BBC World Service Trust launches its first FM Radio Soap "Life Gulmohar Style"

The BBC World Service Trust in India announced the launch of its FM radio drama series, designed to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women. The 156-part Hindi-language radio drama, entitled Life Gulmohar Style, will be broadcast every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, from 7:30-7:45 pm,beginning 7th October.

Life Gulmohar Style tells the story of five young people in search of their destiny. It is funny, romantic and serious. The drama deals with a host of issues facing women today, including their sexual and reproductive health, violence, and their roles and responsibilities in a changing India – all in an entertaining way that stimulates listeners to question negative attitudes about women.

Radio advertising to earn $450 mn in India by 2012

With new FM stations mushrooming by the dozen in India, a study says radio advertising industry will gross Rs.18 billion ($450 million) by 2012 from the present Rs.6.2 billion ($155 million).
Radio advertising was a mere Rs.5 billion industry in 2006, said the report by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Ficci) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) released Tuesday.

"Approximately 60 percent of the revenue of the radio advertising industry comes from the private FM broadcasters and the balance from the state broadcaster All India Radio (AIR)," said the report released at the Ficci-Frames forum.
"In terms of share of ad pie, it is projected that the Indian radio advertising industry will be able to increase its share from 3.2 percent in 2007 to 4 percent in the next five years," the report said.
The annual global forum looks at the business aspects of the entertainment and media industry.
Pitted as one of Asia's biggest forums on the entertainment industry, about 2,000 Indian and 500 foreign delegates are here to discuss the growth and sustainability of the sector by addressing the challenges facing it.
Indo-Asian News Service

Branson and SMG eye radio deal to tie in Virgin brand

SMG is believed to be in talks with Richard Branson's Virgin Group to form a separate company which would combine both of their radio resources.

The Scottish media firm, which earlier this year made tentative moves for a flotation of its Virgin Radio brand, would bow out of any involvement with the new company to focus on its Scottish ITV franchise, while Virgin Group may retain a stake, according to reports. SMG, which last month unveiled a drop in half-year profits, leases the right to the Virgin Media brand from Branson.

Analysts have previously estimated that SMG's radio assets, which it bought for £225 million in 2000, could sell for just £100m.

SMG effectively shelved the idea of an IPO for Virgin Radio last month, saying the move was "unrealistic" in the current market.

Branson, who has been expanding his radio empire abroad in countries including Dubai, Thailand and Italy, previously approached SMG about combining their radio assets, but was refused by the Glasgow firm's previous management.

However, a board shake up, which included the appointment of Rob Woodward as chief executive earlier this year and Richard Huntingford as executive chairman earlier this month, could see his approach treated differently this time around.

Combining Virgin Radio with foreign stations such as Branson's Virgin Radio France would help cushion the company against falling UK ad revenues.

A spokeswoman for SMG said the firm was unable to comment on market speculation.