AIR First Day Cover

Indian Posts and Telegraphs published the First Day Cover for All India Radio Silver Jubilee Celebrations on 8 June 1961. Here is the Stamp for your view.
Thanks to www.swlcs.de/philatelie/paurein.html

Map of AIR stations

Map of AIR stations as on 31st Dec 2005 - shows 222 stations

http://www.geocities.com/alokeshgupta/AIR_STNS.pdf

Source : Ministry of Information & broadcasting Annual Report 2005-06, Govt
Of India.

-----------------------------
Alokesh Gupta
New Delhi

Sangean to introduce 'first DRM Radio' in Europe this October

After a long wait, a major manufacturer has at last announced plans to release what it calls 'the first DRM Radio' in Europe in October 2006.

The DRM-40 will have DRM coverage on longwave, mediumwave and shortwave. It will also have DAB coverage, which Sangean describes as “the digital alternative for the FM band.”

We think this is actually a misleading description, as the DRM Consortium is working on extending the DRM specification to include the current FM band, whereas DAB uses much higher frequencies. The radio will have RDS, according to Sangean. There’s also a USB connection and an SD-card slot, meaning that the radio can play and record MP3 files.

The DRM-40 uses the same case as the existing DPR-1 DAB receiver, which means the size will be 180×260x90 mm. Sangean says the weight will be 1700 gramm.

The recommended retail price in Europe, including VAT, will be 299 euros. The website gives the following capsule summary of the features:

RM / DAB Band III / FM / AM / LW / SW
RDS, AMSS and Radio text or DLS
MP3 Playback and recording on SD
Humane wake System on Radio or Buzzer Alarm
12 Alarm Settings
Timed recording
Clock with Auto Update
EPG, Pause Plus, SPDIF and Key Lock
6 Presets for each Waveband
with SD slot and USB connection
with SAI und USB connection
with RF-antenna and BAR Antenna
Audio Out and headphone Connection
With AC-adapter / operates also on DC (Batteries not included)
We hope to acquire and test one of these radios as soon as they become available.

In the UK, this radio will be sold as the Roberts MP40.
It’s not clear if there are any differences in the specification.
Some years ago the boss of Sangean visited Radio Netherlands, and at that time he told them that Sangean would make customised versions for any OEM customer ordering a minimum of 500 units.

Roberts Gemini 1 DAB Digital Radio

DAB and FM wavebands
PausePlus and rewind functions
Timed recording function
Digital optical output socket (Toslink)
Listen to a station whilst recording another via external recording device
Large easy to read multi-function LCD display
Digital record/playback using built in memory or via external SD card slot (Card included)
12 station presets
Menu display/selection of all major functions
Search/manual tuning
Clock/alarm functions
Sleep/snooze functions
Rotary control for station/menu selection
Rotary volume, bass and treble controls
External DAB aerial socket
Analogue audio 1 and 2 output sockets
Headphone socket
Uses 4 x LR20 (D size) batteries (not included) or via mains adaptor (included)
Size 190w x 260h x 130d mm
Weight 1.74Kg
+++++++++++++
Source:http://www.robertsradio.co.uk/rd1.htm
+++++++++++++

Chennai gets a fourth FM channel

Radio City targets 30% share in 2 years

Radio City is targeting a market share of 30 per cent of the FM radio market, which is estimated to be Rs 600 crore in the next two years, according to Ms Apurva Purohit, CEO, Radio City.

She said that currently the FM radio market is about Rs 250 crore and Radio City has a 40 per cent share. This year with more FM licences being awarded, the FM radio market is likely to be about Rs 350 crore.

She was talking to reporters at the launch of Radio City 105.8 FM in Chennai. Ms Purohit said that the company had done extensive research on listeners' preferences and research has shown that most listeners are partial to film music.

The programming would be city-specific with customised Tamil and English programming, reflecting the `true sound of Chennai'. It will also be tying up with the police department for traffic updates.

Ms Purohit said that Radio City would go beyond traffic updates and take up social issues. In Bangalore, for instance, the station campaigns for more car pools to reduce the traffic density on the roads.

Music Broadcast Pvt Ltd, funded by India Value Fund, promotes Radio City, which is present in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Lucknow and Hyderabad. In the second phase of expansion of FM Radio, Radio City has bagged the licences to broadcast in 16 more cities. Radio stations will open soon in Jaipur, Coimbatore, Visakhapatnam, Pune, Ahmedabad, Surat and Nagpur apart from smaller towns in western India.
++++++++++++++++++
Chennai gets a fourth FM channel, with Radio City at 105.8 MHz. Chennai already has Radio Mirchi 98.30 MHz, Suriyan FM 93.8 MHz and Raibow FM 107.1 MHz as commercial FM stations. Other than this Anna University (90.4 MHz), Loyola (90.8MHz), MOP Vaishnava(91.2 MHz) colleges too have their FM channels, though I haven't listened to any of them.

