News Broadcasting
Bombay HC to take up Mirchi case
MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court is scheduled to hear Entertainment Network India Ltd (Radio Mirchi)’s petition seeking an injunction against the government from encashing its bank guarantee.
The petition, which was listed for hearing at 2:30 pm, did not come up till 6 pm, information available with indiantelevision.com indicates.
At the time of posting this report, inquiries with FM industry sources could not conclusively ascertain when and if the case was to finally be heard.
ENIL, which runs FM radio station Radio Mirchi, had petitioned the court last week, attempting to get legal cover, while getting the government to accede to its request to get the deadline for payment of license fees postponed. ENIL, which runs FM stations in seven cities in India including Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Indore and Ahmedabad, is scheduled to pay up license fees of over Rs 110 million for Mumbai itself for the third year of broadcast by 29 April.
The legal route is being tried out by Mirchi, as well as other players who contemplate taking the same road, in an attempt to stall payments in the current government’s reign, in the belief that the next government that comes to power after the ongoing Lok Sabha (Lower House) elections, will take a more lenient view of the radio licensing regime.
But government officials say that at this time, it would not be prudent for the government to defer the license fee payment as it would need a cabinet okay, which could be questioned by opposition political parties as the election process is on and the present government is just a caretaker one.
More importantly, officials point out, that if a deferment of the license fee happens, then it may result in financial loss for the government as the total license fee of various players put together amounts to almost Rs 1000 million.
FM broadcasters have been trying to get the government to rationalise the sector by getting a revenue sharing model in place of the license structure. Information and broadcasting minister R S Prasad had hinted in favour of the proposed model during Frames 2004 held in Mumbai in March. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, earlier this month, issued its interim recommendations on private FM broadcast. According to the recommendations, FM licensees were given the option of deferring payments, which could fall due till a final decision is taken.
The final recommendations of Trai would address the issue of license fee payable as well as the relevant interest rate. The I&B ministry however, has not taken a decision on the recommendations thus far.
News Broadcasting
UDF poised to return to power in Kerala, says Manorama-CVoter survey
Massive opinion poll projects shift in Kerala politics ahead of 2026 Assembly elections.
MUMBAI: The winds of change appear to be blowing through Kerala’s political landscape and this time, they seem to favour the United Democratic Front. A comprehensive mega opinion survey conducted by Manorama News in partnership with CVoter projects a potential comeback for the UDF in the upcoming Kerala Legislative Assembly Elections 2026. The survey, covering all 140 constituencies with a massive sample size of nearly 90,000 respondents, predicts the UDF could win between 69 and 81 seats.
The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) is expected to secure 57 to 69 seats, a significant drop from the 99 seats it won in the 2021 elections. This would mean the LDF losing 30 to 42 of its sitting seats. Meanwhile, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which drew a blank in 2021, is projected to open its account with 1 to 5 seats.
Region-wise, the UDF is expected to make strong gains in Malabar, winning 25 to 34 out of 48 seats, and in Central Kerala, where it could bag 29 to 33 out of 53 seats. In South Kerala, the LDF is likely to retain an edge with 21 to 25 seats, while the UDF may improve to 12 to 16 seats. The NDA could pick up 1 to 3 seats in the southern region.
The survey was conducted between 14 and 26 March 2026, with additional tracker and snap polls carried out from December 2025 to March 2026. A total of 89,693 respondents participated, ensuring representation across all demographics and social segments.
Manorama News has a strong track record of accuracy, with its previous projections closely matching the actual results of the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections as well as the 2021 Kerala Assembly polls.
In Kerala’s famously fierce political battles, this survey suggests the pendulum may be swinging back. Whether the final verdict matches these numbers or throws up another surprise, one thing is clear, the 2026 Assembly elections are shaping up to be one of the most keenly watched contests in the state’s history.
