Radio gaga
28 Aug 2014 8:42 PM GMT
For long, the intimacy of a voice has been pivotal during travel sojourns, walk in the woods, congested drives, after fights with your best friend, in crowded marketplaces or even when you are all by yourself.
This is none other than the radio jockeys giving you company with intermittent beauty tips, social issues, interactive debates and of course good, old melodies. With the benefit of hindsight, the radio has changed over the years. From news-based transmissions to today’s all-encompassing caucus of over-zealous listeners participating in a vast range of discourses.
RJ Siddharth from Big FM, Mumbai, says, ‘The change has been phenomenal. What started as an entertainment based format with the advent of private FM industry in the early 2000 has taken a giant leap to become a revolution involving each and every strata of society perhaps becoming the only format catering to the infotainment needs of individuals. And the biggest change that has happened is the pin-pointed and targeted programming at the most local level in a language they understand and giving a never-heard-or-seen-before opportunity to both the parties - advertisers and consumers (say listeners).’
He further adds, ‘Today’s radio jockeys should be the voice of the city and the people. It is essential for an RJ to have an opinion. They should be honest and of course need to have an in-depth knowledge on the issue/topics he is talking about. Pretence is something which must be avoided at any cost.’
There is a lot to achieve and lot to explore vis-a-vis radio industry and the radio market are concerned. With almost 13-14 years of its existence, there is an ample space to bring in languages, different formats, music and personalities to make an inroad into segments where radio is yet to make its presence felt.
Speaking about the essential elements of radio, he says, ‘Understandably, music and especially film music is an essential part of radio and unlike western countries where private FM is immensely popular, film music is a genre in itself and we can’t visualize entertainment without taking it into account. We are working on an infotainment format hence music is there to stay till the time we find a suitable and more effective alternative.’
India’s radio industry is undergoing a makeover with the government’s approval to allocate new radio licences through e-auction and increased foreign investment limit. This move will boost advertising revenue in the long-run, promote business consolidation and lower expansion cost, according to analysts and industry experts.
According to RJ Koushik Bhattacharya from Kolkata, ‘There has been resurgence in the popularity of radio. The radio boom has thrown open a number of avenues and opportunities for young, energetic and enthusiastic people who have an ear for music and a passion to entertain. This has become a wonderful career for different professionals. At the same time, day by day, number of listeners is increasing from different sphere of life.’
For RJ Prateek Sharma, who works with BIG FM 92.7 in New Delhi, the Indian radio industry is expanding by leaps and bounds. ‘The government is also being very helpful in the expansion of this medium. Norms are changing, reach is increasing, more and more people are tuning in, and many more brands are associating with the radio as a medium. Good and better days lie ahead certainly.’
Prateek is one person who has worked in the international market and feels, ‘I think the response has been very encouraging. The kind of music that Indian radio stations play and the content that we provide, there is a big audience, ready to consume it. And if that music and content helps them to stay in touch with their Indian roots, what more can one ask for!’
This is none other than the radio jockeys giving you company with intermittent beauty tips, social issues, interactive debates and of course good, old melodies. With the benefit of hindsight, the radio has changed over the years. From news-based transmissions to today’s all-encompassing caucus of over-zealous listeners participating in a vast range of discourses.
RJ Siddharth from Big FM, Mumbai, says, ‘The change has been phenomenal. What started as an entertainment based format with the advent of private FM industry in the early 2000 has taken a giant leap to become a revolution involving each and every strata of society perhaps becoming the only format catering to the infotainment needs of individuals. And the biggest change that has happened is the pin-pointed and targeted programming at the most local level in a language they understand and giving a never-heard-or-seen-before opportunity to both the parties - advertisers and consumers (say listeners).’
He further adds, ‘Today’s radio jockeys should be the voice of the city and the people. It is essential for an RJ to have an opinion. They should be honest and of course need to have an in-depth knowledge on the issue/topics he is talking about. Pretence is something which must be avoided at any cost.’
There is a lot to achieve and lot to explore vis-a-vis radio industry and the radio market are concerned. With almost 13-14 years of its existence, there is an ample space to bring in languages, different formats, music and personalities to make an inroad into segments where radio is yet to make its presence felt.
Speaking about the essential elements of radio, he says, ‘Understandably, music and especially film music is an essential part of radio and unlike western countries where private FM is immensely popular, film music is a genre in itself and we can’t visualize entertainment without taking it into account. We are working on an infotainment format hence music is there to stay till the time we find a suitable and more effective alternative.’
India’s radio industry is undergoing a makeover with the government’s approval to allocate new radio licences through e-auction and increased foreign investment limit. This move will boost advertising revenue in the long-run, promote business consolidation and lower expansion cost, according to analysts and industry experts.
According to RJ Koushik Bhattacharya from Kolkata, ‘There has been resurgence in the popularity of radio. The radio boom has thrown open a number of avenues and opportunities for young, energetic and enthusiastic people who have an ear for music and a passion to entertain. This has become a wonderful career for different professionals. At the same time, day by day, number of listeners is increasing from different sphere of life.’
For RJ Prateek Sharma, who works with BIG FM 92.7 in New Delhi, the Indian radio industry is expanding by leaps and bounds. ‘The government is also being very helpful in the expansion of this medium. Norms are changing, reach is increasing, more and more people are tuning in, and many more brands are associating with the radio as a medium. Good and better days lie ahead certainly.’
Prateek is one person who has worked in the international market and feels, ‘I think the response has been very encouraging. The kind of music that Indian radio stations play and the content that we provide, there is a big audience, ready to consume it. And if that music and content helps them to stay in touch with their Indian roots, what more can one ask for!’
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