The Hindu : Opinion / Editorials : Putting FM on the right frequency

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 11, 2005

Opinion

Opinion - Editorials

Putting FM on the right frequency

Decades after American engineering pioneer Edwin Howard Armstrong invented the Frequency Modulation system for broadcasting, FM radio can hope to reach new levels of coverage and popularity in the country. Phase Two of the Central Government's policy on FM radio that was recently approved by the Cabinet promises to free the superior technology from the constraints of poorly thought-out regulation and help it achieve healthy growth. FM radio, which can deliver high quality stereophonic sound, occupies an important position in the national broadcasting framework, aimed at providing entertainment, education, and information to all. The Tenth Five Year Plan envisages for FM the additional role of spreading literacy and increasing coverage to 60 per cent of the population. Opening up of FM radio to the private sector in 2000 was by no means a resounding success and, despite high expectations, only 24 out of 108 radio frequencies offered were activated, one of which subsequently closed down; the unsustainable regime of open-bidding to fix high licence fees, including a 15 per cent annual increase, made expansion of FM unviable in Phase One. Appropriate lessons have been drawn from the stunted growth of FM radio and regulatory changes effected in the new policy under which 336 frequencies will now be offered in 90 cities. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), which also regulates broadcasting has, to its credit, stood by the revenue sharing model despite misgivings in the Information and Broadcasting Ministry over questionable accounting practices followed by some operators on advertising earnings.

Given the potential of FM to revive radio and attract advertising (the National Readership Survey 2005 has recorded a rise in urban radio audiences owing to FM), it is natural for the new policy to receive an enthusiastic welcome from private broadcasters. The I and B Ministry has, however, missed the opportunity to take an even bigger leap by allowing private radio channels to offer news and current affairs programmes. The restriction on such programmes would appear incongruous in an era when private television is free to provide news, and information flow in general cannot be restricted due to growth of digital technologies such as the Internet. A rethink is also necessary on the question of granting multiple licences. The policy provision allowing for only one licence per city is a restriction that could compel channels to compete for listeners with similar populist fare rather than come up with creative programming genres. With FM radio sector on the threshold of a major change, the role of All India Radio becomes even more important. Its public broadcasting strengths should fully exploit FM to bring to listeners a variety of high quality programmes, on the lines of the British Broadcasting Corporation, which has four acclaimed FM channels in most cities of Britain or the National Public Radio in the United States.

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