MUMBAI: The most awaited festival, the festival of lights, Diwali is around the corner and FM Tadka has begun the celebrations with their listeners. It's been a week that the team has initiated a new campaign for the same occasion called 'Ye Diwali Deepak Wali'.

The primary objective of the campaign is to create a buzz among people to help promote the local potters. We have witnessed the fast growing usage of Chinese lights by people over locally made ‘deepaks’. The campaign is rolled out as a CSR campaign during the festive season of Diwali, giving out a social message and promoting the 'Make in India' initiative.

The campaign is designed in two interesting ways. One – listeners named Deepak are asked to reach out to the station and given in their details. Random names amongst all would be selected and given surprise gifts by FM Tadka. The next activity is called 'Tum Mujhe Lights Do, Main Tumhe Deepak Dunga'. Here the listeners need to give away their preserved decorative lights to FM Tadka and in return, the team gives them deepaks (diya). Along with deepaks, people will also be given cotton batties, oil to light and a funnel to pour oil into these deepaks.

The new initiative carries a mission statement of - Iss baar jab ghar ghar lightein nahi deepak jalenge tab saaraa shehar bolega, This Diwali Sounds Good. Iss baar Diwali par lightein nahi deepak jalaaiye kyonki 'Yeh Diwali Deepak Wali.'

FM Tadka recently launched a station in Muzaffarpur and will be soon launching in Aligarh, Jammu and Srinagar.

Also Read: FM Tadka enters Muzaffarpur; Jammu and Aligarh stations to launch by end of October

MUMBAI: Remember us announcing the operations for Radio Mirchi in Jammu? The station is all set for an official launch tomorrow i.e. 10 October.

The station will be launched by the Chief Minister of Jammu, Mehbooba Mufti.

Also Read: Radio Mirchi begins operation in Jammu

Radio Mirchi will be the second station to launch in Jammu after Big FM. It was in 2006 when Big FM entered Jammu and since then has been a solo broadcaster. Radio Mirchi's entry will bring in a change for the Jammu listeners. 

Both BIG FM and Radio Mirchi don’t seem to be heading towards the term 'competition' with this launch, as BIG happens to be a retro station. Radio Mirchi, on the other hand, is a contemporary hit station.

Amongst others, RED FM has entered Jammu a few weeks ago, but it’s still in its test phase. FM Tadka too is working towards launching its station there.

Also Read: RED FM enters Jammu, strengthens its presence in North

Radio Mirchi will start with two shows, morning and evening with RJ Nishant and RJ Shwetma. 

MUMBAI: Radioandmusic was the first one to inform you about Radio Mirchi’s new station launch in Jammu. Here we are back with more details about the launch, the show and offerings to the Jammu listeners.

Also Read:Mehbooba Mufti to launch Radio Mirchi's Jammu station

RJ Shwetima and RJ Nishanth, the host of Radio Mirchi Jammu were introduced to the audience. The RJs promised to keep the listeners in Jammu entertained with their on-air antics. Along with them, two more RJs were introduced to the audience, RJ Sayema who hosts an afternoon show at Mirchi and RJ Rochie, night show MirchiInstaPyaar host.

Mirchi’s Jammu playlist will comprise 70 per cent Bollywood and 30 per cent Punjabi music – providing listeners with the best of both worlds. The chosen combination is a result of careful research and talking to potential listeners in the city. Mirchi also promises to keep listeners hooked by taking up discussions on the topics that are most relevant to the youth today and also entertaining them with celeb chats, comedy and infotainment.

Speaking on this occasion, Mehbooba Mufti Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir said “I am extremely happy that a national FM brand of such repute has started operations in Jammu. I am sure it is only a matter of time before Mirchi becomes a part of the social and cultural fabric of this beautiful city. I wish them the very best.”

Radio Mirchi COO Mahesh Shetty commented, “We are very happy to be launching in Jammu. As a brand, we believe in creating customized products for our markets, tailored to suit the preferences of the city. This approach has helped Mirchi achieve a leadership position within a short span of time in the cities we operate in. In Jammu, too, we have designed our playlist and on-air experience around what the people of Jammu told us they wanted to hear and we are confident that our listeners will enjoy what we put on-air. We look forward to becoming an integral part of every Jammuite’s life in the days to come.”

Another radio network to go on-air in Jammu this week is RED FM. RED will launch tomorrow. 

MUMBAI: BIG FM saw yet another accolade come its way with MJ Sujita being honoured as the Best Radio Jockey 2017 in Guwahati by the Axomiya Maya Magazine. The popular magazine marked the 1^st edition of its Maya Media awards this year, where they recognise the achievements of people who bring laurels to the society at large. The award was presented to the MJ by the Assam Agriculture University Vice-Chancellor Sri Kamal Malla Buzarbaruah in presence of Governor of Assam, Sri Banwarilal Puruhit along with other dignitaries of the state.

