FM radio plays samaritan tune

Even as the government approval on allowing news and current affairs content on FM radio is awaited by the end of the year, the medium has proven to be sensitive to the events unfolding around it and has played “the friend in need” more than a few times.

Some of the commendable initiatives in the later part of this year include Fever104 Mumbai Monsoon Help Line’ to ease the woes of Mumbaikars resulting from water-logging, power cuts, traffic snarls, accidents, diseases.

“Apart from running a daily ‘Monsoon Update’ providing the latest information on traffic-jams, accidents, diversions, suitable routes,amount of rainfall, flooding or water logging situations,high tides, and train delays, power cuts, Mumbai residents could call on a phone number and record their grievances.

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Media cross-holding under Trai review

To foster greater competition in the Rs 51,300-crore media business, growing at 19% a year,the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has decided to examine if ownership across different media segments proves detrimental to the overall health of the sector.

Asked by the information & broadcasting ministry to review the concentration of interest in the media and not obstruct "plurality of players", Trai has floated a consultation paper on cross media ownership in the country. The broadcast regulator has invited stakeholders to express their views on whether there is need for cross-media ownership restrictions and whether existing laws are adequate to address the concerns.

The regulator says as an increasing number of broadcasting and telecom companies are entering into the delivery of services, it is necessary to ascertain if restrictions on the ownership of cable, DTH, IPTV or mobile TV companies by broadcasting/telecom companies,or vice-versa,is feasible.

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