SEWA sets up 49th CRS

Self Employed Women's Association's radio unit Rudi No Radio is setting up its 49th community radio station in Manipur village, Sanand taluka and other villages within a 10-km radius, according to a press release. It will be functional within the next three months. Rudi No Radio has transmitted 200 episodes in partnership with All India Radio. It is managed by women who have had no formal training in mass media. Its episode s focus on development issues such as agriculture, health, water and are produced by women in the local folk style. Video team comprises of women who were vegetable vendors, bidi makers, head loaders, screen painters, tailors and now they manage the video unit completely by their own. Video SEWA has completed 25 years and is registered as a cooperative.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com

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BBC to tighten programme costs and save £1.9 bn

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is targeting a five per cent net reduction in programme prices each year for the next five years, prompting a tightening of the belt to tide over the harsh economic climate.

Across the BBC, the plan is to make savings of £1.9 billion in this Licence Fee period. BBC DG Mark Thompson revealed the plans while speaking on 'Accountability In A Time Of Change' at the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy Annual Conference in Manchester.

"This is an environment where pay restraint at every level must make sense. In this year's pay round, the people with us earning below £60,000 got a flat rate increase of £450 and those earning £60,000 will not have any general increase at all. We have suspended all bonuses across the organisation."

Thompson reiterated that the UK pubcaster will protect programmes and services over the next few difficult years. "As far as we can, we will also protect jobs and so also our investment in independent production. We can only do those things because we began the difficult process of reform nearly five years ago. And even so, the economics are tight."

Thompson pointed out that all broadcasters including relatively well-funded parts of the public sector like the BBC face "some difficult years." The wider downturn and the level of public indebtedness will inevitably colour the entire climate for public spending decisions, he added.

http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k9/june/june358.php

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AIR engineers, direct recruits up in arms

Prasar Bharati is bracing itself to meet major protests from various cadres on issues such as cadre review for engineering employees to the inordinate delay and failure in promoting the direct recruit cadre officers to higher posts as directed by Courts more than five years back.

Hundreds of Direct Recruit Programme officers working in the two public service broadcasters, All India Radio and Doordarshan, are to launch a nationwide peaceful sit in protest dharna from 2 July.

The Association of Radio & Television Engineering Employees (ARTEE) held a lunch hour gate meeting last week as the first leg of its protracted agitation on a seven-point charter including One Pay for One Cadre amongst subordinate Engineering cadres (from Helper to Assistant Engineer) in All India Radio and Doordarshan.

Detail story on
http://www.radioandmusic.com/content/editorial/news/air-engineers-direct-recruits-arms

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Reliance Mobile and BBC World Service to jointly offer Live Radio services

Reliance Mobile and BBC World Service announced a strategic alliance to
offer Live Audio services through R-World VAS platform
Reliance subscribers will be able to have access to Live radio services from

BBC World Service with the content available in five different languages all

seven days a week.
BBC World Service will offer news in English, which will switch to Hindi at
6.30am, 8.00am, 7.30pm and 10.30 pm; Tamil, at 09.15pm; Urdu, at 7.00am,
8.30 pm and 11.00pm, and Bangla, at 5.00 am, 6.00 am and 6.00pm.
Commenting on its partnership with BBC World Service, Krishna Durbha, Head -

Business & Marketing, Value Added Services at Reliance Communications, said,

"Radio is a very popular medium in rural India. Through this service we
wanted to offer same experience to our customers in their preferred
language. Introduction of this service is part of our strategy to provide
innovative services in local languages."
Indu Shekhar Sinha, Business Development Manager, BBC World Service India,
adds, "We want to reach out to the widest possible audience across India,
both linguistically and geographically, and this deal is part of that
strategy. We're delighted to offer 24/7 live streaming radio on Reliance
mobile phones; this new platform will help us provide even more for our
listeners."
Reliance subscribers can access the BBC World Service Radio by dialing
51234378.

http://www.telecomt iger.com/ fullstory. aspx?passfrom= vasstory& storyid=6486

----
Alokesh Gupta
New Delhi

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Websites of All India Radio: Updated

Website of All India Radio, Agartala (Tripura)
www.airagartala. org

All India Radio, Rampur
http://rampur. nic.in/air. htm

Here are links to the websites of AIR regional stations posted in dx-india
earlier :

