e-auction of 266 Private FM Radio Channels in 92 Cities

By | June 21, 2016
(Last Updated On: June 21, 2016)

Ministry of I&B issues Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) for e-auction of 266 Private FM Radio Channels in 92 Cities in Second Batch of FM Phase III

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India today issued the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) for e-auction of 266 FM Radio channels in 92 cities in the second batch of Private FM Phase III. The second batch consists of 227 channels in 69 new cities besides 39 channels in 23 existing cities. Out of 69 new cities taken up for auction in the second batch, 20 cities with 80 channels are having population of 3-10 lakh , 38 cities with 114 channels are having population of 1-3 lakh whereas 11 cities in border areas of Jammu & Kashmir and North Eastern states with population upto one lakh having 33 channels have also been included.

The Notice comprises the eligibility criteria, application procedures, reserve prices of channels, frequencies available for selection, auction rules, etc. and is aimed at inviting applications from the interested companies for participation in the forthcoming auction. Applications are required to be submitted latest by 5.00 PM on 1st August, 2016. Based on the Applications, the Government shall pre-qualify Applicants who meet the eligibility criteria for participation in the auction.

The issuance of NIA for the second batch under Private FM Phase III will further the process of expansion of FM Radio broadcasting services through private agencies (Phase-III) that began with the notification of FM Phase III Policy guidelines dated 25.07.2011, read with its modified paragraph 31 dated 21.01.2015, and moved forward with the e-auction of the first batch of FM Phase III. E-auction of first batch, which commenced on 27th July 2015 and got over on 9th September 2015 resulting in selling of 91 channels in 54 cities. It also paved the way for migration (renewal) of 181 Phase II licenses to Phase III.

The first batch comprised vacant channels in existing cities only i.e. the cities where private FM operators were already present, hence the operationalization of channels in new cities taken up in the second batch will lead to actual geographical expansion of Private FM radio.

Amongst the 266 channels on offer, special incentives are being provided to 36 channels in 14 cities in J&K and North Eastern states.  By this, the FM Phase III policy exudes the Government’s thrust for concerted development of the North Eastern states and J&K. It provides much needed support to the FM radio broadcasting services in cities of North Eastern part of India as in the cities of Jammu & Kashmir and Island territories, with provision of annual fee of the channels in these areas at half the rates for first three years, besides provision of Prasar Bharati Infrastructure at half the lease rentals.

List of Cities alongwith number of Private FM Radio Channels put for e-auction in the second batch of FM Phase III is as under:

List of FM Channels put on Bid in the Second Batch of Phase-III of Private FM Radio Broadcasting

S.No.Name of CityStateRegionNo of Channels for auction
Category “A”     (Cities with Population above 20 lakh)
1HyderabadTelanganaS1
                                                                                             Sub Total1
Category “B” (Cities with Population above 10 lakh and up to 20 Lakh)
2AsansolWest BengalE2
3VijayawadaAndhra PradeshS2
            Sub Total4
Category “C” (Cities with Population above 3 lakh and up to 10 Lakh)
4AkolaMaharashtraW1
5Alappuzha (Alleppey)KeralaS4
6AmravatiMaharashtraW4
7BelgaumKarnatakaS4
8BellaryKarnatakaS4
9BhavnagarGujaratW4
10DehradunUttarakhandN4
11DevengeriKarnatakaS4
12DhuleMaharashtraW2
13ErodeTamil NaduS4
14GulbargaKarnatakaS3
15Hubli-DharwadKarnatakaS4
16JamnagarGujaratW4
17JhansiUttar PradeshN2
18KakinadaAndhra PradeshS4
19KurnoolAndhra PradeshS4
20MalegaonMaharashtraW4
21MangaluruKarnatakaS1
22MuzaffarpurBiharE1
23MuzaffarnagarUttar PradeshN4
24MysuruKarnatakaS2
25NandedMaharashtraW2
26NelloreAndhra PradeshS4
27PuducherryPuducherry(UT)S1
28RajahmundryAndhra PradeshS3
29SaharanpurUttar PradeshN4
30SalemTamil NaduS4
31SangliMaharashtraW1
32ShahjahanpurUttar PradeshN4
33SiliguriWest BangalE1
34TiruchyTamil NaduS2
35TirunelveliTamil NaduS2
36TirupatiAndhra PradeshS2
37TuticorinTamil NaduS2
38UjjainMadhya PradeshW4
39VelloreTamil naduS4
40WarangalTelanganaS3
  Sub Total111
Category “D” (Cities with Population above 1 lakh and up to 3 Lakh)
41AchalpurMaharashtraW3
42AgartalaTripuraE1
43AizwalMizoramE1
44BarshiMaharashtraW3
45BharuchGujaratW3
46BotadGujaratW3
47BurhanpurMadhya PradeshW3
48ChhattarpurMadhya PradeshW3
49ChhindwaraMadhya PradeshW3
50DamohMadhya PradeshW3
51DahodGujaratW3
52Durg-BhillainagarChhatisgarhW3
53GodhraGujaratW3
54GondiyaMaharashtraW3
55GunaMadhya PradeshW3
56ItanagarArunachal PradeshE1
57ItarsiMadhya PradeshW3
58JagdalpurChhatisgarhW3
59Jetpur NavagadhGujaratW3
60JunagadhGujaratW3
61KhandwaMadhya PradeshW3
62KhargoneMadhya PradeshW3
63KorbaChhatisgarhW3
64MehsanaGujaratW3
65MandsaurMadhya PradeshW3
66Murwara (Katni)Madhya PradeshW3
67NeemuchMadhya PradeshW3
68PalanpurGujaratW3
69PatanGujaratW3
70PorbandarGujaratW3
71RaigarhChhatisgarhW3
72RatlamMadhya PradeshW3
73RewaMadhya PradeshW3
74SatnaMadhya PradeshW3
75ShivpuriMadhya PradeshW3
76SingrauliMadhya PradeshW3
77Surendranagar DudhrejGujaratW3
78VeravalGujaratW3
79VidishaMadhya PradeshW3
80WardhaMaharashtraW3
81YavatmalMaharashtraW3
                                              Sub Total117
Cities with a population upto 1 lakh in Border Areas of J & K and NE states
82KargilJ & KN3
83LehJ & KN3
84KathuaJ & KN3
85PoonchJ & KN3
86BhaderwahJ & KN3
87DhubriAssamE3
88HaflongAssamE3
89JowaiMeghalayaE3
90Lung-leiMizoramE3
91MokukchungNagalandE3
92BeloniaTripuraE3
Sub total

 

33
GRAND TOTAL266

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