News Broadcasting
HC rules against Mirchi on FM licence plea
NEW DELHI / MUMBAI: Even as the government awaits the finance ministry’s opinion on the issue of FM radio licence fee, the Bombay High Court has refused to stay the encashment of bank guarantee (by the government) of the Mumbai licence holder (Radio Mirchi).
The case was filed in Mumbai by Entertainment Network India Limited, which runs FM radio stations in several cities under the brand name Radio Mirchi. The petition sought to restrain the government from attaching its bank guarantee in the event of non payment of license fees, which in the case of the Mumbai licence of Radio Mirchi became payable on 25 April.
Government officials in Delhi indicated that generally private FM licence holders were given one week’s time from the deadline to pay up. In Radio Mirchi Mumbai’s case the licence agreement technically came to an end on 18 April.
This one week’s extra time generally granted to the licence holder would mean that others could get time up to 6 May.
Government officials also told indiantelevision.com that they do not propose to go ahead and encash any bank guarantee after the Bombay High Court’s observations today. “We’d like to combine all such cases and take them to the finance ministry and await its response on the matter,” an information and broadcasting ministry official explained.
However, the government made light of Win’s threat to go off the air from tomorrow. Pointing out that the I&B ministry was trying to resolve the matter, the ministry official said such posturing by Win was “unwarranted” as it was the FM radio station’s wish to close down.
Meanwhile, all private FM players, on condition of anonymity, rue the lack of unity within the community. Publicly, they all swear eternal allegiance to the cause of FM radio in the country.
With the Radio Mirchi petition turned down by the High Court, one of the few flickers of hope for the industry has died. Individually, each player is struggling to find a solution to the impasse or getting ready to shell out the hefty license fee. Win 94.6 has decided to go off the airwaves from 11 pm tomorrow. It is trying to drum up public support for this initiative through announcements on the station today, but among its counterparts in the industry, there is only tacit support. “If only all the players would get together and collectively close down, even if for a short period, it would focus government attention on the issue,” says one player.
For now, the Millennium Broadcast backed Win is fighting its lone battle in the manner best known to it. Win resorted to the same strategy in May 2003, when its license fees were due and it refused to pay for over a month. This time, again, it says the closure will be indefinite, till the powers that be, see reason and rationalise the license fee structure or temper it with a revenue sharing model.
Time, or the Election Commission, should tell.
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.