All India Radio - Ahmedabad,Gujarat
www.airahmedabad. in

All India Radio - Bhawanipatna, Orissa
www.airbpn.org

All India Radio - Cuttack,Orissa
www.airctc.com

All India Radio - Imphal
http://cicmanipur. nic.in/html/ air_imp.htm

All India Radio, HPT Malad, Mumbai
www.airhptmalad. com

All India Radio - Panaji
www.airpanaji. gov.in

All India Radio - Rohtak
www.rohtakakashvani .com

All India Radio Shillong
www.airshillong. org

All India Radio - Thiruvananthapuram
www.airtvm.com

All India Radio - Vividh Bharati (Temp)
http://vividhbharat i.weebly. com/index. html

All India Radio - Kolkata (Unofficial)
www.freewebs. com/airkolkata/

Other websites :

Govt. of India, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
http://mib.nic. in/

All India Radio - Main Website
www.allindiaradio. org

All India Radio News Portal
http://newsonair. com/

All India Radio, CE East Zone
http://airez. org.in/allindiar adio/

All India Radio, CE West Zone
www.cewzair. org

All India Radio, CE North Zone
www.cenorth. org <http://www.cenorth. org/>
All India Radio - Central Sales Unit,Mumbai
http://csuair. org.in/

All India Radio,Civil Construction Wing
www.ccwprasarbharat i.nic.in

All India Radio - Staff Training Institute (Tech)
http://education. vsnl.com/ stitair/

All India Radio - Regional Staff Training Institute(Techl) ,Bhubaneshwar
http://www.rstitbbs r.org/

All India Radio - Childrens Programme
http://childrensect ion.tripod. com/

Doordarshan
www.ddindia. gov.in

Doordarshan Thiruvanathapuram
www.ddktvm.gov. in

AIR & DD Engineers Association
http://airddenginee rs.org/

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

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India to get its 50th community radio station in Hyderabad

Four years and two months after the government announced its policy relating to community radio, the 50th community radio got its clearance at Abid Ali Khan Educational Trust, Hyderabad. The trust has been operating for about 15 years in Hyderabad and serving the community, especially the weaker and marginalised sections by providing free education and vocational training in the field of journalism, computers, tailoring, embroidery and many other fields of livelihood generations.

To achieve these objectives and to reach out to these communities, particularly those who are poor, literally challenged and socially and culturally underprivileged, the CRS proposed by the Abid Ali Khan Educational Trust aims to address issues that concern the community through participatory programmes, and improve the quality of life in general.

(Indiantelevision.com)

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Sri Lanka’s tallest broadcast tower to be built at Kokkavil

The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRC) says the giant broadcasting tower to be built in Kokkavil in the Mullaitivu District would be an all-purpose one. It also announced that the tower could be the highest to be built in the country, though it cannot confirm the statistic yet.

TRC Director General Priyantha Kariyapperuma told the Daily Mirror that the tower will be used for TV, radio and telecommunication purposes. He said it will be taller than the normal broadcasting tower. A broadcasting tower is generally 120 metres high but the height of this one would be 175 metres.

Mr Kariyapperuma said the TRC is currently finalizing the plans for constructing this tower. He also indicated the possibility of introducing new radio channels in the North while new technology such as digital TV also would be introduced.

(Source: Daily Mirror, Sri Lanka)

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Astro to up stake in Sun TV's radio subsidiary by 13%

Malaysia-based Astro Group is increasing its stake in Sun TV Network's radio subsidiary South Asia FM Ltd (SAFL) by 13.02 per cent, says a source familiar with the development.

South Asia Multimedia Technologies currently owns 6.98 per cent stake in SAFL and has expressed intent to enhance its stake to 20 per cent through fresh capital infusion.

As reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com, Astro would be picking up equity in SAFL and Sun TV's stake would likely fall by five per cent to 60 per cent.

It is not clear yet what NDTV's holding would be after South Asia Multimedia Technologies hikes up its stake. NDTV currently holds three per cent stake in SAFL, the source adds.

SAFL has got the FIPB (foreign investment promotion board) nod to increase the foreign direct equity participation.

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SEWA gets licence to run community radio

Mahila SEWA Trust of Ahmedabad is to be the 48th licensee in the country to get a community radio station.

The Letter of Intent has been issued to the Institute after recommendations of Inter Ministerial Committee and seeking requisite clearances from various Ministries. SEWA started its community radio initiatives for building capacity of the women of the informal sector. The main objective of the activity is to provide information and education to the members in the remotest of the villages.

