Question : FM Services

(a) the number of district headquarters of the country in which the facility of FM services has been provided so far, State/UT-wise;

(b) whether the Government has any proposal to set up more FM Radio Stations including private FM Stations in areas which have not yet been covered under FM facility so far;

(c) if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise and location-wise including Bihar along with the time by which the said facility is likely to be started;

(d) whether the Government is aware that FM Radio Stations sanctioned for international border districts including Karimganj in Assam has not been started yet, if so, the reasons therefor and the time by which it is likely to be started; and

(e) whether the Government is earning revenue through FM Radio, if so, the details thereof along with revenue earned during each of the last three years and the current years?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING,
{COL RAJYAVARDHAN RATHORE (Retd.)}
(a) : 328 District Headquarters are having the facility of All India Radio (AIR) FM services. State/UT-wise details are given in Annexure-I. 78 District Headquarters are also having the facility of private FM radio services. State/UT-wise details are at Annexure-II.
(b) & (c): The Cabinet, in its meeting held on 7.7.2011, approved the “Policy Guidelines on Expansion of FM radio broadcasting services through private agencies (Phase-III)”. FM Phase-III Policy extends FM radio services to 227 new cities in addition to 67 existing cities of FM Phase-II having vacant channels. Therefore, under FM Phase-III a total of 839 new FM radio stations are to be set up in 294 cities. State-wise details are at Annexure-III. Government conducted e-Auction of First batch of FM Phase-III comprising 135 vacant channels in 69 existing cities of FM Phase-II. State-wise details are at Annexure-IV. Of these 91 channels in 54 cities were issued Letters of Intent. State-wise details are at Annexure-V. These channels are likely to start operations within 12 months of issue of Letter of Intent. New AIR FM Broadcasting Stations are being set up at 86 locations in the country including 54 nos. of 100 W FM Relay transmitters. State/UT–wise details are given in Annexure-VI. These new FM stations are likely to be commissioned within the current plan period (i.e. March 2017).
(d) : At Karimganj in Assam, 1 kW FM setup of AIR has been installed recently. The centre is likely to be commissioned during this year.
(e) : Details of revenue earned by the Government from the private FM radio broadcasters during the last three years and current year are at Annexure-VII and Details of consolidated revenue earned by commercials and sharing of AIR FM infrastructures with Private FM Broadcasters during each of the last three years and the current year are given as below :
Financial Year Revenue earned by commercials and sharing of AIR FM infrastructures

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(Rs. in Cr)
2012-13 102.78
2013-14 130.64
2014-15 128.29
2015-16 113.99

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