After spreading its wings in Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, and Bangalore, private FM radio stations have begun to speak Malayalam. Like the proverbial newspaper culture, the FM culture is certainly becoming a part of Kerala’s daily life. Cities like Kozhikode, Thrissur, Thiruvananthapuram, and Kochi are FM-crazy, with big media houses like Malayala Manorama, Mathurbhoomi Sun Network, and Asianet leading the way. Also surfing the FM wave are enterprising shopkeepers, who are selling FM receivers like never before. They cost as low as Rs. 60 a piece, making them affordable for everyone.
Kerala witnessed a cable TV boom in the late 90s and the FM phenomenon has opened opening another chapter in the history of the State's telecom. The FM boom has signaled a revolution in the airwaves in Kerala. As the private stations try to zero in on the right content mix and vie for the ears of the audience, the Malayali is delighted.
The FM craze
Youngsters had no time for radio. Until November 29, 2007, when Radio Mango, the first private FM station of Kerala, went on air in Kozhikode, that is. SFM, Radio Mango, Club FM, Best FM, Radio Mirchi and Big FM are all familiar names now. And more would come when the Union government issues fresh licenses. And, of course, All India Radio (AIR) has been covering the entire State through its AM and FM stations. There is a decline in the sales of CDs and cassettes with the advent of private FM radio. For an industry that is in a bad shape because of piracy and illegal downloads, the royalty from radio would be a relief. Music, of course, is the staple diet of FM radio.
The Chinese-made radios, priced from Rs. 40 onwards, are on a selling spree in places like Kozhikode. And every prospective buyer of a new cell phone ensures that his handset has an FM tuner. The sellers of such mobile handsets, and other businessmen, small and big, have to advertise on radio if the FM stations have to survive. In India, it is only about 3 per cent of the total ad spend that goes to radio. But the PricewaterhouseCoopers reports that it could grow to 5.5% (that is Rs. 1,200 crore), by 2010. This piece of news is indeed music to the FM stations.
The FM audience in Kerala
In Kerala, the traditional listenership for radio is much more diverse. It is not the car-riding population that tune into this medium, but housewives, the elderly, students, and the rural population. Akashvani, as a public broadcasting system, has also been keen to package its programs to address all these segments. So, how is this massive arrival of private commercial radio stations going to affect a public broadcasting system like Akashvani? And will these radio stations competing with each other give voice to the diversity of our culture, and to the hitherto marginalized sections of society?
FM trends in Kerala
The million dollar question is: Are the Malayalam FM radios going to keep the focus on entertainment alone? If so, it could easily end up as a chatter box, adding to the noise that already dominates our media. Such a choice is the easiest and the obvious one to take, as all these channels are in urban centers, and their commercial viability will necessarily depend on commercial branding and sponsorship of their programs. Such ad-driven programming (as opposed to idea-driven will naturally address the high net worth population in the urban areas, who constitute the bulk of the consumers of the products of the sponsors. This will leave out a huge population of listeners, both in the urban and semi-urban centers, who also want to be informed and educated even while being entertained. If our FM Radios take this easy route, it will end up as just another chatter box.
FM and social change
FM today is has limitless potential for a resurgence. The technical quest for purer, richer sound reproduction is deeply intertwined with an esthetic, cultural quest for an alternative media outpost. This mind-set coupled with a young Kerala listening in has helped spawn a new era of auditory imagination.
One area of productive intervention for FM radio stations is NGOs. Most of the NGOs in Kerala are ill-equipped to think of community radio. Many NGOs and youth groups have been producing content for radio for many years. In the absence of a policy, they improvised transmission — by buying time on All India Radio and World Space — or narrowcast program.
FM renaissance
Radio culture and content have expanded the social psyche in Kerala. The FM revolution has brought a completely new auditory dimension to the lives of Keralites. Against this background, it is imperative to realize and address the fact that listening is a challenge today because so many of the other media work against it; it is a skill that is being rapidly eradicated in our culture, as any teacher can attest. This is a major cultural loss, for listening sets a standard for a more focused way of perceiving the world, and those who do know how to listen have a cognitive advantage over those who don’t because radio enables a prolonged imagining of a world beyond one’s own and concentration on the complexities and slipperiness of language and music. A creative FM renaissance is very much in the offing!
Will Kerala carve out a new model in FMing? It is certainly capable. Its social growth model was once acclaimed as a global model even by the UN. However, it needs auditory imagination. There is a Malayali Diaspora all over the world. Will they tune in with responsible investment in NRI community services on the waves of FM radio? There is tremendous scope. Well, technology has to answer; radio creativity has to respond; God’s Own Country has to take up.
Editor's note: Most articles submitted to Chillibreeze go through a selection process. Only 30 percent of submitted articles are accepted for publication on the Chillibreeze.com featured article list. All accepted articles are edited and proofread for glaring errors of punctuation and grammar. Sentence structure is changed in certain cases and sometimes, entire sections are rewritten. If you notice any errors that have slipped through the cracks, do let us know! (Email us at info at chillibreeze dot com).
Chillibreeze's disclaimer: This is a contributed article and was published on Chillibreeze in May, 2010. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. The relevance of the facts and figures cited (if any) could change after a period of time.
Out of 5 “chilies”, our editorial team gave this article...
—About our writer:
Nitin Nath is an MBA in Communication Management from the Symbiosis International University. His professional orientation is to develop excellence in creative communication.
>> Read more articles written by Chillibreeze writers:
Chillibreeze offers Indian writers the opportunity to work on customer projects. We are also India’s biggest writer network and a one-stop shop for Indian writers and editors. The writers’ section on Chillibreeze offers freelance writers and editors a variety of tools to advance their careers. Resources for writers include:
Chillibreeze offers content writing services to customers from all over the globe. We also leverage our experience in the content industry to publish ebooks about niche topics.
Upgrade Your Writing Sign up for news, events, jobs, tips