Radio City was originally promoted by STAR, and now is owned by Music Broadcast Pvt Ltd, part of GW Capital which bought out STAR's stake.
(http://chennai.metblogs.com/archives
/2006/07/radio_city_enters_chennai.phtml)
++++++++++++++++++
She was speaking to media persons after the launch of Radio City, here, yesterday. Actor Surya lit the traditional lamp to mark the inauguration of India's first and leading FM radio brand.

Promoted by Music Broadcast Private Limited, Radio City was recently launched in Hyderabad. 'The feedback from Hyderabad shows that Radio city is doing extremely well', Apurva said.

Radio City will soon be launched in 16 more cities in the country. Apart from music, Radio City will air programmes on current affairs and plans to take up take up social initiatives like the campaign against plastics started by Radio City Lucknow.

'All our RJ's are college students or those who just passed out from college. The young people will surely find it interesting to talk to them', Apurva added. 'Namma City namma life', is the essence and spirit of radio city.
(newstodaynet.com/11jul/rf1.htm)

Malar Publications to launch its first FM station in Chennai, appoints Ramesh SK as Content Head

Malar Publications Ltd, publisher of the Tamil daily 'Malai Malar', is planning to start its FM radio foray from Chennai in August this year. It has also roped in Radio Mirchi's Ramesh SK (better known as Remy) as Head of Content for its radio venture.

"Preparations are underway to launch our first FM station in Chennai by August end," informed Rajeev Nambiar, COO, Malar Publications. Malar has won licenses for FM operations in seven cities - Coimbatore, Madurai, Pondicherry, Tiruchy, Tirunelveli and Tuticorin.

Under FM Phase II expansion, the Government has allowed interim transmission in the four metros and in the cities of Hyderabad and Jaipur, in which players can start operations by setting up their own infrastructure before the common infrastructure by BECIL is ready.

Ramesh, who has 10 years' experience in the advertising industry, was Head of Programming at Radio Mirchi Chennai. He had earlier worked with Lintas, Chennai as its Creative Director. He also has five years' experience in the television industry, of which two years he spent with Tamil channel Raj TV as VP, Marketing. Ramesh also had a three-year stint with Sri Lankan Shakti TV as Station Director in Colombo and was in-charge of programming and marketing.

Commenting on Ramesh's appointment, Nambiar said, "I know Ramesh from his Lintas, Chennai days. I call him a creative Professor of Radio who can articulate experience and learning in contemporary style. Ramesh is a person who considers local as hip and that it can wear an attitude. As content head is the nerve centre of radio, we are happy to have him in our team."

Ramesh on his part said, "Radio offers a lot of promise both for the radio industry in general and for our brand in particular, considering the fact that we are truly a home grown brand in the context of FM radio being a very local medium." ["KARAN" ]

ஒலி விமலா வந்துட்டேய்யா.. வந்துட்டேன்!!

யாராவது 'புகைப்படம் எடுக்கலாம் வாங்க' என்று
அழைத்தால்.. எனக்கு ஒரே சங்கடமாகப் போய்விடும்
சிறு வயதிலிருந்தே புகைபடத்திற்கு எப்படி சிரிப்பது,
எந்த அளவுக்கு சிரிப்பது என்று குழப்பம்!

ஒலிக்கு வந்தப் பின் தொடக்கத்தில் எனக்கு
நடுக்கமாக இருந்தது..
இங்கு பல நிகழ்ச்சிகளுக்குச் செல்வதால்... பல
புகைப்படங்கள் எடுக்கப்படுகின்றன..
smile pls... :D click.. click..

அப்படி 'முதல்' முறையாக மிகக் குறைவான ஒப்பனையுடன் பயத்தோடு நான் எடுத்த புகைப்படம் தான் இது!
கன்னத்தில் கை வைத்து 'அந்தக் காலத்து' பாணியில்.. கொஞ்சம் old fashion-தான்..
இருந்தாலும் பரவாயில்லை.. ஏதோ பார்ப்பதற்கு ஓகே! hehehe
இப்பொழுது புகைப்படங்களை கொஞ்சம் தைரியமாக எடுத்துக் கொள்கிறேன்..
ஏதோ சமாளிக்கிறேன் :)

