# FM broadcasting in India

The FM broadcasting in India began in 1977; growing popularity after 2001 when the privatisation of FM broadcasting began. AIR's FM LRS (Local Radio Station) was inaugurated on 1 July 2000 at 06:00 in Kodaikanal relaying Madurai programs in the frequency 100.5 MHz. 100.5 was so popular that LRS was upgraded to an FM Channel in just two months. The channel covered a radius of about 200 km (120 mi) due to its location at 2200 meters above MSL at Kodaikanal. KODAI FM is popularly known as it is the biggest individual FM channel in India, in both area coverage and listenership.
As of December 2018, there are more than 369 operational private radio stations in more than 101 cities and towns across India. The Government of India-owned All India Radio which has about 470 FM stations covering 92% of the area and 99.19% of the population of India. AIR originates programming in 23 languages and 179 dialects.

## History

FM broadcasting began on 23 July 1977 in Chennai, then Madras, and was expanded during the 1990s, nearly 50 years after FM broadcasting grew in the United States. India first experimented with private FM broadcasts in Goa and the large metropolitan areas of Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Chennai. These were followed by private stations in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Jaipur and Lucknow.
Until 1993, All India Radio, a government undertaking, was the only radio broadcaster in India. The government then decided to privatise the radio broadcasting sector. It sold airtime blocks on its FM channels in Indore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Vizag, and Goa to private operators, who developed their own program content. The Times Group operated its brand, Times FM, till June 1998. After that, the Indian Government decided not to renew contracts given to private operators. Instead, in 2000, the Indian Government announced the auction of 108 FM frequencies across India, opening up the FM broadcasting industry to private competition.
Radio City Bangalore, started on 3 July 2001, is India's first private FM radio station. It launched with presenters such as Vera, Rohit Barker, Seetal Iyer, Jonzie Kurian, Geeta Modgil, Suresh Venkat, and Chaitanya Hegde and Priya Ganapathy on the weekends. The Times Group rebranded its radio operations, establishing the Radio Mirchi brand. The first Radio Mirchi station began broadcasting on October 4, 2001 in Indore.
Indian policy states that the broadcasters are assessed a one-time entry fee (OTEF), for a license period of 10 years. Under the Indian accounting system, this amount is amortised over the 10-year period at 10% per annum. The annual license fee for private broadcasters is either 4% of revenue share or 10% of reserve price, whichever is higher.
India's earlier attempts to privatise its FM channels ran into rough weather when private players bid heavily and most could not meet their commitments to pay the government the amounts they owed.

## Content

Nationally, many of the current FM broadcasters, including the Times of India, Hindustan Times, Mid-Day, and BBC are established media institutions in India and are making a strong pitch for news on FM, which is currently limited to nationalized stations only. Private FM stations are allowed to rebroadcast news from All India Radio, as long as they do so without any changes or additions. The Supreme Court of India on 17 October 2013 issued a public interest litigation to the central government requesting that the rules should be changed to allow FM stations to broadcast news reports.

## Radio stations by location
### National Capital Region

| Name | Frequency | Language |
| Radio Jamia (see Jamia Millia Islamia) | 90.4 MHz | Multilingual |
| RADIO 7 | 90.4 MHZ | Hindi |
| Delhi University Community Radio | 90.4 MHz | Multilingual |
| Radio SD 90.8 | 90.8 MHz | Hindi |
| Radio City | 91.1 MHz | Multilingual |
| Big FM | 92.7 MHz | Multilingual |
| Red FM | 93.5 MHz | Multilingual |
| MY Fm | 94.3 MHz | Hindi |
| Radio One | 94.3 MHz | Hindi English |
| Hit95 FM | 95.0 MHz | Hindi |
| Apna Radio (Indian Institute of Mass Communication) | 96.9 MHz | Multilingual |
| Radio Mirchi | 98.3 MHz | Multilingual |
| AIR FM Gold | 100.1 MHz | Multilingual |
| FM Rainbow Lucknow | 100.7 MHz | Hindi |
| All India Radio JAIPUR | 101.2 MHZ | Hindi |
| Amit Bharti | 101.6 MHz | Hindi |
| AIR FM Rainbow | 102.6 MHz | Hindi |
| AIR AlWAR | 103.1 MHz | Hindi |
| Fever 104 | 104.0 MHz | Hindi |
| 104.8 Ishq | 104.8 MHz | Hindi |
| Gyan Vani | 105.6 MHz | Hindi |
| Vividh Bharti (All India Radio) | 105.4 MHz | Hindi |
| Radio Nasha | 107.2 MHz | Hindi |
| Sawai Madhopur FM | 101.5 MHz | Hindi |
| Noida FM | 107.4 MHz | Hindi |
| Gurgaon Ki Awaz | 107.8 MHz | Hindi |

