The government on Wednesday authorized the deployment of 730 FM radio channels across 234 new cities and towns, with an estimated reserve price of Rs 784.87 crore. Many of the approved cities and towns are in ‘Aspirational Districts’, left-wing extremism (LWE)-affected areas and border districts, and FM radio channels in these areas will further strengthen the govern- ment outreach in these areas.
The Cabinet approved the third batch of e-auctions for 730 FM radio channels under the ‘Private FM Radio Phase III Policy.’ This decision is expected to increase local content in mother tongue and generate new employment opportunities.
The Cabinet also approved a proposal to set the annual license fee (ALF) for FM channels at 4 percent of gross revenue, excluding goods and services tax (GST). This fee structure will apply to the 234 new cities and towns.