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WorldSpace Joins The Battle For FM Space
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Nivedita Mookerji

New Delhi:  At a time when radio’s popularity in the West is on the upswing,
there’s action in the Indian market as well. While a host of private
operators are getting ready to launch their much awaited FM radio service in
the three metros by end of this month and state-owned All India Radio is
high on digital waves, US-based satellite radio service WorldSpace is
planning a car radio initiative. This is among the many steps that this
Washington DC-headquartered company is taking to face competition in the
radio times such as these.
WorldSpace is planning field trials for its satellite car radio sets in
India later this year, according to vice-president operations D Venugopal.
At present, WorldSpace is catering to a limited customer base because the
company is not into car radio sets yet. After a patchy phase, when
WorldSpace faced the problem of non-availability of sets in India, it is
trying to bounce back. Having got manufacturers from Korea and Indonesia,
besides India’s BPL, on board, to ward off the supply crisis, WorldSpace is
now strengthening its content. It is in talks with private FM radio
operators in the country to get them on to the WorldSpace platform,
indicated Mr Venugopal. This is despite one such player, Radio Mid
Day, severing ties with WorldSpace sometime back.
With private FM radio players all set to begin their operations in Delhi,
Chennai and Kolkata end of this month, competition is going to be
stiff.Mumbai and cities such as Lucknow, Indore and Bangalore are already up
on
the private radio map.With WorldSpace seeking to diversify in content as
much as possible, it is wooing private FM operators for content-sharing
agreements. Although it took off in bits and starts last year, private FM
radio is finally happening in the country. This is after several hurdles
including differences with the integrator and problem in co-location.
Finally, the government had to extend deadline for the FM radio licencees.
Even as private FM licencees are readying for the launch of their services,
AIR too is trying novelties. While it had earlier launched additional FM
stations with a dose of news, views and music, now it has been given a nod
to start its terrestrial digital audio broadcasting (DAB). Competing times
indeed!
(Financial Express)

Regds
Alokesh Gupta
New Delhi,India.

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