At the recent roundtable meeting during the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) curtain raiser event, Nisha Narayanan, COO of Red FM and Magic FM, expressed concerns regarding content freedom on radio. Representing the radio sector, she highlighted the restrictions on broadcasting news, current affairs, and national/international sports.
She also emphasised that TRAI has recommended lifting these content restrictions, urging that these recommendations should be accepted.
Narayanan raised concern over the Linking of Annual license fee to the highest one time entry fee (OTEF) which has been fatal to FM Radio sector. Balance frequencies were auctioned, for example, in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai. This resulted in high bids, almost 4 times the migration OTEF. Other operators must pay 2.5 % of the highest OTEF. At the time of Covid, revenue dropped by 80%.
Almost the entire revenue of operators across all cities went into paying 2.5% OTEF. TRAI recommended the Annual license fee should be 4 percent of Net revenue (excluding GST). It should not be linked to OTEF.
It was suggested by Narayanan that the TRAI recommendation may kindly be accepted.
Additionally, the industry also raised concerns over the content freedom on Radios as the News, Current Affairs and National/International Sports are not allowed. India is only democracy having such restrictions. The member further stated that the Current Affairs has no definition in any statute and hence almost every topic is banned. FM Radio has a history of being a very responsible medium and worked closely with Government during emergencies, During Covid, it worked very closely with Ministry of I&B in broadcasting right information and countering rumors.
The TRAI, in this matter, has recommended that the content restrictions should be removed, and News and Current Affairs should be allowed on radio. The industry requests that TRAI recommendation may kindly be accepted. Furthermore, multi-media organisation should be allowed to source news inhouse from their newspapers, television etc.
It was noted by Narayanan that, a decade plus back, there were many radio sets available in the country. With the advent of mobile sets with FM receivers, the radio set industry has almost been wiped off. Many mobile manufacturers /operators thereafter deactivated or avoided giving radio receiving options to facilitate consumption of digital options. NDMA has recommended radio receivers on mobile to be made mandatory.
TRAI, in this matter, recommended that the Government should consider making radio on mobile mandatory. An advisory has already been issued by Ministry of Electronics and IT. Industry requests that Trai recommendation may kindly be accepted. Additionally, Advisory may also be issued that all citizens should have battery operated radio receivers for any emergency. This has been done by UK Govt etc.
Print and Radio are direct competitors in local cities and towns. However, Print is charged 5 percent GST, while Radio 18 percent. The Ministry of I&B had kindly recommended to GST council that GST on Radio should be 5 percent. However, the issue remains pending for years. The industry requests that the matter be taken up by the GST Council. It was also recommended that the issues be addressed in tandem by all ministries in charge.