The voice of the afternoon, radio woman magazine show, Duporor Rodali– MJ Sujita has been the most popular MJ in the city of Guwahati. Along with her daily show, she engages listeners with her Sunday special show, ‘Axomor Xuodi Maat’ on Assamese culture, rituals and traditions from 9am-11am.  She also brings the focus on the Assamese mobile theatre in her show, ‘Green Room’ from 7pm-9pm. With her extremely joyous and wonderful persona, MJ Sujita keeps her listeners engaged and entertained throughout the duration of her shows.

Speaking on the achievement, MJ Sujita said, “It is a surreal experience to be bestowed with this award and receive such overwhelming love from the people of Guwahati. It is an absolute pleasure to be the voice of shows like ‘Duporor Rodali’ and 'Green Room' amongst others, and contribute to a platform like 92.7 BIG FM.

MUMBAI: On the occasion of Amitabh Bachchan turning 75, MY FM and Radio Nasha pays a special tribute to the megastar. We at Radioandmusic get you the interesting activities organized by the two radio stations.

MY FM composed and produced a special song A se Amitabh, which features 75 RJs across 30 stations dressed up in various avtaar of the superstar.

The song starts with A se Amitabh, B se Bachchan, C se Cinema ke Shahenshah and so on and so forth. Also in the three-day long activity, MY FM played super hit songs of Amitabh Bachchan during the prime time show, followed by his hit songs with his super hit Jodi Rekha on the second day. Today on his birthday, they will be playing songs of the iconic star throughout the day.

Commenting on the activity, MY FM chief programming officer Viplove Gupte said, “The entire FM radio generation in India, be it the RJs or the CEOs, all are fans of Amitabh Bachchan. His acting skills and unique adaptability to portray different roles are exemplary and in last many decades, he has reign supreme. From a Rajesh Khanna era to a Hritik Roshan time, Amitabh has stood tall. At 75, he is the youngest actor we have and it’s only natural that we pay our respect to someone who is a true ‘Jiyo Dil Se’ personality in Hindi film industry.”

Radio Nasha also plays Bachchan songs the entire day. Along with it the station has some fun on-air activities for the listeners connect. Titled Bachchan Ki Deewangi, an award ceremony which will be conducted on Radio Nasha’s premium nights i.e on 14 October. The station will introduce a category with a nominee and ask the listeners to vote for their favourite nominee. In the late evening show Anmol Ki Anmol Kahaniya, the host of the show RJ Anmol will narrate unique Bachchan stories about how Bachchan got role in Sholay and more.

MUMBAI: It’s celebration week for Jammu as two major radio stations from the industry have stepped into the state for more entertainment. Two days ago Radioandmusic updated its readers about Radio Mirchi’s official launch in J&K. Now there is RED FM who has stepped into the soil of the most talked state of the country, J&K.

Also Read: Radio Mirchi hits Jammu airwaves

RED FM under its Phase III expansion launched its 55th station yesterday (11 October) strengthening its presence in North India. As for Radio Mirchi, this station too was inaugurated by Chief Minister of J&K Mehbooba Mufti Sayeed with the lighting of the lamp along with ribbon cutting.

Spreading the excitement with each of its listeners, RED FM broadcasted the ceremony live on its official Facebook page. Interestingly, RED FM launched the station with a contest for the RED FM listeners. The winners of the contest went on to win smartphones.

The Jammu station has a line-up of experienced RJs along with Bauaa, the popular sparkler across the network. RED FM’s primary focus is on localising the content keeping in mind the tradition and culture of the people of Jammu.

Focusing on its objectives, RED FM has designed shows for the new listeners. The day begins with an early morning show with RJ Sarang who will host the Morning No.1 show from 7-11am. RJ Vasudha will host Dramaqueen from 11-2am, followed by Vellapanti.com with RJ Amit from 2-5pm. Evenings will be joyful with RJ Manas hosting the show called JK 91.9 from 5-9pm and will then leave the floor for back to back Hindi and Punjabi music from 9pm-7am the next day.

With the brand philosophy and attitude that is ‘Bajaate Raho!’, RED FM will continue to encourage people of Jammu to speak up for issues that concern them and also bring in an amalgamation of entertaining RJs to Jammu.