அண்மையில் ஒரு மின்னஞ்சல் வந்தது..
எனது இந்தப் படத்தை யாரோ மாற்றி,
இணையத்தில் வெளியிட்டதை..
நேயர் ஒருவர் எனக்கு அனுப்பி வைத்திருந்தார்..
இணையத்தில் பல தில்லு முல்லு.. அதில் இதுவும் ஒன்னு!
http://www.globaltamil.com/photoshow/displayimage.php?pos=-10737

++++++++++++++++++++++++++
வந்துட்டேய்யா.. வந்துட்டேன்!!
சரி.. எனது blog பக்கத்துக்கு என்ன பெயர் வைக்கலாம்?
ஒலி விமலா? boringgg..nyeeee
விமலாவின் கிருக்கல் .. நடிகர் பார்த்திபன் பார்த்தால் வம்புதான்
அப்படியென்றால்.. என்ன பெயர் வைக்க?
பிள்ளைக்குக் கூட பெயர் வைத்து விடலாம் போல இருக்கே?!
சரி.. சரி..
கொஞ்சம் பெட்டிக்கு வெளியே யோசித்துப் பார்க்கலாம்..
அதாங்க out of the box!!..
ம்ம்ம்ம்ம்ம்ம் ஆஆஆஆ ஊஊஊஊஊ

அண்மையில் மிகவும் சர்ச்சையை உண்டாக்கிய பெயர்.... 'Da Vinci Code'
எல்லோரையும் 'அடேங்கப்பா' என்று சொல்ல வைத்த பரபரப்பான கதை
புரியாத புதிரால் புகழ்பெற்ற நாவல்.. Da Vinci Code
நேயர்களைக் கேள்விகள் கேட்டுக் குழப்புவதில் எனக்கு எப்பொழுதுவே கொள்ளை ஆசை..
Da Vinci Code... அதையே கொஞ்சம் 'உல்டா' செய்தால்?
Da Vimala Code
Da Vi Code
Da Vim Code
(விமலாவின் தலைக்கு அருகில் light bulb-ல் ஒளி)
Da Vinci Code-ஐ மாற்றி Da Vimci Code!!
நல்லா இருக்கே!
ok! :)
இனி என் blog பக்கத்தின் பெயர் http://davimcicode.blogspot.com/
பேரு நல்லா இருக்கா?

தனிப்பட்ட முறையில் நான் blog செய்துக் கொண்டிருந்தாலும்,
இப்பொழுது ஒலி விமலாவாக...
வானொலியில் சொல்லும் கதைகளை
'குண்டக்க மண்டக்க' கேள்விகளை
'ஒரே கேள்வி'களை
குட்டி குட்டிக் அறுவைகளை
பிரபலங்களைப் பேட்டிக் கண்ட அனுபவங்களை
நான் படித்து மகிழ்ந்த கதைகளை, தகவல்களை
புகைப்படங்களை
சுவாரஸ்யமான அனுபவங்களை
உங்களோடு பகிர்ந்துக் கொள்ளவுள்ளேன்..

நீங்களும் படித்து மகிழலாம்..
உங்கள் கருத்துக்களையும் யோசனைகளையும் தெரிவிக்கலாம்..
யார் மனதையும் புண்படுத்தாத வண்ணம் பார்த்துக் கொள்ளுங்கள்..
சரியா? (",)

Radio City, the new FM channel from Chennai

What's in store for listeners on Radio City, the new FM channel?


Vikas Varma swears by the Sama Veda. One day, the National Head of Programming at Radio City took time out in the afternoon to propose to the lady who is now his wife. He has an unshakeable conviction that he was accepted because of the timing of his request — "According to the Sama Veda, the time between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. is conducive to romantic pursuits".

After actor Surya formally made Radio City (available on 105.8 FM) known to the Chennai public, Vikas spoke to MetroPlus about the forces that have structured the FM major's Chennai service, the rationale behind the choice of radio jockeys and the ethos the channel would be trying to promote.

"A research paper that came out of the Berkeley School Of Music spells out the effects of music on the human mind at different times of day. I drew upon this scholarly work and the Sama Veda while preparing the programme chart," says Vikas.

Both `West' and `East' are agreed on one thing — that the time between 10 a.m. and 12 noon is when people possess, exert and display great energy.

This time is handed over to UV (Yuvaraj), who, Vikas says, "can say in 30 seconds what I might take a minute and a half to deliver". UV anchors "Reel Time", where he gives updates about films and comes up with jokes. Jagan, who shot to fame playing Nandu (himself), Vandu (devil) and Chendu (angel) in a popular television film review show, hosts "Silmisa Balbaje Sikarika Bilba" (between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.). It is a nonsense phrase that he coined during the workshop (with Niladri Bose) that Radio City organised before going on air. . Mine is a de-stress programme, says Jagan, who actually is known to the wider world as VJ Nandu ("I did not want to spoil my own name, so I promoted this name which means `crab' in English). Vikas calls it a show for the family.

