Music and Youth
Fever FM to launch in Mumbai on 15 January
MUMBAI: It’s all systems go as the newest entrant on the FM block in Mumbai, Fever 104 FM, readies itself for a 15 January launch.
The FM station is a technical collaboration between Hindustan Times and Richard Branson’s Virgin Radio International. Virgin Radio International has also set up radio stations in Bangkok, Johannesburg, Malayasia and Paris.
Speaking to Indiantelevision.com about the no-frills format of Fever FM, Mumbai station head Sajjad Chunawala says, “Most radio stations follow the norm of block radio in programming. So you have the morning, afternoon, late night segments all chalked out. Our positioning of Fever 104 FM is more music, less talk. With a format driven content radio channel, we have defined our target audience as ranging between 25 and 34 years and this is the audience we want to cater to.”
The station has researched thousands of titles in the past two months to identify the kind of contemporary music which will appeal to its listeners. Said Chunawala, “The content of music will be 80 per cent Hindi and 20 per cent international music taken from the post 1980’s period. Of course, the music content will be tweaked to appeal to the local masses. So in Delhi, the music is influenced by Bhangra beats; in Mumbai it’s likely to have more of a Bollywood influence.”
When asked if he fears losing a particular segment of his audience in the already fragmented listenership on radio space, Chunawala is very clear when he says, “We can’t satisfy everyone and we know that. Not everbody is likely to enjoy our format we understand that as well. We have identified our core listener who likes his music without the incessant jabber of an RJ and this is where we are focused.”
No recipes, no agony aunts, no silly jokes and no astrologers – only music. That’s the line taken by the FM station. Over the next few days, the station promises a wide variety of on ground promotional activities. To kick off the activity, the station will have people with their mouths sealed stationed at various points across the city to give a sense of ‘less talk’.
The first Fever FM station was launched in Delhi in October last year. Two more stations in Kolkata and Bangalore are slated to go on air by the end of this month although no official date has been set for them.
MUMBAI: Mumbai is about to witness something it has never seen before. The Global Youth Festival arrives on 6-7 December at Jio World Garden with 15,000 attendees and 60-plus experiences sprawled across six sprawling arenas. On its sixth edition, this is no ordinary jamboree—it is a carefully orchestrated collision of wellness, adventure, arts, music, yoga and social change.
Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis will throw open the proceedings with a landmark ceremony, signalling the state’s backing for a movement that has already mobilised youth across 20-plus countries and 170-plus cities. The sheer scale is staggering: 500-plus volunteers powering the machine, 600,000-plus volunteer hours logged across previous editions, and millions of lives touched annually.
The speaker roster is formidable. Diipa Büller-Khosla and Dipali Goenka, chief executive of Welspun India, will share the stage with Malaika Arora in conversations spanning leadership, creativity and culture. Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Mansukhbhai Mandaviya will also attend, reinforcing GYF’s reach into the corridors of power.
But this is not mere talk. The Solaris Mainstage promises concerts from renowned Indian artists. Innerverse delivers a 360-degree LED spectacle of art, technology and sound. The Love and Care Arena houses hands-on projects spanning women’s empowerment, child education, rural upliftment and animal welfare. India’s largest outdoor sound-healing experience awaits. An inflatable obstacle course, neon drifter karts and open-sky bouldering cater to thrill-seekers.
Some have branded GYF the “Coachella of Consciousness.” Others call it “India’s Largest Sober Festival.” Spiritual visionary Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshji, who inspired the festival, will deliver the Wisdom Masterclass. Every rupee goes to charity.
After Mumbai comes Kolkata on 14 December. New York looms next year. For one weekend in December, Mumbai becomes the epicentre of youth-driven change—and nothing will be quite the same after.
Tickets available on BookMyShow. Visit youthfestival.srmd.org or follow @globalyouthfestival on Instagram.