Speaking about the new launch, RED FM COO Nisha Narayanan said, “Our clear strategy is to expand into newer markets and capital cities. With this launch, we have entered into all key markets in India. This is also part of our strategy to establish our leadership status. Having said that, FM radio’s entry into such sensitive markets is a major step for the growth of FM India. These markets require entertainment sources and radio fills in the need gap. As RED FM, we are delighted to launch our sixth new station this year after Jodhpur, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Patna and Surat. Our frequency here is 91.9 and irrespective of what frequency we are in, we hope to entertain and engage our listeners 24x7, in the spirit of our tagline Bajaate Raho.”

RED FM soon will be launching 14 more stations in India. Stay tuned with Radioandmusic for all updates.

MUMBAI: The annual award show of The Advertising Club - Emvies 2017 recently witnessed its 16th glorious year in Mumbai. The high-octane award ceremony, which recognizes outstanding work done by imminent media brands, honoured BIG FM as the ‘Media Partner of the Year - Radio’. It is for the third consecutive year that the radio network has been bestowed by this title. Adjudged by an eminent jury panel of 225 Media and Marketing professionals, the extravagant awards ceremony was graced by industry stalwarts, advertising geniuses and other members of the media fraternity.

Having successfully completed a milestone of 11 years in the industry, BIG FM as a brand has always thrived on impactful content with each of their initiatives, catapulting the network in becoming a pioneer in its space. Over the years, the radio station has undertaken several large-scale CSR campaigns like BIG Green Ganesha, Sutta Chod Na Yaar, etc. as well as brand led campaigns like Vodafone One Nation, One song’, Idea Cellular’s ‘Sharing of internet’ program, as a ‘Life Banao’ initiative was kept in sync with the brand ethos of ‘Suno Sunao, Life Banao’ among many others. With a reach in over 60 markets, the radio network is one of the most preferred radio partners for brands seeking to reach out to a pan-India TG at a local level.

The category of Best Media Partner in Television, Print, Cinema, Radio, Out of Home/ Ambient Media and Digital was introduced in the year 2015 and since then the radio network has retained its leadership position in this genre.

Speaking on the coveted win, BIG FM spokesperson says, “As a radio network we have believed in connecting both the advertiser with innovative campaigns and the consumer with content that resonates with their listening patterns. In a year where our campaigns have won both accolades and awards, our win at the Emvies reaffirms our faith in continuing to experiment with newer content formats and brand solutions.”

MUMBAI: Radio City announced a social awareness drive to highlight the importance of celebrating a smoke-free Diwali with ‘Radio City ke phatake : Is Diwali, khushiyan hogi, dhua nahi’ - a national on-air activity where listeners can request for bursting firecrackers on Radio City during the Diwali week and celebrate a pollution-free Diwali. Through this campaign, Radio City urges the listeners to enjoy a smoke-free experience with a zing of music on Radio City. The money you save can light up somebody’s Diwali.

Radio City, has found an innovative solution that will let cracker-lovers across the nation enjoy the festival without hurting the environment. Radio City ke patakhe’ – a Diwali initiative where the channel will burst crackers on the radio. The initiative is launched with an ad film created by Scarecrow Communications - ‘Patakhon ka Aurangzeb’ that will remind people of the nostalgic Malgudi Days. As a part of the national on-air activity, Radio City encourages the idea of celebrating Diwali without the use of crackers to help make this a smoke free and environmental friendly festival.

Watch the entire video here:

Radio City also pledged its support to the underprivileged by initiating a crowdfunding campaign ‘Diwali Ek Rupaye Wali’, in association with the NGO, Ketto. The network has urged every Mumbaikar to contribute one rupee to share the happiness and help brighten the festivities for the needy. Inspired by real-life human stories, Radio City has pledged to support causes ranging from women empowerment, community development, health to helping the physically challenged.

Commenting on the launch of these initiatives Radio City national head, programming, marketing and AudaCITY EVP Kartik Kalla said, “Radio has the impact and the potential to reach out to the masses and we at Radio City want to leverage this to promote the true essence of Diwali. With #DiwaliEkRupayeWali, by donating just one rupee, we can empower the less fortunate to be a part of the celebrations. Through Radio City ke patake, we also want to educate people to look beyond crackers this festive season and inculcate the culture of a safe, and pollution-free Diwali.”

The star of India's official entry to the Oscars - Newton, Rajkumar Rao, while promoting his movie, Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana says, “I believe that the festival of Diwali is about sharing happiness with everyone in the community especially with the less fortunate. ‘Diwali Ek Rupaye Waali’ is an amazing initiative undertaken by Radio City to make Diwali happy and prosperous for the underprivileged. Radio City is not just entertaining the listeners but is also working for the society and fulfilling its social responsibility. I personally support the cause and urge everyone to contribute a minimum of Rs. 1, like I did, because your 1 rupee can make a difference to light up faces and dreams of Mumbaikars. Wish you a happy and a prosperous Diwali.”