Archana will be in charge between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. in a programme that targets adolescents — Love Beat. "The show will be light and effervescent, but not a bit edgy," says Varma. "The jockey is not so much an analyst or psychologist as a friend who listens to your woes." Through e-mails, letters and calls, young adults can share relationship problems. As Chennai Chat is targeted at college students, it is anchored by "Cho-Chweet' Shermeelee, who was in college not long ago. `Smiley' Sulabha, who will be heard between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m., will chat will celebs, apart from giving market updates and discussing topics. Aarthi hosts a programme that is aimed at housewives (there will be oodles of gossip and shopping tips).

Gopi will anchor "Idhayathil Irundhu" (Straight From The Heart), where he will talk with ease about a great many things under the sun.

"When I first met Gopi, he came across as a humorous person. I could not believe that he was dealing with serious issues on television shows."

His discussions will be devoid of pungent and irreverent adjectives; they will be light, refreshingly airy and entertaining, says Varma.

PRINCE FREDERICK
Source:http://www.hindu.com/mp/2006/07/13/stories/
2006071300680100.htm

Jaisakthivel on Dxing

BBC planning to expand international activities

BBC Worldwide, its commercial arm, is planning to expand its international activities by starting six new channels in the India and US. There is scope for "five BBC branded channels in addition to news in any major market" offering a mix of content from the BBC and other British broadcasters, BBC Worldwide's Chief Executive John Smith said.

It is already active in India, a country in which the World Service has been operating for 75 years. The corporation, in partnership with Mid Day Multimedia, won seven FM Radio licences in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore last year.

Smith said India was "looking interesting" but added there were three or four parts of the world they were focussing on.

Last year BBC made a trading profit of Pounds 89.4 millions by selling British television, magazines and news media to the world.

The new channels will be funded

RADIO TIMES and 50 other popular magazines make the BBC Britain’s third largest publisher of consumer titles. The broadcaster now wants to replicate that power as part of its push abroad.
John Smith, the chief executive of the BBC’s commercial arm, said that the corporation had £350 million in unused borrowing, which could help it “make small acquisitions” internationally as it tries to export its formats abroad.

At the same time, Mr Smith said, he was hoping to make “tens of millions” from the BBC’s soon to be established bbc.com, the international website. That will feature a “limited range of carefully placed advertising” aimed at ensuring that the international internet edition breaks even.

As with television, the BBC has begun to dip its toe in the water with magazine expansion. Top Gear is published in 30 countries, while Teletubbies appears in Poland and Good Food in Romania. But these are only licence agreements, in which the BBC receives a modest royalty payment.

However, Mr Smith said that there was “scope to expand through joint-ventures and acquisitions” and demonstrate that the BBC wants to step up its activity as it builds an international television presence — cross-promoting titles built up with cash from the licence fee payer.

In India the BBC formed a joint-venture with The Times of India to create a magazine publishing operation owning 33 titles. The ubiquitous Top Gear is now published on the sub-continent and more familiar BBC brands are expected to follow.

The BBC may also try to expand its range of magazines in Britain, although any new title has to be programmerelated. It is considering, under the name Project Phoenix, publishing a current affairs title to compete with The Economist or The Spectator which could be based on Panorama or Newsnight.

The BBC’s international internet presence is also designed to ensure that web surfers overseas are not able to use BBC content for free, when British licence fee payers have paid for it. The corporation is careful to ensure that some of its online output — such as live coverage of World Cup games — is available only to viewers in the UK because that would otherwise affect international rights agreements.

The corporation’s thinking even extends to charging to watch programmes online for overseas viewers, as it tries to make its internet player become “the video equivalent of iTunes”.

Last year, BBC magazines made £19.3 million, down slightly after a number of titles that were not tied into programmes were sold. The bulk of the income comes from Radio Times, which accounts for about a third of turnover. Digital media profits, meanwhile, were a modest £3.4 million. Times Online and The Hindu)

New IRCs will be valid until Dec. 31, 2009

The IRCs currently in use clearly state that they must be exchanged by
Dec 31, 2006. New IRCs are scheduled to be avaialble on July 1, 2006
and will be valid until Dec. 31, 2009. See pic of new IRC at
http://www.dailydx.com/2007irc.jpg (425 DX News # 787 via Daily DX)

Wade Smith
New Brunswick

Radio Alakal for the fishermen's community in India

Billed as the first of its kind in the country, broadcasts from FM Radio Alakal for the fishermen's community have become a hit in Kerala. Radio Alakal has earmarked one-hour slots in the morning, afternoon and evening aimed at the fisherman's community, journalist L. Ajith, the brain behind the radio, told IANS.