### Kolkata, West Bengal

* Radio SRFTI (90.4 MHz, Available within a 10 Km radius of the film institute)
* Radio JU (90.8 MHz, Available within a 5 km radius of the University, from 11:00 AM to 7:30 PM)
* Y FM NSHM (91.2 MHz, Available within a 10 km radius of the institute, from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM)
* Friends FM (91.9 MHz) (Bengali, Hindi)
* Big FM (92.7 MHz) (Bengali, Hindi)
* Red FM (93.5 MHz) (Bengali, Hindi)
* Radio Nasha (94.3 MHz,formerly Radio One) (Bengali, Hindi)
* Radio Mirchi (98.3 MHz) (Bengali, Hindi)
* AIR FM Gold (100.1 MHz)
* Akashwani Kolkata (100.3 MHz) (Bengali)
* AIR FM Vividh Bharati (101.8 MHz)
* Fever 104 FM (104 MHz) (Bengali, Hindi)
* Ishq FM (104.8 MHz) (Bengali, Hindi)
* AIR FM Rainbow (107 MHz)

### Asansol, West Bengal

* Big FM (92.7 MHz) (Bengali, Hindi)
* Red FM (93.5 MHz) (Bengali, Hindi)
* Radio Mirchi (95.0 MHz) (Bengali, Hindi)

### Siliguri, West Bengal

* Radio Misty (94.3 MHz) (Bengali, Hindi)
* Red FM (93.5 MHz) (Bengali, Hindi)
* Radio Mirchi (98.3 MHz) (Bengali, Hindi)

### Bolpur Santiniketan, West Bengal

* Akashwani Santiniketan (103.1 MHz) (Bengali, Hindi)

### Suri, West Bengal

* Gitanjali Radio (90.4 MHz Cultural radio station opened in 2024) (Bengali)

### Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh

* IIT Kanpur Radio (90.4 MHz)
* Waqt Ki Awaz (91.2 MHz)
* Big FM (92.7&nb
* Red FM (93.5 MHz)
* Fever 104 FM (95.0 MHz)
* Radio Mirchi (98.3 MHz)
* AIR FM Rainbow (102.2 MHz)
* Vividh Bharati (103.7 MHz)
* Mirchi Love (91.9 MHz)
* News Channel English (105.6 MHz)
* Radio City (104.8 MHz)
* Gyan Vani (106.4 MHz)
* AIR FM Gold (736 MW)

### Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh

* AIR Ayodhya Radio (101.4 MHz)
* Awadhi Radio (98.2 MHz)
* Big FM (92.7 MHz)
* Red FM (93.5 MHz)
* Fever 104 FM (95.0 MHz)
* Radio Ayodhya (102.9 MHz)
* Vividh Bharati (103.7 MHz)
* Awadh University Radio (96.9 MHz)
* NAG FM (106.4 MHz)

### Rajasthan

* Radio City (91.1 MHz)
* Red FM (93.5 MHz)
* MY FM (94.3 MHz)
* Tadka (95.0 MHz)
* Radio Mirchi (98.3 MHz)
* Radio Selfie (90.8 MHz)
* All India Radio (100.3 MHz)
* All India Radio(Jaipur) (101.2 MHz)
* Mirchi Love (104.0 MHz)
* 89.6 FM Sikar (89.6 MHz)

### Ahmedabad, Gujarat

* Radio Mirchi - 98.3 FM (Times Group)
* My FM - 94.3 FM D B Corp Ltd.
* Red FM - 93.5 FM (Sun Group
* Radio City - 91.1 FM (Music Broadcast Limited)
* Radio One - 95.0 FM (Only Bollywood Retro Station of Ahmedabad)
* AIR Vividh Bharati - 96.7 FM (All India Radio)
* Micavaani - 90.4 FM (Mudra Institute of Communications)
* AIR Gyan Vaani - 105.4 FM (All India Radio)
* Mirchi Love - 104 FM (Times Group)
* All India radio - 100.1 FM
* Radio Nazariya - 107.8 FM (Drishti)