The fund-raising campaign will address the requirements of the people who are striving for the welfare of the needy. The campaign strives on fulfilling dreams of 5 people Gauri, Shahbaz Khan, Tabrez Khwaja, Rajan Nair and Ravi Kumar, where one wants to build shelter for kids in Kamathipura, one wants to conduct workshops for Dharavi kids, one wants to provide free ambulance service to one wanting to buy a DSLR to teach photography to kids in the hospital.

Leading Bollywood stars like Varun Dhawan, Bobby Deol, Taapsee Pannu, Kiku Sharda, Shraddha Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Richa Chadha and Rajpal Yadav, along with Jt. Commissioner Traffic - Amitesh Kumar and colleges like NITIE, Chetna have left no stone unturned to contribute to this heart-warming cause.

MUMBAI: Radio stations are no longer restricting themselves to the studio. They have now moved out with various activities and campaigns that are basically made for the commoners.

One of the radio stations to go all out with on-ground campaigns is RED FM. Their activities are not restricted to on-air or on-ground but also serve the digital audience.

Recently, RED FM came up with an on-ground campaign called ‘Ek No.Wall’ for people who pee on roadside and walls.

Talking about the idea, RED FM national marketing head Rajat Uppal said, “We wanted to pass the message, ‘do not pee on the roads or walls’. The new campaign is where anybody who pee’s on the wall will get sprayed back with water. We do campaigns in the most entertaining way and in our very Bajate Raho concept.”

He further added, “The stuff happening in the city and vibes of the city help us with a lot of content on-air and for marketing as well as on-ground campaigns. During hot summers, cops working under the sun on roads gave us an idea for 4 Bottle Roz Ka. So these are just the RED FM way of doing things in the most interesting way.”

4 Bottle Roz Ka was yet another campaign where RED FM urged the commoners to offer water bottles to the traffic police during summer. 

“Anything that is wide for an average listener experience day in and out will definitely connect with the consumers more. The relevance of content is important and that is the reason we end up doing a lot of social and physical activities in the most entertaining way,” Uppal explained.

The brand has content and communication team along with programming and marketing to look after such activities.

RED FM has also made a point of making appropriate use of the fast-growing medium i.e. digital. Every on-ground activity is connected with the online audience by its various social media portals.

“Digital is a medium, at the end, it is all about content. We are into radio and our core business is entertainment. The activities that we do may be on-air, on-ground or digital we make sure it is relatable to the audience on all platforms,” ended Uppal.

Also Read: RED FM enters Jammu, strengthens its presence in North

BENGALURU: Indian media group HT Media Limited (HT Media) reported a drop in consolidated revenues and increase in consolidated profits for the quarter ended 30 September 2017 (Q2-18, current quarter) as compared to the corresponding year ago quarter (y-o-y). The company reported 11.2 percent y-o-y drop in consolidated total income at Rs 6,041.3 million in Q2-18 as compared to Rs 6,802.3 million. Net profit after tax however more than doubled (up 2.14 times) y-o-y to Rs 662.2 million in the current quarter as compared to Rs 309.3 million.

HT Media has four segments-Printing and Publishing of Newspapers & Periodicals (Printing); Radio Broadcast & Entertainment (Radio); Digital; and Multimedia Content Management (Multimedia). The y-o-y drop in revenue was mainly due drop in revenues of the company’s printing segment.

The company reported an 18.4 percent increase in revenue for its Radio segment that operates radio stations under the brand Fever FM for the current quarter. HT Media’s radio segment reported an operating profit of Rs 26.2 million as compared to an operating loss of Rs 3.3 million in Q2-17. HT Media in its investor presentation for the current quarter informed that its radio business continued robust growth and increase in profit margins. It says further there was revenue growth in core stations, while new stations continued to perform adding to top line in a profitable manner and that synergy in costs had brought in margin expansion.

Printing segment revenue declined 5.9 percent y-o-y in Q2-18 to Rs 4,948.9 million from Rs 5,259.5 million in Q2-17. Printing segment operating profit more than doubled (2.25 times) to Rs 1,048.8 million in Q2-18 as compared to Rs 467.2 million in Q2-17. HT Media’s Digital segment revenue declined 9.5 percent to Rs 337 million from Rs 372.5 million Digital segment reported an operating loss of Rs 116.2 million in the current quarter as compared to an operating loss of Rs 128.6 million in Q2-17. HT Media’s Multimedia segment reported operating revenue of Rs 444.6 million and an operating profit of Rs 8.5 million. The Multimedia segment had revenue of Rs 473.4 million in Q1-18 and an operating profit of Rs 2.9 million.