'The FM radio benefits the community tremendously as it airs weather reports, folklore, and specialised programmes for women and children,' said Ajith, who also runs website Indiadisasters.org. The radio was launched May 1, thanks to the efforts of the Kerala Swathantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation (KSMTF), the South Indian
Federation of Fishermen Societies (SIFFS), Indiadisasters.org and the Society for Promotion of Alternative Computing and Employment (SPACE).

SPACE, promoted by the Kerala State IT Mission, provides technical support to the project. 'The operations are run from our office. We provide the technical and
programme support free of cost. Programme support costs us Rs.30,000 a month,' said Arun of SPACE. Ajith said under the present regulations, community radios (CRs) were
not allowed to air commercials.

'The central government has been urged to allow CRs to invite commercials from their local areas of operation with lower tariffs, and increase the range of transmission, which is presently 16 km from the place of broadcast,' he said. © 2006 Indo-Asian News Service

Source:http://news.monstersandcritics.com/
india/article_1175669.php/FM_radio_a_hit_
with_Kerala_fishermen

Dxers Guide Blog Celebrate the First anniversary

Dxers Guide Blog Celebrate the First Anniversary

RTI's English service is looking for more monitors

RTI's English service is looking for more monitors
around the world. If you are interested in becoming
one of our official monitors and are committed to
sending reception reports on a regular basis, please
send us a postcard, letter or email with the phrase 'I
want to be an RTI monitor.'

Send it to P. O. Box 24-38, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
postmarked by July 10th, or email to rti@rti.org.tw.
Official monitors will get a certificate and a
souvenir as a small token of our appreciation. We look
forward to hearing from you soon.
+++++++++++++++++++++
Source:
http://english.rti.org.tw/Content/WhatsNewSingle.aspx?ContentID=16693
+++++++++++++++++++++

India Radio Forum 2006

Radio is playing as loudly as ever, with new licenses, new digital options, new funding sources and a host of innovative ways to connect with a wide range of audiences. And not only in India. Around the world, the radio dial is being revitalized and recognized anew as a valuable part of the media and content creation mix.
Radio’s long history means many of the questions about listening and hearing have already been answered. But the new media environment means as many remain to be answered.
• Is India keeping up with world trends in radio?
• Is there anything we need to know about the rest of the world that can be applied to the Indian radio landscape?
• What are the predictions for India’s radio scene?
• Just how many players are too many?
• How can radio be most effectively, efficiently and creatively added to the media mix?
• What do media buyers need to know – and how can this best be delivered – to make the most effective radio decisions possible?
• How niche is niche when it comes to audience segments for radio?
• What are the technologies that will make the most difference to radio players and to listeners?
• Is digital radio a good option or a fancy gimmick for India?
• What are the best regulatory models for radio in the next communications age – and how best can India move towards a modern and robust framework that will encourage growth?
• And last, but by no means least, what are the business models for a new radio environment?


Business/Technology Track
Join our panel of Government regulators, industry CEOs and the Ad community as they share their vision of creating a vibrant and diverse Indian Radio industry by the year 2010. What needs to happen to make this vision a reality? The panel will look at the industry's current strengths and weaknesses and how our current thinking will shape the future. This session is presented in two parts - presentations and the Q and A discussions.
Abraham Thomas,
Chief Operating Officer,
RED FM
Apurva Purohit,
CEO,
MBPL / Radiocity
Prashant Panday,
COO,
Radio Mirchi
Raj Gupta,
Chief Strategy Officer,
Lintas Media Group

