Adding a touch of glamour to the auction will be aging actor Sanjay Khan and former tennis star Vijay Amrithraj, who both plan to run radio stations. They will need deep pockets. Given the interest, who knows how high bids will go, says G. Krishnan, India Today group's executive director. Breaking even would take five years. There are other headaches.
Most countries use just two or three languages.
So attracting a nationwide audience will require multilingual programs. News-related broadcasts are forbidden. And scores of hefty rivals await. No doubt the way to survive will be through successful programming - measured by the number of both ads and listeners. Prospective radio license owners already are developing programming plans.