I&B Ministry
Red FM hikes ad rates by 35% buoyed by optimism post Phase III FM auctions
NEW DELHI: Even as the results of some of the Sun Group’s bids in the FM Phase III are being held back as the matter is pending in courts, 93.5 RED FM has implemented a 35 per cent hike in ad rates across all its stations.
The new rates became effective today (21 September).
Red FM COO Nisha Narayanan said, “We have not had a rate hike for a while now. Today, radio as a medium is growing at a Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 18 per cent and attracts a large number of advertisers as consumption of radio is on an overall high. The demand and supply scenario has a huge imbalance with demand way beyond the inventory that we can play on Red FM. Also the advertisers have shown faith in us to provide customised solutions for their brands and do not have an issue in paying premiums.”
“With Phase III and newer cities we plan to venture into, we have decided to go ahead with rates hike of 35 per cent across the network. With strong hold in metro cities as well as Tier II and III cities, we will continue to provide customised quality solutions for all our clients across the network and hope to receive their support for the desired increase.”
Narayanan further said these were very interesting times for the FM radio space as the advertising community has been showing its faith in the medium continuously, which is evident fromthe overflowing radio inventories.
Demand across most of major metro’s and big cities has seen growth, which is equivalent to festive season rush and thus there is an eminent reason for the rate hike, which have been stagnant for almost two to three years now.
Narayanan added the Phase III auctions and an overall optimism within the industry isalso going to put pressure on the operational expenses. Thus the rate hike is one of the steps that have become a necessity to optimise the demand and supply and offer best of entertainment and mileage to advertisers and stakeholders. “More and more volume is also coming from lot of new categories and it’s good to see their trust in the medium by planning campaigns with FM stations,” she added.
I&B Ministry
AIDCF moves TDSAT over Waves plan to stream linear TV channels
Industry body flags regulatory gap as OTT push sparks broadcast turf war
NEW DELHI: The battle between traditional television distributors and digital platforms has found its way to the courts, with the All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF) moving the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) against Prasar Bharati’s latest OTT play.
At the heart of the dispute is Waves, Prasar Bharati’s OTT platform, which has invited applications to onboard linear satellite TV channels. Aidcf, which represents multi-system operators (msos), argues that this move sidesteps existing broadcasting rules and risks tilting the playing field in favour of digital platforms.
The federation’s petition hinges on a key provision in the Uplinking and Downlinking Guidelines, 2022. Clause 11(3)(f) allows broadcasters to downlink channels only if they provide signal decoders to recognised distribution platforms such as MSOS, DTH operators, hits operators and iptv platforms. OTT platforms, aidcf points out, do not feature on that list.
In simple terms, AIDCF’s argument is this: if OTT platforms are not officially recognised distributors, they should not be receiving broadcast signals in the first place. By inviting channels onto Waves, the federation claims, Prasar Bharati is opening a backdoor that lets broadcasters bypass long-standing rules.
The concern goes beyond legal interpretation. Aidcf says OTT platforms currently operate without a clear regulatory framework, allowing them to expand into traditional broadcasting territory without the compliance burden that cable and satellite operators must carry. That, it argues, creates an uneven contest.
There is also a warning for broadcasters. If they provide signal decoders to an OTT platform like Waves, they could risk breaching the very conditions under which their downlinking permissions were granted.
For its part, Prasar Bharati’s Waves initiative is positioned as a step towards wider access and digital reach, bringing linear television into the streaming era. But critics say the move blurs the line between regulated broadcasting and largely unregulated streaming.
The matter is expected to come up before tdsat next week. The outcome could do more than settle a single dispute. It may help define how India regulates the fast-merging worlds of television and OTT, where the lines are getting fuzzier by the day and the stakes, sharper than ever.