HT Media chairperson and editorial director Shobhana Bhartia said, “Advertising revenue growth continues to be a challenge in our core Print business, with this quarter witnessing high level of uncertainty across industries on account of GST implementation. Our radio business continues to do well. New radio stations are generating revenue and the entire radio business witnessed an increase in operating profits. While advertising revenue in print has been soft, operating profits continue to grow steadily on the back of strong cost management and aided by favourable currency and commodity rates.”

“GST is expected to stabilize soon which should lead to better macroeconomic environment and result in higher advertising spends. With growth coming back to core business, we hope to deliver better results to our shareholders,” added Bhartia.

MUMBAI: PepsiCo India’s Quaker Oats+Milk, a one-of-a-kind grain dairy beverage along with Mindshare, India’s largest full-service media agency, a part of GroupM will bring together two of India’s largest radio stations as a part of their ‘Power of Two’ campaign. Earlier this year, Quaker Oats+Milk, a revolutionary innovation by PepsiCo’s nutrition category, introduced a unique combination of the goodness of oats and the power of milk in the Indian markets. And now, the brand has done it again, by putting together, a never heard before phenomenon of bringing together Radio Mirchi and RED FM for the first time in the history of Indian radio.

‘Power of Two’ will see two of India’s favourite radio stations come together to put up one magnum opus show to highlight the importance of the right nutrition. Spanning over 4 hours, RJ Raunac, of Bauaa fame, and RJ Naved, famously known for Mirchi Murga, will deliver non-stop on-air magic with their diverse personalities, comic timing and love for music and nutrition. The show’s teasers have been extremely well received by listeners across the capital and there’s immense excitement about this ‘funtastic’ duo coming together.

On this interesting association Nutrition Category – PepsiCo India Vice President Deepika Warrier said, “We are glad we have been able to bring two greats from radio together to showcase the Power of Two. When we conceptualized Quaker Oats+Milk, we knew it would be a very relevant product that exemplifies the power of two super ingredients Oats and Milk. Through this association with Radio Mirchi and RED FM, we want to send out an equally relevant message on the importance of right nutrition. We are certain that this show will lead all the listeners out there towards a healthier tomorrow.”

Mindshare South Asia CEO Prasanth Kumar said, “We are glad to be a part of this innovative campaign which brings together two of the biggest radio channels to showcase Quaker Oats+Milk’s ‘Power Of Two’. We at Mindshare believe in delivering our brands with creativity, innovativeness, unconventional and inventive strategies. Bringing together Radio Mirchi and RED FM is definitely a never heard before phenomenon. We hope to reach as many as possible listeners and aware them with the brand’s new product.”

The show will have an interesting mix of guests which include PepsiCo’s Deepika Warrier, Ritika Samaddar, Regional Head- Dietetics - ‎Max Healthcare and Master Blaster, Sachin Tendulkar. While Deepika will talk to the young listeners on the various career opportunities and mentorship programs, Ritika will highlight the importance nutrition in millennials. This epic show’s finale will have the Master Blaster, Sachin Tendulkar, join in for a special segment. Sachin will speak about his life and about the significant role of nutrition in his 24 year long cricketing innings.

Speaking about the show, Quaker Oats+Milk co-creator Sachin said, “I have always believed in the power of great partnerships and attribute a large part of my success to it. The Power of Two, whether it’s about the two super ingredients in Quaker Oats+Milk or the most awaited radio show, is always special. I’m looking forward to be a part of this show and hope the audience enjoys it as well.”

Adding to this, ENIL (Radio Mirchi) MD & CEO Prashant Panday said, “Mirchi as a brand has always managed to enthrall its listeners and clients with pathbreaking ideas like this one. The "Power of 2" campaign is yet another example of how we’ve managed to push the bar higher with clutter breaking content. Brands built with passion and on strong pillars have the courage to experiment, be it Quaker, Radio Mirchi or Red FM. We at Mirchi are proud to associate with Quaker Oats+Milk and Red FM to create a historical moment on radio. Our listeners will be delighted to hear RJ Naved and RJ Raunac come together for the first time. We love bringing disruptive ideas to life and will continue to do so to delight both our listeners and clients.”

RED FM chief operating officer Nisha Narayanan added, “RED FM has always believed in innovative content and this is yet another innovative solution, this time for ‘Quaker Oats+ Milk’. Radio as a medium allows for such innovations and with support of brand like Quaker which believe in innovation and disruption, it only allows two strong radio brands like RED FM and Radio Mirchi to come together and co-create something which has never been done before in the history of Indian Radio - RJ Raunac & RJ Naved to do a show together. I am sure the show will be a delight for both the listeners and the brand team. We look forward to creating innovative and engaging content and client solutions in times to come.”

