FM radio may finally get to air news – but only government news

Private FM radio channels will soon be allowed to broadcast news, the government announced on Monday.
 
But it is hardly a carte blanche - all the news will have to be sourced from government-run All India Radio (AIR), additional secretary in the information and broadcasting ministry Rajiv Takru said.

Since the birth of Independent India, no radio station apart from AIR has been allowed to broadcast news. And Takru was quick to add that only government-controlled news would be available to private networks.

Speaking at the Radio Congress 2011, organised by the Association of Radio Operators for India (AROI) in New Delhi, Takru said, "In a short time private FM channels will be able to carry news as these channels will be allowed to broadcast news bulletins of All India Radio - but the news should be unaltered.''

The government's move comes at a time when it is in the process of finalising the process for the 'third phase' of FM radio expansion in India "We intend to start the (FM) phase three as soon as possible. It is in the final stages. Within the next two to three months we should be able to have a final view taken by the government and inshaallah we should be up and running," Takru said.

Unlike the first two phases, the government is taking the e-auction route for giving license of the FM Phase-III. However Takru did not specify what exactly the third phase would involve. Nor did he elaborate on the time frame for implementation.

Takru said the government is working on different modules, including designing two-minute news capsules for private FM channels in case they are unable to carry fifteen minutes bulletin broadcast by AIR.