News Broadcasting
Govt. mulls revenue share for 2nd round of FM licences
NEW DELHI: The government is contemplating going in for revenue sharing with the licence holders of the second round of licences for FM radio.
The process of second round of licences is likely to begin post July by when the government expects the first round of licencees would have started their operations in various part of the country.
According to a senior information and broadcasting ministry official, the second round of FM radio licences would be given out after the process is initiated post July, by when other aspects of the licensing would also be finalised.
The official also indicated that if the government goes in for revenue sharing during the second round of licencing, a migration package, a la telecom, would be devised for the existing players too.
Licence holders, including MBPL-Star, Radio Mirchi from the Times group and Radio Today from the India Today Group are expected to start their operation in Delhi soon
In recent times the private radio FM players have been grumbling that the losses have been increasing, owing to high licence fee (given out after an open auction) and low revenues.
Radio City chief Sumantra Dutta had told indiantelevision.com several months back that if the losses keep mounting then its associate, MBPL, may have to give up the licence in cities like Lucknow, Prime Minister’s Vajpayee’s consituency. Radio City had paid Rs 750 million towards the license fee and the station doesn’t make more than Rs 1 million per month.
Meanwhile, the private FM radio stations submitted their balance sheets to India’s information & broadcasting ministry on 16 April and, according to government sources, the industry has reported a combined loss of Rs 1.2 billion against revenues of Rs 0.5 million.
The industry had made a presentation to the I&B minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in the first week of this month. In their presentation, the industry had advocated for shifting towards a revenue sharing model and relaxation on license fee payment. The industry had claimed that the revenues are not adequate and hence, the high license fee is not justified. The ministry had asked them to present their financial reports in two weeks time to support their cause.
The FM players are required to submit the license fee for the second year by the 30 April. If the ministry fails to come to a mutual agreement with the private FM industry on time, the industry had pointed out that some of the smaller players may have to shut down operations very soon.
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
