I&B Ministry
Govt: 17 new FM stations in 10th Plan
NEW DELHI: The policy changes are yet to be effected, but the government today informed the Parliament that 70 new FM radio stations are proposed to be set up during the 10th Five-Year Plan, which runs till 2007.
Information and Broadcasting minister Jaipal Reddy told Rajya Sabha (Upper House) today that in addition to the 70 new FM radio stations, 150 low powered FM transmitters were also being planned in areas not covered by radio broadcast. This, however, is subject to approval and availability of resources at the disposal of the government.
Maximum number of FM stations are being sought to be
set up in the states of Uttaranchal and West Bengal where seven frequencies in each state would be made available to interested players in cities like Dehradun, Haldwani, New Tehri, Rudraprayag, Darjeeling, Purulia, Bardhman and Balurghta.
But the strongest FM transmitters of 20 KW each are being made available to the border states of Punjab and Rajasthan in cities like Amritsar, Ramgarh and Chautam Hill.
In reply to another question, Reddy said that the changes in the existing FM radio policy were being finalised, but there was no proposal to review the DTH guidelines, notified in 2001.
According to information available with the Indiantelevision.com, the government is open to a revenue sharing model to help migrate the existing FM players into a new regime.
“As per a proposal that the I&B ministry will be circulating to other ministries for feedback, it has to be seen which of the options are feasible to pave the way for the opening of the second phase of FM Radio,” a government official said last week.
The official added that the revenue shared percentage as suggested by the sector regulator (four per cent) seems to be on the lower side, which would effect government revenue collections.
I&B Ministry
Digital radio, D2M tech set to reshape broadcasting and public messaging
Govt pushes next-gen delivery while TRAI tightens grip on spam ecosystem
NEW DELHI: India’s broadcasting and telecom landscape is undergoing a quiet but significant upgrade, with digital radio and Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) technologies emerging as powerful tools for mass communication, while regulators step up efforts to tackle spam calls.
According to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, digital radio and D2M are poised to transform how content reaches audiences by making more efficient use of spectrum. In simple terms, multiple channels can now be delivered over a single frequency, opening the door to a wider range of free-to-air content.
D2M technology takes this a step further by enabling video, audio and data to be broadcast directly to mobile handsets without relying on SIM cards or mobile data. The result is a resilient and cost-effective data pipe that can deliver everything from entertainment and education to critical emergency alerts, even in low-connectivity scenarios.
At the same time, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is tightening its grip on unsolicited commercial communication, better known as spam calls. The regulator has deployed a distributed ledger technology platform to bring transparency and accountability into the system.
Through this blockchain-based setup, consumers can register their preferences on receiving promotional messages, while businesses and telemarketers must also sign up and operate within defined rules. The platform also includes a complaint mechanism that allows users to report spam, with complaints shared across telecom operators for coordinated action.
The government’s broader push is being supported by infrastructure upgrades under the Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network Development scheme. Implemented through Prasar Bharati, the initiative focuses on modernising networks such as Akashvani and Doordarshan, including digitisation and adoption of next-generation broadcast equipment.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting minister of state for information and broadcasting L. Murugan said these steps are part of a larger effort to promote emerging technologies and strengthen the country’s broadcasting backbone. The response came to a query raised by member of Parliament Rao Rajendra Singh.
Together, these developments point to a dual-track strategy: expanding access to reliable, low-cost content while cleaning up the communication ecosystem. As digital pipes get smarter and spam filters sharper, India’s airwaves may soon feel a lot less noisy and far more useful.