### Hyderabad

| Name | Frequency (MHz) | Language |
| Bol 90.4 FM | 90.4 | Multilingual |
| Radio City | 91.1 | Telugu |
| Big 92.7 FM | 92.7 | Telugu/Hindi |
| Red FM | 93.5 | Telugu |
| Fever Fm | 94.3 | Hindi |
| Mirchi 95 | 95 | Hindi |
| Radio Mirchi | 98.3 | Telugu |
| All India Radio (AIR / AIR / Twin Cities FM Rainbow) | 101.9 | Telugu |
| All India Radio (AIR / AIR / Vvd Bharti) | 102.8 | Hindi |
| Kool 104 | 104 | English |
| Gyan Vani | 105.6 | Hindi |
| Magic Fm | 106.4 | Telugu |
| Radio Charminar | 107.8 | Telugu/Hindi |
| Deccan Radio | 107.8 | Hindi |

### Mumbai, Maharashtra

* Bansal FM 95.5
* Vividh Bharati
* Jago Mumbai 90.8
* Radio City 91.1 FM
* Big FM 92.7
* Red FM 93.5
* Radio One 94.3 (Only English Radio station of Mumbai)
* Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM
* Radio Dhamaal 106.4
* AIR FM Gold 100.7
* RAINBOW FM 102.2
* Fever 104 FM 104.0
* Oye 104.8 104.8
* AIR FM Rainbow 107.1
* Mumbai One
* Magic FM 106.4
* Gyan Vani
* Radio MUST
* Radio Nasha 91.9

### Bengaluru, Karnataka

* Radio City 91.1 FM - Kannada
* Indigo 91.9 FM FM - (English, Devotional)
* Big 92.7 FM - Kannada
* Red FM 93.5 FM - Hindi
* Radio ONE FM 94.3 - English
* Radio Mirchi 95 FM - Hindi
* Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM Kannada
* Ragam 100.1 FM (Classical)
* FM Rainbow 101.3 FM (Kannada, Hindi, English)
* Vividh Bharti 102.9 FM (Kannada, Hindi)
* Fever FM 104 FM (Hindi)
* Radio Active Community Radio 106.4 FM (Kannada, English, Hindi)

### Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Source:
* AIR FM - RAINBOW 101.4 Multilingual
* AIR FM - GOLD 102.3 Tamil
* Chennai Live 104.8 FM ENGLISH
* Hello FM (106.4), Tamil
* Suryan FM 93.5, Tamil
* Fever FM 91.9, Tamil
* BIG FM 92.7, Tamil
* Radio City FM 91.1, Tamil
* Radio Mirchi FM 98.3, Tamil
* Radio one 94.3, Tamil
* Anna FM 90.4 Tamil

### Kerala state

* Radio Mattoli FM 90.4, Wayanad
* Radio DC FM 90.4, Thiruvananthapuram
* Radio Macfast FM 90.4, Thiruvalla
* AIR Real FM 103.6 in Kozhikode
* Radio Mirchi 104.00 in Kochi
* Radio Mango 91.9, in Kochi, Thrissur, Kozhikode & Kannur & 92.7 in Alappuzha
* Red FM 93.5 in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode & Kannur & Red FM 95 in Thrissur
* Club FM 94.3 in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi & Kannur & Club FM 104.8 in Alappuzha, Thrissur & Kozhikode
* Radio Mirchi 98.3 in Thiruvananthapuram,
* BIG FM 92.7 in Thiruvananthapuram
* AIR FM Rainbow 107.5 in Kochi
* AIR Ananthapuri FM 101.9 in Thiruvananthapuram,
* AIR Thiruvananthapuram 106.5
* AIR Thrissur 101.1
* AIR Kochi FM 102.3
* AIR Kannur 101.5
* AIR Devikulam 101.4
* AIR Manjeri FM 102.7
* AIR Gyan Vani-Kochi 106.5
* Radio Media Village Changanacherry FM 90.8
* Global Radio 91.2 FM Alappuzha
* Radio Neythal 107.8 FM Alappuzha

## Market view, Jaipur

Traditionally, radio accounts for 7% to 8% of advertiser expenditures around the world. In India, it is less than 2% at present.
The ministry of broadcasting in India is setting up more (86) FM Radio to all parts of India by March 2017.
List of FM Stations in Jaipur:
    1. 98.3 Radio Mirchi (Listenership; 16 lacs plus)
    2. 94.3 MY FM (Listenership; 11 lacs plus)
    3. 104 Mirchi Love (Listenership; 10 lacs plus)
    4. 93.5 Red FM (Listenership; 8.6 lacs plus)
    5. 91.1 Radio City (Listenership; 6 lacs plus)
    6. 95 Tadka (Listenership; 1.4 lacs plus)

## Current allocation process

In FM Phase II — the latest round of the long-delayed opening up of private FM in India — some 338 frequencies were offered of which about 237 were sold.