Witness the Power of Two come alive on Radio Mirchi and RED FM on 27 October 2017 between 7am to 11am.

MUMBAI: In 2015 Fever FM brought the trademark Fever brand experience to Chennai with the first ever successful acquisition of a station in the industry, that of Aaha 91.9 FM in Chennai.

In quick time Fever 91.9 FM became Chennai’s Bollywood heartbeat and its tagline is aptly titled ‘Idhu Bollywoodin Superstar’.

Fever 91.9 FM has not only served Bollywood to Chennai in a unique and most entertaining manner but has also connected strongly with listeners through innovations and unique initiatives.

This year, the station decided to pay a mega tribute to the missile man, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam on his birthday. RJ Sano embarked on a journey to cover the life of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam and started from the house where he was born in Rameshwaram. The journey was flagged off by his brother, his niece and his grandson and culminated on his birthday, 15 August at Rashtrapati Bhawan.

During her journey, RJ Sano covered ISRO in Trivandrum where he worked, met his classmate at Ramanathapuram and his military assistant, Mr Chellappa at Tirunelveli. She also met Sampath Kumar, Dr Kalam’s roommate at St. Joseph college at Coimbatore, his granddaughter Nagoor Roja at Bangalore and Sathya CR, former Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Research Centre.

This 10-days journey on air and on digital ended at the Rashtrapati Bhawan where she was with Dr Kalam’s family and the current president of India, Dr Pranab Mukherjee.

Commenting on the anniversary, HT Media Ltd. CEO- Radio and Entertainment Harshad Jain said, “We are glad that listeners in Chennai have accepted us with open arms and showered us with their love and loyalty.  Fever 91.9 FM is the destination station in Chennai with Bollywood, innovative content and entertainment as key pegs. Rameshwaram to Rashtrapati Bhavan with RJ Sano affirms our strong commitment to unique content and innovation. Moreover, it is our tribute to a real hero of Chennai and India – Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.”

MUMBAI:  Radio Mirchi pulled down its '#MatAaoIndia' campaign with an apology for putting up a creative asking foreigners to not visit India in the wake of attack in Agra on a couple from Switzerland.

The Swiss couple was brutally assaulted in Uttar Pradesh's Fatehpur Sikri on October 22. They had arrived in India on 30 September. The couple was beaten up by two adults and three minors who have been arrested and sent to a childcare centre in Shah Ganj. 

The minors reportedly told police that they were returning after playing cricket when they asked the Swiss couple for a selfie but pelted them with stones when they refused.

Following the incident, the radio channel came out with the campaign. 

However, many people slammed the radio channel for the campaign, which intended to address the issue with some humour. 

The channel posted the apology on Twitter on Friday. 

The post read: "Radio Mirchi apologises for the creative it ran about the tourist incident. Our intention was not to hurt the sentiments of people. We are deeply sorry. We have removed the creative".

(Source: IANS)

MUMBAI:  FM radio station Radio Charminar is doing its bit to revive interest in long lost Hyderabadi folk music - Dholak Ke Geet.  The latter's origins lie in the women who used to hum them while working on farms or in mills around 60 years ago. Later,  they also began sharing their emotions and feelings while singing with these strains then being used for weddings and different functions.

Sadly, today Dholak Ke Geet is neither seen in Hyderabad nor around the globe, with the youth being almost totally ignorant about it. Radio Charminar wants to change that and has collaborated with a group of five ladies artists to bring back the magic of old folk tunes.

The head of the station Adbul Samed met a Dholak Ke Geet researcher Sameena Begam from Maulana Azad National University who has also written a book on the subject.

“When Sameena Begam presented me the book written by her she shared many amazing facts about the music which she got to know during her research. That is when the idea came to my mind to get the old music back to people of Hyderabad. Also, these kinds of music are no more available in the market,” says Samed.

The  Radio Charminar team along with Sameena visited certain villages to chat with older folks there who still have memories of  Dholak Ke Geet.  60-year-old folk musician Hafiza who leads a group of five lady musicians (and performs the old folk tradition even today on rare occasions) visited the  Radio Charminar studio for a recording. 

“We requested her if we could record Dholak Ke Geet in her voice with her group. Without hesitation, she agreed. It was so amazing to know that the lady knew so many of the songs all by heart.  She sang around 15 songs back to back, each song on an average of three minutes  The songs are shot and recorded in radio Charminar studio,” adds Samed.

The videos have been uploaded on Radio Charminar’s Youtube and Facebook official page. Since then the videos are going viral not only in India but in many unexpected countries. “There are people from the Gulf, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Dubai including India. People who have shifted to the Gulf have commented “Jab hum kaam se wapas ghar aake yeh gana sunte hai, hamari sari purani yaadein taza ho jati hai.” There are positive comments from people around asking the lady to perform their functions. We were shocked in the first place to see such a good response for folk music as this was completely not expected,” ends Samed.