The radio programmes are made on different subjects like health, water, agriculture, animal husbandry, national and international events. The programmes particularly emphasize community participation. The professional experts give the training to the women at the grassroot level.

Mahila SEWA (Self Employed Women Association) was set up on 18 June 1975 under the Bombay Public Trust Act. Mahila SEWA Trust's main goals are to organise women workers for full employment and self reliance.

The Ministry encourages setting up of the Community Radio Stations as CRS promises to provide an opportunity to the local communities to express themselves, and empower the women. The main aim of starting the CRS is to provide different and useful information to the people in nearby villages.
(Indian Television.com)

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FM-III auctions may take place by end-2009

The government may delay its plans of announcing the third-phase auctions of over 500 private FM radio stations by at least four months, say informed government sources. This is significant because the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) is actively looking at making a policy announcement for the third-phase roll out of FM radio as part of its action plan for the first 100-days of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

A final recommendation to this effect has already been made by the sector regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai).

Sources in the I&B ministry say that while the policy announcement for the third-phase roll out of FM radio stations will still be made, the auctioning process is likely to be pushed towards the end of this year.

This comes in the backdrop of a recent meeting between the Association of Radio Operators (AROI), the apex body of existing 40-odd private FM radio companies with Ambika Soni, the new I&B minister.

The AROI has urged the government to delay the auctioning process for the third-phase of FM radio till the issue of payment of music royalty to various music companies and their associations is resolved.

"If the auctions for the phase-three takes place soon, we fear none of the existing radio operators would be able to participate as the current rate of music royalty makes the entire radio business unviable," said Prashant Pandey, chief executive, Entertainment Networks India (ENIL) and a senior AROI.

Pandey said the AROI was hoping for an early settlement of the music royalty issue as the matter was before the Copyright Board that will begin the hearing on the matter by end-July.

Pandey, along with other senior members of the AROI, recently met the I&B minister and made a brief presentation on the radio business in the country.

According to the AROI, the radio industry has made around Rs 2,000 crore of combined investment so far while the advertising revenue stands at less than Rs 800 crore per annum. The only source of income for the FM radio industry is advertising revenue.

"We want the third-phase and we have conveyed the same to the minister. However, we are expecting a settlement in the music royalty issue in the next few months. If the government can delay the auctioning process till the music royalty issue is resolved, it will be beneficial for the existing FM radio operators," Pandey told Business Standard.

ENIL operates 32-FM stations under the Radio Mirchi brand name and is one of the oldest private FM radio operator and the only listed radio company.

For the last five years, the private FM radio companies have been involved in a legal battle with the music companies over payment of royalty for the much played by the FM radio stations.

"At the current rates fixed for paying music royalty, a FM station, irrespective of its geographical location, ends up paying Rs 80-90 lakh per annum to the music companies. Then there are other operational expenditures. However, the revenues for a FM radio station depend on its geographical location. So there is a practical problem in operating a radio station under the current scenario," says a media consultant who advises several radio companies.

So far, the I&B ministry has successfully launched the phase-one (2000-01) and phase-two (2005-06) of the private FM radio stations that has resulted in the launch of over 250 FM stations across 90 cities in past nine years.

While the first phase saw FM stations getting launched in the metros and certain state capitals, the second-phase turned out to be very significant for the private FM operators as the government tweaked the radio policy in favour of revenue-sharing model from the escalating licence fees regime in 2000-01.(Business Standard)

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Rs 389cr plan to increase TV, radio coverage in J&K border areas

Troubled by aggressive Pakistani propaganda along the border areas of Jammu and Kashmir, the government has mooted a Rs 389 crore proposal to increase its television and radio coverage in the higher reaches of the state and near security establishments. The proposal -- of immense strategic importance -- is in the final stages of approval.

- The Times of India 18/06

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AIR Shillong launches new website

All India Radio Shillong has launched a brand new website, here's the link :
www.airshillong.org

Direct links :
All India Radio, Shillong : www.airshillong.org/air/
All India Radio - North Eastern service, Shillong : www.airshillong.org/ner/

Contact address:
All India Radio
A.I.R. Building
Shillong, Meghalaya
0364 2222781
India.
Email: airnes@sancharnet.in
(Via Alokesh Gupta)

Open letter to RTI listeners

From RTI English website ......

