I&B Ministry
AIR appoints releaseMyAd as its first virtual agency
MUMBAI: All India Radio (AIR) has joined hands with releaseMyAd as its first ever virtual advertising agency, which is authorised to accept and process radio advertisement bookings for its network of stations.
AIR’s stations include Akashvani, Vividh Bharati, FM Rainbow and FM Gold.
As one of the country’s foremost welfare awareness medium, AIR’s reach surpasses that of any other private FM station.
To reinforce its presence in the virtual world, releaseMyAd.com will meet AIR’s twin objectives of optimum inventory utilisation as well as revenue augmentation.
The facility allows advertisers to book ads online across all channels of AIR with a mouse-click. As an online media option, releaseMyAd makes mass media advertising options accessible to all by effectively matchmaking between media owners and advertisers.
Talking about the initiative, AIR additional director general Amitabh Shukla said, “This initiative, a part of AIR’s ambitious web-enabled services for its patrons will not only assist us in adequate utilisation of last minute inventory that goes wasted if not put to use but will also fetch us valuable extra revenues.”
“AIR is an extensive government owned network that has exclusive rights over communications by every ministry. Be it the Parliamentary talk, World Cup commentary or the Prime Minister’s monthly address, this is the only platform that gives access to these. We want to help advertisers to capitalise on AIR’s monopoly on content that is news, sports or common welfare driven. It has such wonderful properties and scope to offer. We shall now play a significant part in communicating its vision and enabling whatever opportunities it has to offer,” added releaseMyAd founder Sharad Lunia.
AIR has complete national reach from the main urban centres to the tier 3 cities and even the most far flung rural sections of the country with its three tier broadcasting system. With its concept of local radio constituting the third tier of broadcasting, there are stations in all district headquarter towns.
However, accessing businesses in the farthest corners who could utilise the radio for advertisements becomes very difficult for AIR. Moreover, given their location, the business owners too don’t end up reaching out to the relevant sources for the purpose.
“Even seasoned advertisers who want to advertise on AIR are not too sure about how to reach out to them. It is not possible for Prasar Bharati to set up offices in every nook and corner of its broadcast boundaries. ReleaseMyAd will now do the needful to bridge this huge gap between businessmen and their remotely situated target groups,” Lunia added.
At a time when the country is riding a huge startup tide that is slowly transforming the landscape, this move on the AIR’s part will help the new wave of enterprises effectively reach out to audiences in every nook and corner of India.
I&B Ministry
MIB halts news TRPs for four weeks over sensational US-Iran conflict coverage
Government flags panic-mongering in television war coverage
NEW DELHI: India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting directed the Broadcast Audience Research Council India (BARC) to suspend television ratings for news channels for four weeks amid concerns over sensational coverage of the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Iran.
According to media reports, the move intends to curb excessive dramatisation in television reporting that could trigger unnecessary public anxiety.
Officials have observed that several news broadcasters are amplifying developments in the conflict in ways that may fuel panic among viewers. By temporarily halting the publication of viewership data, the ministry hopes to ease the competitive pressure on channels to chase ratings through sensational content.
The suspension will remain in effect for one month for now. During this period, television news channels will continue to broadcast as usual, but their audience measurement figures will neither be counted nor released.
Authorities will monitor both the evolving geopolitical situation and the tone of television coverage during the pause. The four-week suspension could be extended if the government believes the risk of panic-mongering or sensational reporting persists.