MUMBAI: When listeners of the popular Red FM night time show,  Naughty Nights tune in to listen to, no longer do they hear host RJ Nasar's suave voice. Instead, greeting them has been RJ Abhimanyu, who has filled the slot which was vacated by  Nasar last month, as he wanted to chill out, having no idea as to where he would go next.

RJ Abhimanyu, known to be a super cool guy who's done it all, will be doing it all - speaking and singing to his callers as he strums his guitar. He has been mandated to maturedly handle the calls of those who have no one to speak or vent out their day-to-day frustrations. He will come out like a "hero" (which is what his name stands for), transforming their dull nights.

The new joinee was warmly welcomed by RED FM and Vidya Balan who is playing the role of an RJ in her upcoming release Tumhari Sullu. Vidya Balan showed some real acting skills while playing a fun prank on the newbie RJ. When RJ Abhimanyu cheekily asked the cheerful actress to share one naughty conversation, she pretended to get cold feet, feeling offended with this kind of a question. Meanwhile, the programming head and manager were called in by Vidya to take a stock of this offensive question by the RJ. Amidst this mayhem when RJ Abhimanyu’s forehead had beads of sweat thinking he would lose his job, Vidya decided to break the tension. She held up a ‘Welcome to RED FM’ placard for RJ Abhimanyu.

Guess who’s the prankster now?

MUMBAI: Life is a package of a surprise that has something better to offer each time and show producer and RJ Navalakshmi from Suryan FM experienced this when she first went for RJ auditions in Suryan FM. It was in 2011, Navalakshmi was preparing for her final year semester when she first entered the Suryan FM office.

“I knew nothing about radio except for the frequency and radio station's name during auditions. I was given a random show to host and I did all that I could understand. On my way back home I was sure to not be selected because I messed up the entire audition. Surprisingly I got a call from the company saying that I was selected and they asked me to come the next day for another round. They confirmed me in the second round and asked me to join from the next day. I was so amazed like next day? Seriously? My life completely changed in a day,” says the RJ.

Being the youngest in the company with no experience of a corporate life, the change was tough for her but her dedication always kept her moving.

“That time it was my baby job, I did not know how a corporate work does. A college student who is always in cool superman t-shirts with loose pants suddenly stepping into the corporate world was just a life surprising change for me. But I was proud to not step back and that is the reason why I am here today,” says Navalakshmi.

Being an RJ was never on her wish list but as destiny always has something better than you think, Navalakshmi also believed in her destiny and opted for radio jocking.

“I thought of going into media as my entire family is into media but not RJ in specific. I was into theatre during college and played the role of an RJ twice. That is when I gave a thought that if I can play good roles, why not try to actually be an RJ. I always wanted to create an identity for myself without using my last name and radio is the best job for it,” she added.

The first show that Navalakshmi did was a typical radio show about dedicating songs called Ungalukaga. She gradually grew and today she is doing two shows. An afternoon 1-3 pm show called Magalir Mattum which is a woman-centric show. Here talented women majorly college students are featured on the show with stories of their journey. Next is an evening gossip show Kisu Kisu Geetha. On this show the RJ gossips about cinema, stars and more. Along with this she also produces a show called Injimarapa.

MUMBAI: On the occasion of Diwali, MY FM initiated a unique campaign, ‘Ek Diya’ aimed at bringing back vision to the visually impaired, the activity was executed across all the stations of MY FM network in Maharashtra.

For this, MY FM team identified one person in each city who was in need of the treatment. To raise funds, MY FM RJs and team made diyas (lamp), painted and decorated them. They invited listeners, corporates, and schools, colleges to come and purchase diyas for any money they wished to donate in a touch point activity. The identified visually impaired people are now being treated through the funds collected. In a rare case, MY FM came across a visually impaired family in Aurangabad and all four members were treated free of cost.

Commenting on this unique initiative MY FM CEO Harrish Bhatia said, “This activity strikes the right chord with our brand philosophy of spreading happiness and positivity, which pushes us to do bigger and better things for the entire community. With this initiative, a large number of people have associated with us and contributed whole heartedly. The entire amount is being used for the treatment of the people.”

Sharing his views on the activity MY FM chief programming officer Viplov Gupte said, “We launched ‘Ek Diya' as a brand activity in our newly launched stations in Maharashtra. Here our RJs and NGOs joined hands in painting Diyas and selling them to people. All the money collected is being used in getting one person per station treated. The intent is to gift them eye sight so that they can enjoy this beautiful festival of Diwali, watch the festivities with their own eyes.