Rajesh Tahil,
Station Director
GO 92.5

Tarun Katial,
COO,
Adlabs Films Ltd
A look at the major radio markets from around the world. Is there anything India can adopt and adapt? Are there any lessons in what to avoid? Is there any way to fast-track the radio roll out process? How can Indian radio broadcasters make the best use of the lessons learned in other markets?
Neil Curry,
Senior Commissioning Editor,
BBC World Service English Networks
Is the Indian market big enough to support all the new radio licenses being issued? And if it is, is there enough differentiation between the channels to build viable businesses? What new genres can be explored to offer listeners a real choice?
Anish Trivedi,
Chief Managing Director,
Banyan Tree
Hemant Mehta,
VP & Country Manager,
IMRB International,
Media & Panel Group
Vehrnon Ibrahim,
National Head of Programming,
Red FM
Listeners can obtain their music from a range of new stations as well as a raft of new technologies. The new ways of distributing audio content - the Internet, pod-casting, 3G, and Visual Radio – are making radio stations’ jobs more challenging but ultimately offering more opportunities. How can radio use technological innovations to enhance the listening experience? This session looks at the many opportunities now available and how advertisers and stations can benefit from them. In the new media environment what does it now take to strike gold?
James Cridland,
Director of Digital Media,
Virgin Radio UK
Nick Piggott,
Digital Content Manager,
GCAP Media
Media Buying and
Advertising Track
With sponsorship and on-air promotions growing year on year as a percentage of all radio revenues, we look at the long-term future of spot advertising. What is the optimal mix of traditional spot advertising and linked sponsorship? How do you marry programming demands with those of the sponsor without alienating your audience and delivering value to the client? This session will explore ways to successfully manage the mix of programming, advertising and agency sensibilities.
Chris Goldson,
Director of Sponsorship & Promotions,
Virgin Radio
Radio offers many unique advantages over all other advertising options yet it is often overlooked in media campaigns. We look at successful local and international campaigns that have included radio as a core component and see what factors ensured their success. Join our panel of experts from agencies. FMCG, and Radio sales and be inspired by the selection of results proven campaigns.
Douglas McArthur, OBE
Chief Executive,
Radio Advertising Bureau
Rahul Welde,
GM Media Hindustan Lever & Head - Media Services,
Unilever South Asia

Sam Balsara,
Chairman & Managing Director,
Madison World

Saugata Gupta,
Chief - Sales & Marketing,
Marico
Almost no media schedules use only one medium. But what is radio's role in the mixed media schedule? Radio doesn't have visuals, which sets it apart from all other display advertising media. So, instead of being simply additional exposure to visual media, radio influences a different part of the brain and multiplies the message. Presented by the UK's RAB, this session will look at radio's role as a multiplier with TV, print, outdoor and the Internet, and provide you the right stuff to make radio work for you.
Douglas McArthur, OBE
Chief Executive,
Radio Advertising Bureau
Programming Track
Strategies and ideas for content creation and delivering an advertiser-friendly audience. How to use value-added services to ensure audience loyalty. How to grow the value of your stations through strategic programming and partnerships. Plus the programming challenges to overcome and the innovations that will make the difference.
Dave McDonald,
Senior VP/Market Manager,
CBS Radio Seattle Washington
10 great ideas for differentiating yourself from the crowd – The explosion of new licenses has changed the Indian radio programmer's job forever. The vast increase in competition for consumer's head space means the appeal of more “carbon copy” Bollywood stations may be limited. In order to thrive in this competitive environment you will have to have a clear programming identity and a unique listening proposition. How to cut through the clutter with your programming to establish yourself as the number one in your market? Which internationally successful programming genres would work well in India? How best can you fill the current gaps before your competition? This session will also look at some great competitions and contests that will also help make your station stand out from the crowd.
Omar Essack,
Executive Director: Broadcasting,
Kagiso Media Limited, South Africa
Promotion and
Marketing Track
(Promax)
Some shortcuts are more successful than others… In this hands-on session, we look at the crème of the hints, tips and suggestions for everything from identifying the target and building hype to exciting the audience and keeping them hooked. The synergies of off air and on air elements are even more essential today as no successful campaign works in isolation. Learn about the factors that make your viewers believe in your brand. Be proud of your origins, be inspirational and take your brand to greater heights.
James Yip,
CEO,
MediaCorp Radio Singapore
Bernard Lim,
GM - English Programme,
MediaCorp Radio Singapore
After a year spent creating and producing your own work, this is your chance to see what's been going on around you. This session brings you a brilliant selection of the best radio promotion and advertising work from around the globe. This is a unique opportunity to discover the most exciting work of your peers from every corner of the world.
Jim Chabin,
CEO,
PROMAX&BDA
Radio stations struggle to be heard in an ever-growing multi-channel world but there are a variety of ways you can use promotion to make a mark and get your voice heard. This session highlights some of the techniques, designs and great spots used to create a buzz about channels outside the US with a whole range of great ideas tailored to suit any budget. Tone of voice, technology, cross promotional identity and cultural relevance will come under the microscope.
Karen Tobin,
Director of Marketing,
CBS K-Earth 101FM

Individual

Early Bird
IRF06 – Mumbai - Registration (Individual)
USD100.00 INR4500

Regular
IRF06 – Mumbai - Registration (Individual)
USD120.00 INR5400

Payment may also be made in Indian Rupees.
For Contact
Partners In Media Asia Pte Ltd
Singapore
14 Mohamed Sultan Road #04-01
Singapore 238963
T. + 65 6736 1435
F. +65 6735 4048
India
3 Corinthian 370 Linking Road
Khar (W) Mumbai 400052
Mumbai 400052
P. +91 22 6707 6780
F. +91 22 6707 6781

Its time for Radio One in Mumbai

Radio One, the Mid-Day Multimedia and BBC Worldwide venture, has hit the airwaves in Mumbai, with the perishing of Go 92.5 FM brand image. Radio One has licenses to operate FM stations in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Pune and will become soon operational in Bangalore, Chennai and Delhi in the next few months.

