As per latest discussions TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) is considering allowing FM Radio stations to broadcast News and Current Affairs programs on their channels.
FM Radio channels already have local updates on weather, traffic and local festivals on them. TRAI is considering the request of FM channels to allow them to broadcast news and current affairs. All FM Channels are already allowed to broadcast news that is produced and broadcast by AIR (All India Radio) on the hour. It seems FM Channels want to have their own news items instead of the Sarkari news handout that comes from AIR. There is a problem in this though, news coming from AIR is mostly government propaganda. If you listen to any AIR News, it starts with Narendra Modi, sings praise for Narendra Modi and keeps talking about Narendra Modi. Imagine if other FM channels also started doing this.
This might be a ploy by the ruling Modi Sarkar to dominate all media means in the run up to 2024 General Elections. FM Channels work within the framework of their license regime and dare not cross the line when it comes to telling the country the truth about the real on the ground situation vis-a-vis inflation, jobs, business failures, farmer suicides, farmer income, educational distress and other such things that the government wants to hide from the people. If they tell the truth, they risk their very license to operate.
AIR is one radio channel that has the least amount of advertisements, thus it a preferred channel to listen as one commutes during the day and it is often seen that people tune out of the channel when news starts to be broadcast on it only to come back once the news is over.
Imagine if all FM channels started broadcasting news, listeners will not have anywhere to go while government propaganda is broadcast from all channels.
As it is, some FM channels have so many advertisements and radio jockeys that will keep blabbering about nothing and boring you do death that you feel like plugging in a USB and listening to what you want to listen. Now top that with News by the Hour and there is every reason why people will give up on FM Radio once and for all….