Dear listeners,

It has come to our attenton that one of our programs may have contained objectionable content. We would like to offer our sincerest apologies and ensure you that Radio Taiwan International is dedicated to offering quality programming that can be enjoyed by the whole family.
We are in the process of conducting an internal review, and would like to encourage listeners to continue offering suggestions and feedback so that we can together create better quality programs in the future!
Sincerely,

The Staff of Radio Taiwan International
http://english. rti.org.tw/ Content/WhatsNew Single.aspx? ContentID= 80890

(Via Alokesh Gupta, New Delhi)

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Prizes from CVC

The Above prizes won by Mr. Arun from Meenatchipalayam, Namakkal Dist., Tamil Nadu, India.

SLBC revamps its website

Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation has revamped its website with new look, new colors & new content. Have a look at the site here : http://www.slbc.lk/
Live audio streams are now available for following services :
- Sinhala National Service
- Tamil National Service
- Sinhala Commercial Service
- City FM
- Thendral
(Via Alokesh gupta, New Delhi)

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BBC updates its list of iPlayer compatible handsets

Updating its list of iPlayer compatible hand sets, BBC today boasts of 13 models that are competent enough to streamline WiFi.

Except for the Apple iPhone, all the other 13 handsets are also capable of steaming over a 3G connection if you happen to use 3 or Vodafone.

The iPhone can however listen to Listen Again, the radio service – a function that the Samsung Omnia and Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 are not capable of performing.

The list of mobile phone goes on as iPhone, Nokia N85, Nokia 5800, Nokia E71, Nokia N95, Nokia N96, Samsung Omnia, Sony Ericsson Xperia X1, Sony Ericsson W705, Sony Ericsson W715, Sony Ericsson C905, Sony Ericsson W995 and the HTC Touch HD.

There are five devices that will enable users to download TV over WiFi, the Nokia N85, 5800, E71, N96 and the Sony Ericsson W995. (freshnews.in)

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DRM+ successfully trialled in Paris

Paris, 12th June 2009: The Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) technology for broadcast at higher frequencies was successfully trialled in Paris on Thursday. The DRM+ signal was broadcast on 64.5 MHz from Tour Pleyel, North of Paris, and was received at the office of Conseil Supérieur de l'Audiovisuel (CSA) which regulates the various electronic media in France. The CSA is located 10 km away from the transmitter but the signal strength was good with only 400 watts of radiating power.

This positions DRM+ as a perfect solution for stations not able to join multiplexes, even in places where the FM band is full.

DRM+ extends the DRM standard which is the open, universal, digital radio standard for broadcast bands, to frequencies up to 174MHz including the FM spectrum from 87.5MHz to 108 MHz. DRM+ offers a range of features and benefits for radio stations’ around the world and can lead to a cost-effective migration to digital. It was first successfully tested on the FM Band in Kaiserslautern, Germany last year, but this is the first time DRM+ has been used in Band 1.

DRM+ has distinct advantages over conventional FM, it needs lower transmission power for same coverage, opens up new audio possibilities like 5.1 surround sound, increases spectrum efficiency and offers electronic data services such as programme guide and supporting information.

David Blanc, SNRL (Syndicat National des Radios Libres) says: “Professor Dr Andreas Steil and his team (Mr. Schad and Mr. Köhler) from the University of Applied Sciences, Kaiserslautern, was able to put together a complete DRM+ broadcast system on Band 1 and agreed to test it in Paris. SNRL, which gathers over 300 local stations in France, has been trying to find a technical solution for the many stations which cannot join multiplexes for various reasons, including coverage area, cost and desire to remain in control of their broadcast operations. “

“DRM+ seems to be an excellent choice, offering over 100 kbps of usable bit rate, enabling CD audio quality, slideshow and other data to be broadcast from a simple privately-owned transmitter. We now recommend integrating DRM+ in all digital radio receivers, from 60 to 108 Mhz.”, he added.

This test was performed by the help of University of Applied Sciences, Kaiserslautern and Fraunhofer IIS, Erlangen.

Ruxandra Obreja, Chairman, DRM Consortium says: “Through this trial in France, we have yet another proof that the DRM standard can offer a most versatile, economical range of options for big and small operators for the benefit of audiences that want good quality radio. We hope that the trial in France will be positively noted and actioned by the French radio authorities. It is an excellent extra step that will preface the expected all- band extension of the DRM global standard.”(drm.org)

> Click here to view the release in pdf format.

TV programme on amateur radio

As part of a technology programme, NDTV HINDU, a new channel, is
broadcasting a programme this evening (12 June 2009) at 2130 HRS.