Rajesh Tahil, CEO, Radio One, said, "With Radio Mid-Day becoming a national player in seven major metros around the country, it was only natural that we would evolve what we were doing in Mumbai into what is going to be a robust national player. As a single city player, being niche made sense, but a national presence gives us the opportunity to go back to the drawing board and look at opportunities to shed our niche image and broaden our markets, both in terms of audience and revenue."

Commenting on the opportunities that the FM Phase II licensing allows for the growth of private FM in India, Tahil said, "Being a significant national radio player is of great strategic significance for both Mid-Day Multimedia and BBC."

Shariq Patel, VP, Operations, and Head of Radio One, Mumbai, said, "We have tested the new format and have seen a healthy improvement in numbers from our own internal tracking. With FM becoming a truly mass medium, we are on our way to building a mass brand."

This also reflects in the programming of the station in Mumbai. This will be the first significant change in rolling out the national brand and is in tune with Radio Mid-Day’s stake to become the No. 1 station in the cities that it is present in.


Vishnu Athreya, VP, Programming and Brand, said, "The new radio station will still have the flavour of GO FM, which stood for fun, energy and exuberance – all the characteristics that reflected the city of Mumbai. However, there will be a little change in the language and the context. For us, music and Bollywood are an integral part of the programming mix. Hindi music itself has come a long way and the attitude that Abhishek Bachchan reflects in a new Bollywood film or the fact that Himesh Reshammiya is popular in clubs tells us that the audience preferences are changing."

The company is optimistic about the new format, giving a boost to their revenues. Avinash Pillai, VP, Advertising Sales, explained, "As the market share (audience) of the radio station increases, we are certain the share of revenue will increase as well. We have already seen interest from a wider list of advertisers that may not have considered us a necessity earlier."
Source:http://www.televisionpoint.com/news2006/newsfullstory.php?id=1149775248

Radio Polonia Podcast competition

From May 1 2006 our partner network WRN is launching a weekly pilot podcast service of selected Radio Polonia programmes in English.

Question: As you know, Radio Polonia broadcasts in 7 languages, including Polish. If you want to win one of a bagful of our FM pocket radios, listen (by clicking on the listen icon at the top of the page) to the following statements and tell us which is in Polish? Is it A, B or perhaps C?

If you know the answer (or just make a guess) then email your answer, ASAP to english.section@radio.com.pl

If you're listening to this as a podcast, do let us know.
And remember, the prizes are on a first come, first served basis. Radio Polonia pocket radios are waiting for you. We'll throw in a Radio Polonia Mad Cow for good measure!
++++++++++++++++++++
Source: http://www.radio.com.pl/polonia/article.asp?tId=18310
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Jaisakthivel,
Chennai,
www.dxersguide.blogspot.com
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HAMFEST INDIA - 2006

The Hamfest India, 2006 will be conducted on 9th and
10th September, 2006 at Jaladarshini Auditorium,
Thevally, Kollam. This time the event will be
conducted by the Quilon Amateur Radio League in
connection with the silver jubilee celebrations of the
club. The hon'ble minister for Overseas Indian
Affairs, Shri Vayalar Ravi has kindly consented to
inaugurate the function. More details will be
intimated later. All are welcome to Kollam.
Visits the websites of QARL:

www.Geocities.com/Indian hams/VU2QAR
www.qarl.tk
OR
For more details please contact Surendran, VU2 SYT,
Email : vu2syt@yahoo.com Phone:474 2552749
+++++++++++++++
Correspondence Course:
Printed Notes
-Contact Classes
-Conducting ASOC exams
-Doubt clearance through email

Course fee is only Rs. 500 and can be paid by installments
Contact: Surendran, vu2syt@yahoo.com
Phone:474 2552749
+++++++++++++++
QARL News is a newsletter published by QARL and it is freely distributed to the members of the club. It contains news about ham world, articles, technical tips etc. If you are interested to subscribe or renew your membership, please contact: Sunil VU3 SXC, "Shailam", Kaikulangara, Kollam-13

High-Tech “GodPod”

Radio is a wonderful way of bringing the gospel to people in far-flung areas, but it also has certain limitations. Signals can only be picked up in specific areas, the reception may sometimes be unclear, and broadcast hours are always limited by available funds.

