio station and make them stick around. As social media in today’s time and age is an essential ‘life revolver’ it creates additional engagement with our listeners. With the number of likes and shares, the effect is a multiplier effect,” adds the programming head.

On selecting Arijit songs for an entire show, Jajoria says, "In today’s sound space, if we identify a standout singer with melodies hits one after another, the search ends at Arijit . Ishq FM team has been interacting with the consumers as well across the target group and the choice was always Arijit. Most of the songs requested on the station have been his songs . Arijit’s name instantly kept coming up when discussed love songs and that led to 'Arijit On Demand'."

The only drawback that one would notice of this show is, it being limited to one singer, which limits the song list to be played on the channel. But, Jajoria does not look at it as a roadblock for their recent property. “Just think, if you loved a song ever, how it was stuck in your head and the way you hummed it on loop. It is exactly the same here. So selective repetition is something listeners are receptive towards. These are absolute hits which itself establishes the meritocracy of the melody, the lyrics and a wider acceptance.”

She further states that the songs rotating have a gap in between so chances of the same song being heard again by the same listener are rare.

Ishq FM also has a station in Kolkata but Mumbai and Delhi are observed to be much in love with Arijit songs. Kolkata is more seen following lyricist, singer and composer Anupam Roy. Never the less, viewing the huge success of #ArijitOnDemand in Mumbai and Delhi, they have also started witnessing some demand in Kolkata and might plan to launch the campaign in Kolkata as well with Arijit’s Bangla songs added to the playlist.

Talking about the marketing campaign, the programming head states, “The buzz in the cities is extremely positive and listeners can’t get enough of the station. We are giving them more reason with #ArijitOnDemand to spend more time listening to 104.8 Ishq FM. We have to tell the listeners about this offering and thus the focus on marketing it right. With the listeners going digital, we know the power of the internet and thus the marketing on the net.”

Ishq FM, Kolkata that launched last month is more in love with lyricist, singer and composer Anupam Roy. But, Arijit's growing demand in Mumbai and Delhi is reaching Kolkata now. Thus, the Kolkata station too has started witnessing some demand in Kolkata and this might lead to launch of the show in Kolkata with Arijit’s Bangla songs being added to the playlist.

Arijit has been kept in loop of these developments. “You see Arijit’s face all over our marketing efforts. He is the face, the voice, the soul of this campaign. As a versatile artist, he is keen to keep a tab of popular pulse and he felt, radio would be the best medium to sense that. No better association than with 104.8 Ishq FM, India’s first Romantic Radio Station,” ends Jajoria