NEW DELHI: All India Radio covers 24.55 per cent area of the country through FM broadcasting, a service that is operation in 172 towns and cities.

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting S Jagathrakshakan told Parliament on Tuesday that while a total of 251 private FM channels were broadcasting in 26 states and union territories in the country, no study had been carried out about the area they covered.

The government had approved schemes for installing AIR FM transmitters at 195 more places during the tenth Five Year plan.

Dr Jagathrakshakan said the Phase III Policy for expansion of FM Radio by private broadcasters had not yet been finalised.

Maharashtra has the highest number of private FM channels at 32, followed by Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh with 21 each, and Rajasthan with 19 stations. Kerala has 17, while Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh have sixteen each, Karnataka has 14, Andhra Pradesh has 13, and Punjab has 12. All other states and Union territories have stations in single digits among which Delhi leads with eight private stations.