Apparently NDTV HINDU is not available on Tata Sky but is part of regular
cable TV channels, and so some of us may not be able to view it, including
myself!

If someone has a chance to record it, kindly do so and we could all share
it. It may be uploaded onto a web site later but not for now. (Gopal, VU2GMN)

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DRM & WorldDMB at Broadcast Asia

DRM and WorldDMB are hosting a joint networking party at Broadcast Asia in Singapore this year. After the day session on 'Expanding the Opportunities in Radio', the two consortia will invite industry guests for a special reception on Tuesday 16th June 2009 from 19.30-21.30. DRM & WorldDMB are the industry bodies promoting digital radio around the world.

> If you would like to attend this event, please contact the DRM Press Office .

Stop and Listen – BBC World Service invites audiences to Save our Sounds

Iconic images of cities, from the Sydney Opera House to the canals of Venice, are etched in the public's imagination, but BBC World Service is on a quest to celebrate the often overlooked quality of sound. From bells, to taxi horns and the shouts of street traders, BBC World Service's new multimedia season Save Our Sounds is on a quest to make people around the world stop, listen and think about the defining noises around them.

The Save our Sounds website - bbcworldservice.com/saveoursounds – has launched an innovative interactive sound map. Audiences are able to record, and upload sounds on to the world map to become part of a sonic worldview and an online archive of global noises.

Resident Save Our Sounds micro-blogger Kate Arkless Gray will be talking to acoustic practitioners and audiences online and via Twitter ( @BBC_SOS) , building a community around the project. The website will also feature regular 'sound challenges' and a 'desperately seeking sound' appeal'*. Later in the season users will also be able to create their own soundscapes in a virtual 3D landscape.

As part of this season, a new two part documentary, Discovery: Save Our Sounds will premiere on Wednesday 8 and 15 July at 2030 BST on BBC World Service*. Presented by acoustician Professor Trevor Cox, this series features a range of experts including architects, urban planners, environmental scientists, sound artists, psychologists and social scientists, all concerned with acoustic ecology in the urban soundscape. The series will examine the impact of sound on people's lives, and question whether some distinct noises, from street markets, to bells and street hawkers, are actually at risk of disappearing, drowned out by new technologies and generic sounds like cooling fans and traffic.

Professor Cox also travels to one of the noisiest cities in the world, Hong Kong, where engineers are pioneering new approaches to acoustic management, as well as meeting an expert in the UK, who has been commissioned to create the urban soundscape of the future.

Other BBC World Service programmes will be involved in the Save our Sounds season. Outlook, from 15 June will focus on sounds from five parts of the world which maybe in danger of disappearing, from the fish wives of Angola whose songs resonate through the streets of Luanda, to chai wallahs pouring tea on the streets on Delhi.

Ends

Notes to Editors:

For further information on Save our Sounds please contact Penny Crook, BBC World Service publicity on +44 (0)207 557 1142, penny.crook@bbc.co.uk

*Save our Sounds will transmit on Wednesday 8 and 15 July at 2030 BST on BBC World Service –UK and Europe schedule. The documentary will also be available online as a podcast - www.bbcworldservice.com

Go to bbcworldservice.com/saveoursounds to find The Interactive Sound Map, 3D Soundmaps, and blogs

The Save our Sounds Twitter feed is: @BBC_SOS

Interactive Sound Map

For more information on how the interactive sound map go to - bbcworldservice.com/saveoursounds. This site also contains Information and tips on recording and uploading material on to the map.

*Desperately Seeking Sounds

Save our Sounds want to hear from audiences about the sounds they want to hear again. Perhaps a childhood sound or a noise from a favourite longed for city. Email us at saveoursounds@bbc.com telling us which sound you'd love to hear again, and where in the world you heard it. We'll then try and match-make you with the sound and you can tell us if we've got it right.

BBC World Service is an international multimedia broadcaster delivering 32 language and regional services. It uses multiple platforms to reach 182 million listeners globally, including shortwave, AM, FM, digital satellite and cable channels. It has around 2,000 partner radio stations which take BBC content, and numerous partnerships supplying content to mobile phones and other wireless handheld devices. Its news sites include audio and video content and offer opportunities to join the global debate. For more information, visit bbcworldservice.com. To find out more about the BBC's English language offer and subscribe to a free e-newsletter, visit bbcworldservice.com/schedules.