Lok Sabha Question No. 372 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-11-30
Subject: Setting up of New FM and Community Radio Stations
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: Rajmohan Unnithan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.372 TO BE ANSWERED ON 30.11.2021

'Setting up of New FM and Community Radio Stations' 372. SHRI RAJMOHAN UNNITHAN:

Will the Minister of INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has any policy relating to FM stations and Community Radio stations in each district in the country, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  any  proposal  to  start  an  FM  and  Community Radio station in Kasaragod (Kerala) district if the land is made available/allocated and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the details of the kilowatts capacity of the Kannur FM and Community station;
- (d) whether  there  is  any  proposal  to  increase  the  kilowatts  capacity,  if  so,  the details thereof;
- (e) whether  the  Government  is  preparing  any  auction  for  FM  station  under  the private sector and if so, the details thereof;
- (f) the  criteria  for  a  private  party  to  set  up  a  new  FM  and  Community  Radio station; and
- (g) Whether there  is  any  proposal/intent  from  any  private  players  to  start  an  FM and Community Radio station in the Kasaragod district and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING; AND MINISTER OF YOUTH AFFAIRS & SPORTS (SHRI ANURAG SINGH THAKUR)

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- a:          Under  the  Policy  Guidelines  on  Expansion  of  FM  radio  broadcasting  service through  private  agencies  (Phase-III),  the  Ministry  of  Information  and  Broadcasting grants FM  Radio  license  to  private companies  registered  in India under  the Companies  Act,  2013.  The  Private  FM  Radio  Phase-III  Policy  being  city  centric provides for setting up of FM radio stations in all cities having population above one lakh,  unless  it  is  getting  covered  from  an  adjacent  city.  Further,  11  cities  in  Border

Areas  of  UT  of  Jammu  &  Kashmir,  UT  of  Ladakh  and  North  East  States  having population less than 1 lakh have also been approved for setting up FM radio stations.

The Government has also laid a Policy Guidelines for setting up of Community Radio Stations (CRS) in India.  Setting up of CRS is a voluntary activity by the not-forprofit organization, fulfilling the eligibility conditions as prescribed in the policy.

The Policy Guidelines on both Private FM Radio (Ph-III) and CRS are available on Ministry's website www.mib.gov.in

In  addition,  Prasar Bharati  has  informed that  it  is having  523  FM transmitters located at 483 All India Radio (AIR) Stations across the country.

b: Prasar Bharati is having a 100W AIR FM Relay Centre in Kasaragod district in the State of Kerala. There is no proposal under consideration for setting up of CRS in Kasaragod (Kerala) district.

- c  &  d:        Prasar  Bharati  has  one  10  KW  AIR  FM  transmitter  at  Kannur  which  was upgraded  from  6  kW  to  10  KW  in  the  year  2018.  One  CRS  is  being  operated  by Academic  &  Technical  Education  Development  Society  in  Kannur,  Kerala  having permitted  transmitter  power  of  100  Watts  (ERP).  There  is  no  proposal  to  further increase the kilowatts capacity of this CRS.

e : Under FM Phase-III, Government has approved to auction 683 channels in 236 cities.

- f: Under the  Private  FM  Radio  (Ph-III)  Policy  only  companies  registered  in  India under  the  Companies  Act  and  meeting  net  worth  criteria  and  other  conditions  as enumerated in the policy shall be eligible for bidding and obtaining permission for FM radio channels.

As  per  the  CRS  Policy  Guidelines,  not-for-profit  community-based  organizations, which satisfy basic principles enumerated as per the Policy Guidelines, are eligible for applying for Community Radio licenses.

g  :    Presently,  no  application,  from  any  private  organization/institution  for  setting  up Community Radio Station in Kasaragod district, is under consideration.

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