Music and Youth
Government now looking at throwing open bids for FM phase 3
NEW DELHI: The government’s going radio ga GA looks like.
Information & broadcasting secretary SK Arora today said that the government is exploring phase three after seeing the overwhelming response it got from private players to the second round of bidding for FM radio licences.
Arora, who interacted with journalists on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association’s 26th general conference in the capital after outlining the developments in the media, said in the third round of bidding, smaller towns and circles would be targeted.
However when asked by Indiantelevision.com, Arora didnt give a time frame, saying, At the moment, we will have to get the first two phases of FM on stream and then we will examine the possibility of a third phase, which is part of a bigger plan to get the whole country on the FM (radio) map. I
cannot give any time frame for the third phase now. It may take even a year.
The financial bid process for the second phase of FM private radio was for 338 radio stations spread across 91 cities. The bidding started on 6 January and was done in five stages.
Out of the total frequencies, 279 frequencies were finally picked up. Some more licences will be given away in lieu of those surrendered by bigger players.
It is interesting to note that FM radio phase II had witnessed new entrants such as Reliance-Adlabs and Bhaskar group bidding intelligently and aggressively, besides the existing radio players some of whom, like the Sun TV group, widened their presence in the country.
Still, he admitted that a Prime Ministers Office-initiated panel recently discussed the issue of news on private radio stations. No recommendations have been made yet and the government would examine if any suggestions were made in this regard, Arora added.
Broadcast regulatory authority draft bill ready
Delivering the keynote address at the CBA conference earlier, Arora also said that the government is contemplating a regulatory mechanism for the broadcast sector and a draft paper is ready, which would now be discussed with the industry stakeholders.
In his opening remarks, he said that a Broadcast Regulation Act is being contemplated to refine and define the parameters that would guide the regulation of broadcast content and carriage in the changing scenario where more and more convergence is taking place.
According to him, a self-regulation content code too is being developed in consultation with the industry, which will lay emphasis on self-regulation. The regulator will intervene in case of broadcaster s failure to self regulate, he added.
After having outlined the importance of the amended uplink guidelines and the newly placed downlink law, interestingly Arora said that the broadcast regulatory law might also include clauses on private broadcasters obligations to public service broadcasting.
Pointing out that of late the private broadcasters have also started doing public service broadcasting, Arora said the government is considering whether the roles of Prasar Bharati (the major public service broadcaster) and the private players, who are meeting their obligations on public service
broadcasting, could be converged in due course.
It could be infrastructure or content or both. We are still examining how this could be highlighted, Arora said when asked about private broadcasters role in public broadcasting.
While inaugurating the CBA event that was surprisingly shorn of media hype, information and broadcasting minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi said that time has come to examine as to how much disinformation is being carried along with information dissemination taking place in todays world.
While lauding the role of CBA within the commonwealth countries, Dasmunshi said sharing of information among members could be further articulated to reduce tensions.
CBA secretary general Don Micknon highlighted the role of broadcasters in strengthening the cooperation among the member countries ever since its inception in 1945.
Music and Youth
TLC launches ‘World On My Plate’ with Shipra Khanna
New travel-food series premieres 29 March at 7:00 PM.
MUMBAI: Shipra Khanna just packed her bags and her flavours because when a celebrated chef takes you on a global plate tour, even the couch starts feeling like first-class. Warner Bros. Discovery India has announced the launch of World On My Plate with Shipra Khanna, a new travel and food series set to premiere on TLC on 29 March at 7:00 PM. Hosted and curated by the popular chef and television personality, the show blends food, travel and culture through an intimate and immersive lens.
Across three visually rich episodes, Shipra journeys to global destinations to explore not just what people eat, but why they eat it, uncovering the stories, traditions and human connections behind every dish. The series opens in London, weaving its iconic landmarks with diverse culinary scenes, before moving to Spain’s vineyards, olive orchards and coastal kitchens.
Warner Bros. Discovery head of advertising revenues for South Asia Tanaz Mehta said: “At TLC, our focus has always been on bringing authentic stories that reflect how people live and connect. World On My Plate builds on this by using food as a lens to explore shared traditions across geographies. We’re excited to collaborate with Chef Shipra Khanna, whose perspective brings both depth and relatability to these narratives.”
Shipra Khanna added, “Food has always been my way of connecting with people and understanding cultures. With World On My Plate, I’ve had the opportunity to step into new worlds, learn from incredible individuals, and share stories that go far beyond the plate. This show is very special to me.”
The series promises strong visual storytelling, meaningful interactions and a fresh perspective on global cuisine celebrating flavours alongside the emotions and traditions that shape them.
In a world where travel shows often feel like distant postcards, Shipra Khanna is serving up something far more personal: a passport to cultures through their kitchens, proving that the best way to understand a place is still through the plate. Tune in to World On My Plate with Shipra Khanna starting 29 March at 7:00 PM on TLC.