People donated huge sums of money but the most encouraging response we received is from the listeners. To say the least, in Maharashtra, all doctors have waived off their fees for operation.

MUMBAI: Celebrating the birth of the golden state of Karnataka, Radio Indigo has planned an exciting and exclusive program for the occasion. This Karnataka Rajyothsava, Radio Indigo, the radio station for a Fun Young Bangalore, is paying rich tributes to the Iconic brands and personalities that have put Karnataka on the global map.

Celebrating 61 golden years, Radio Indigo is all set to honor the land that gave the world Bisi Bele Bath, along with having one of the most productive film industries of the year, making over 100 movies and with a proud legacy of literature and music. Across two days, the radio station will celebrate the state, with the people who have put Karnataka on the world map in their respective fields through their illustrious careers.

Some of the personalities include film and theatre actress Arundhati Nag, Cricketer Veda Krishnamurthy, Taxi4sure co-founder Aprameya Radhakrsihnan and many more. Through a series of special programs and interviews with all those personalities, Radio Indigo will take listeners on their journey and achievements portrayed for all of Bengaluru to hear.

Tune-in to Indigo 91.9 FM between 31 October and 1 November to listen to the Rajyothsava special.

BENGALURU: MY FM, the radio segment of media and events group DB Corp  Limited (DB Corp) had higher operating revenue for the quarter ended 30 September 2017 (Q2-18, current quarter) as compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year(Q2-17). DB Corp reported 11.6 percent y-o-y growth for operating revenue of its radio segment for Q2-18 at Rs 348.61 million from Rs 312.27 million. In its press release, DB Corp says that Radio business advertisement revenue grew 16.8 percent y-o-y to Rs 349 million from Rs 299 million.

The company however reported less than half the operating result for the radio segment for the current quarter as compared to the corresponding year ago quarter(y-o-y). Operating profit for the radio segment declined 2.12 times y-o-y in Q1-18 to Rs 61.06 million from Rs 129.66 million. EBIDTA for the radio segment declined 39.3 percent y-o-y to Rs 92 million from Rs 152 million after factoring, roll back of radio music royalty of Rs. 58 million, in Q2-17 (last year). The company says that (profit after tax) PAT for the radio segment stands at Rs. 40 million (11 percent margin), after considering roll back of radio music royalty of Rs. 58 million in Q2-17.

DB Corp says that MY FM completed the fastest roll out of all the 13 newly acquired stations under batch I of Phase III and expands reached to 7 states and across 30 cities. It claims that MY FM is the largest player in Rest of Maharashtra and continues to be number 1 in Chandigarh/Haryana/Punjab/ Rajasthan/ Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

Overall, DB Corp reported 5.4 percent y-o-y increase in consolidated operating revenue for the current quarter to Rs 5,683.31 million from Rs 5,390.75. Consolidated PAT declined 11.1 percent y-o-y to Rs 786.60 million from Rs 885.16 million.

MUMBAI: MY FM CEO Harrish Bhatia has now raised his position with additional responsibilities of DB Group, the parent company of MY FM. Bhatia is brought back as a President of DB group core business of print media. In the new role, all state COOs of DB group will report to him. This move will be effective starting 2 November 2017.

It’s been 16 years since Bhatia is associated with DB group by joining MY FM in October 2001. Prior to moving into the Radio division of the group, he spent around six years in print business where he was head of the Rajasthan Unit. Subsequently, he laid the foundation of Divya Bhaskar in Gujarat and also led the Corp. sales and marketing vertical of the Print Business. Then in the year 2007, he took charge of Radio Business and established MY FM. He successfully led MY FM to reach breakeven within a period of three years and today has the highest EBITA margins and No.1 radio player in the retail market across seven states with 30 stations.

Speaking on the announcement DB Corp Ltd managing director Sudhir Agarwal said, “Harrish is an old hand in the system, with his vast exposure across brands and categories and deep understanding of the various functions in the Print Business, he will be able to take the business to new heights. I wish him all the very best in the new role.”

Rahul Namjoshi, who was earlier the corporate sales head, has been elevated as business head, MY FM keeping in view Bhatia’s movement into print business. In his new role Rahul will report to Pawan Agarwal, deputy managing director. Rahul joined the organization in March 2007 and held the role of regional head Gujarat and cluster head - NCR till 2012. In 2012 he moved into the role of national corporate sales head and has been also handling the client solutions team and the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Deputy managing director Pawan Agarwal said, “Rahul has been with us since 2007, his strong understanding of the radio business both at the retail and corporate level made him the obvious choice for us, I am sure MY FM will achieve new heights under his leadership.”