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For millions of Indians, radio remains a major source of entertainment. Over the last decade, with the availability of airwaves, the Indian radio industry has undergone major transformation. The beginning of FM stations heralded a new age in radio entertainment and since then there has been no looking back. It is not only the metropolitan cities that are witnessing major players vying for listener-ship, Tier I and Tier II cities—pan India—are being regarded as potential markets.
It is a truth that has been acknowledged time and over that India’s semi urban and rural markets are not fully tapped and these are the epicentres of the country’s economic growth. With booming economy, the semi urban areas are fast witnessing socio-economic changes that are altering its lifestyle. In the last few years, FM stations like 94.3 My FM, Radio Mirchi and Radio City amongst others have made a focused endeavour to reach out to listeners in semi urban areas. While multiplexes and shopping malls have made an inroad in these cities, yet for the majority of population radio remains an integral part of entertainment. The introduction of FM stations in these areas has infused a new mode of entertainment in the lives of millions. Tuning-in to FM stations that are interactive, informative and play music according to their requirement has not only created a major impact in programming content but has also seen a surge in creative programming to meet the listeners’ recall for the station.
India saw a new kind of listener emerge during this period. Media consumption of man or woman, young or old, began to be closely monitored. The data became the basis for the launch of many more FM stations and innovative programme formats. Spoilt for choice, listeners are becoming more discerning and content with slick packaging and production values have began to inch ahead. Mirroring the new face of Indian society, FM stations began experimenting with topics and issues that were once taboo. While creatively developing content, FM stations are focusing on time bands. Like with niche television channels, FM stations have introduced time-bands with programmes that suit the target audience. Most of the FM stations have divided a day in about six-seven time-bands. Content for each time-band differs not only in terms of music but also takes into account the kind of information that the listener would like to hear, how interactive the listener will be etc. When...
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