Mid-Day opts not to take FM to Delhi, Chennai

Mid-Day opts not to take FM to Delhi, Chennai

 Mid-Day

MUMBAI:Although Mid-Day's Go 92.5 FM has established itself well as a niche music channel in Mumbai, the company seems to have thought twice about it before attempting a foray into Delhi and Chennai. The last date for payment of license fees in the two cities was today, as the government has not budged on the request for respite from private FM players.

Mid-Day Multimedia informed the Bombay Stock Exchange this afternoon that M/s Mid-Day Radio North India Ltd and Mid-Day Broadcasting South India Pvt. Ltd, 100 per cent subsidiaries of the company, formed for the purpose of operating FM Broadcasting Stations at Delhi and Chennai respectively, will not be going ahead with their plans of setting up FM stations there.

The company said that it informed I&B ministry on Wednesday that due to uneconomic license fee structure and delay in the setting up of joint infrastructure by all the broadcasters in the respective cities beyond the agreed date of 29 August, it would not undertake broadcasting activity in Delhi and Chennai respectively under the present tender terms. However, if there is any change in the tender terms by the government (I & B Ministry), Mid-Day has kept open the option of reconsidering its position.