AWR is planning to implement a pilot project in South Sudan and North Africa that will bypass these challenges and make many hours of programs instantly available to listeners. The device that makes this possible is called the MegaVoice Ambassador.

It is a self-contained digital audio player that can hold up to 160 hours of content. Features include a solar panel with rechargeable batteries, a power jack for recharging, a speaker, an earphone port, and controls for volume and pausing.

“We are very excited about this project,” says AWR Europe region director Bert Smit. “The devices can hold the equivalent of a whole year of half-hour programs. In addition, we can load audio Bible lessons, which are invaluable for nurturing new believers where there are no established Adventist churches.”

Listeners may listen to the recordings multiple times as they study the Biblical concepts, which is particularly useful for people who are illiterate. When they are ready for new content, they can bring their devices to a central location, such as an AWR studio or Bible school, where staff will load a fresh set of programs.

“AWR sees great potential in this new technology,” says AWR president Ben Schoun.

“We are starting this pilot project with 500 units, which cost approximately $25 each and are much cheaper than tape recorders or MP3 players. There are many more territories that could benefit from these devices, and sponsorship from churches or individuals could enable AWR to expand this outreach in the near future.”

Kchibo JX-M14 review

Small Radio With Features

This is an attractive little package with good sensitivity as well as good sound, especially for voice reception. Along with AM (MW) and FM, it has 7 shortwave bands. All buttons are raised. Its heavy duty telescopic antenna pivots.

The easy-to-read LCD display is digital, but it has knob tuning. The frequency readout is accurate, according to several known stations I'd checked on several bands. Apparently the display is that of a true frequency counter.

It has a 12-hour a.m./p.m. clock with an alarm. Its three LEDs are for Tune, AM (MW and SW), and FM. On its back is a flip out easel and the serial number.

It has a jack for earphones. (Earbuds are not supplied.) Although the jack's audio output on FM is monaural, it is dual (split) in all modes. To make sure, I compared it with the stereo FM output of my eTraveller VII. I tuned both radios to one of my area's two classical FM stations. While a symphony was being played, I switched my stereo headphones between the two.

The power supply is two AA cells. It has a jack for an external 3 volt source. (AA cells and wall adapter are not supplied.)

There is enough extension past each end of the advertised SW bands to cover the daytime and some nighttime U.S. frequencies, but there is no coverage at all for some of the nighttime ones. Although there are slight differences for a given radio, the actual band stop-to-stop coverage of mine is:

Bands
SW1 5.84 --- 6.47 MHz
SW2 6.86 --- 7.56 MHz
SW3 9.29 - 10.30 MHz
SW4 11.38 - 12.50 MHz
SW5 13.34 - 14.35 MHz
SW6 14.78 - 15.84 MHz
SW7 17.11 - 18.33 MHz
AM 518 - 1723 kHz
FM 87.9 - 107.9 MHz

Shortcomings
There are a couple of little shortcomings. One is when two stations of unequal signal strength are within 15 to 20 kHz of each other, the stronger station wins. The reason is that the stronger station will "pull" the receiver's local oscillator. This is due to the lack of a tunable input where the real selectivity of a receiver begins. I learned of this when I tried to receive a good signal on 12.172 MHz. I'd tune in to it but a louder 12.160 signal would pull it off. (I settled for a good, clear simulcast on 9.330.)

This problem created a phenomenon, too. When I tuned in WWV's 10.00 MHz time signal, during when third world stations were transmitting on or just below that frequency, the display would read 10.01 MHz.

The other shortcoming is that I noticed the clock seemed to have lost about a minute within a week or two. I'll take another look at that. (This, of course, will affect its alarm clock feature, too.) My advice, if that happens in any unit, is to reset the time once a week, and set it ahead enough, so station
sign-ons won't be missed during the week.

One little nuisance is that it defaults to FM at turn on. That's not a problem, though, because it remembers the last FM, AM, or SW frequency selected. Just push the AM button to get back to your chosen SW frequency, for example.

This would make a fine, inexpensive gift for anyone who is really interested in knowing what's going on in the world, or to enlighten those who should -- or think they do. They should, though, also be given some SWL introductory material as well as help in identifying, even finding, major SW stations (guides, schedules, Web links, etc.)

The jWIN is about the size of a paperback book, but a little shorter. My bulky wallet is almost as big. When it's not in use, I keep it and its paperwork in a ZipLoc sandwich bag.

I purchased my jWIN from Johnson Smith Co. Click on Electronics and look for the Mini 9 Band Radio. This place has the best price. And its service is good. I've bought a variety of things from them.

Note: For my grandson and a girl next door, I ordered two jWINs, S/Ns 030404343 and 030404379. Their performance was like mine, i.e., as above.