Resurgence
of Radio way back in the 90s was largely due to FM radio. FM radio took its first faltering steps in
1977 when AIR started the first FM channel on its Chennai station. What really brought FM to the centre stage was
the introduction of round-the-clock stereo FM service by AIR and the experiment
in limited deregulation by leasing out slots to private players at the four
metros and later on AIR, Panaji in 1993 and 1994. This experiment in a way is a precursor to the
Government policy of issuing licenses to private parties to set up FM stations
in the country. Today, there are around 250
FM channels in the private domain, in addition to 23 FM Rainbow and 5 FM Gold
channels of All India Radio. There are
many more private channels in the pipeline.
The city dwellers, craving for infotainment, were captivated by FM. Indeed listening to FM became the fashion of
the day especially with the youth. With
the proliferation of the inexpensive FM receivers, car radios and mobile
devices, FM received tremendous impetus and has become a major money-spinner
through advertising revenue.
FM brought in the radio jockey
culture. Listener-friendly programming
tailored to the tastes with perky presentation by young radio jockeys and
presenters full of verve and vivacity caught the imagination of audiences
everywhere. All India Radio, as the
pioneer in FM broadcasting, has the privilege of grooming several radio jockeys
who have become household names in different parts of India. Even before the advent of FM, AIR has been using
stock characters for compering its programmes for children, women and rural
folk/farmers. With their ability to
communicate in the local dialect and idiom, they could establish instant rapport
with the target audiences and enjoyed their trust.
To meet the manpower requirements of
sudden and rapid expansion of AIR’s network including its Rainbow/Gold
channels, AIR has been engaging announcers, radio jockeys and anchors on casual
assignment basis subject to exigencies.
Some of the on-air personalities, with their captivating style and
panache, became youth icons enjoying huge fan following. Their success is a matter to rejoice for AIR
which has scouted and nurtured such talent.
But then, as they say, it takes all sorts to make a world. Some misguided RJs of FM Rainbow and FM Gold
have started an orchestrated and vicious campaign to tarnish the image of AIR,
spreading a canard to mislead the public at large. They did not hesitate even to besmirch
reputation of their supervising officers with wild innuendoes and insinuations
with utter disregard for canons of decency and decorum.
In their latest complaint, they have
talked about an undertaking which they were required to submit if they are on
the panel of multichannel stations of AIR.
As there is abundant talent, AIR has been able to empanel a large number
of them from time to time. To bring in
variety, AIR does not allow more than six bookings/assignments in a month or 72
in a year. This limit is strictly
adhered to all over the vast AIR network, including FM Rainbow/FM Gold. But it has come to the notice of AIR that
some casual presenters at multichannel stations of AIR were shifting from one
channel to another in a deliberate and surreptitious attempt to exceed this
limit. Prominent among the multichannel
stations of AIR is the set-up in Delhi with its Rajdhani, Indraprastha, Vividh
Bharati, FM Rainbow and FM Gold channels, apart from channels of ESD, GOS in
particular, National Channel of AIR, Urdu Service of AIR etc. AIR has devised an undertaking to arrest this
trend. Some casual announcers/RJs are
peeved about submission of such an undertaking as they have been managing on the
sly to satisfy their rapacity at the expense of AIR’s established norms.
RJs are not repeat NOT on the
establishment of All India Radio. And
each panel of casual RJs is subject to review so that in a fiercely competitive
market, AIR is able to compete and fulfill its mandate. This temporary panel is similar to the ones we
have in respect of comperes, drama voices, singers, composers,
instrumentalists, field investigators for Audience Research and part-time
Correspondents. One voice in one area in
perpetuity tends to sound stale and monotonous, weaning away the public as well
as the advertisers. In a nutshell, AIR
cannot but review its panel on definite frequencies to retain the best and take
those who lost their sheen off the air.
AIR
has some time-honoured conventions and established practices. As far as programme presentation is
concerned, announcers, RJs and anchors do have the liberty to embellish their
shows but AIR does not encourage loud or crass style to helm their
programming. The station managers are
alert to ensure that no RJ goes overboard.
AIR
will be happy if the RJs on its panel emerge as channel drivers by sheer dint
of their on-air performance, winning adulation and applause from the listening
public. Such jockeys/presenters will
always be an ornament on our head but we are wary of those who underperform or
vitiate the atmosphere. Let them not indulge in sullying the image and
reputation - as a
handful few of them are wont to do - of the very organization which they have the
privilege to work for. Such tactics are
unbecoming of true broadcast professionals. AIR is duty-bound to safeguard its
regulations in the professional interests of the Organization which under no
circumstances will be compromised.
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