FACE OFF

The radio industry debates the trend of getting hitherto 'invisible' RJs on to street hoardings

The radio jockey is the only unique product of FM stations in the Indian radio space today, where clutter is the dominant feature and lack of differentiated content the recurring theme.

A & R :INDUSTRY'S UNSUNG CATALYSTS

Bollywood may still hold sway over the Indian music industry, but with non film music finding its feet in the country, the Artists and Repertoire (A&R) team within companies is slowly staking its place in the spotlight.

Music Industry - Rocking to digital tunes

The Indian digital music story can be described in a single word - mobile.

With the mobile phone industry making strides far bigger than Internet penetration and speed in the country; the ringtone, the caller ringback tone and the track download have emerged as the killer apps that the telcos and the music industry have all been riding on in the last year.

FM Radio - The Differentiation Game

Clutter. With the FM sector being opened up, and a slew of radio channels hitting the FM airwaves with almost similar or me-too content, listeners have been hardpressed to differentiate between the various stations. And with a lot advertising rupees riding the FM gravy train, it is becoming imperative that radio managements turn up the volume on positioning and differentiating their stations as appropriate media vehicles for appropriate audiences.

Is enough happening on this front? Are managements focusing on the core brand DNA of their stations in order to create that sharp positioning?

Game for music

It had to happen. The proliferation of desi themed games has resulted in an increased dependence on Bollywood film music.

The result - an additional stream of revenue for music companies, and a surefire filmi recipe for success for the gaming industry. 2008 could well see a marked increase in Indian themed games with film as well as original music scores as their backbone.

One of the reasons for Bollywood themed games appears to be their reach. Hindi films and Hindi film music can reach across all age groups and boundaries, and as a corollary often help in the promotion of new films.

The budget has little to offer for the media industry' - Apurva Purohit

Impact of the budget on the Radio Industry
Radio City 91.1 FM CEO and AROI president Apurva Purohit said "The budget has little to offer for the media industry in general and to the radio industry in particular. No specific measures which would contribute to the growth of the Radio Industry have been announced.

FM operators demand lower import duty, 8-year tax holiday

Given that the radio industry is still at its infancy and has great employment and media opportunities in the semi-urban and rural markets, the FM operators are expecting a reduction in service tax in the forthcoming Budget 2008.

Since fringe benefit tax is a non-deductible expense, FM industry is looking for a concession in the qualifying rates to radio operators. They feel that would provide a competitive advantage and a boost to the radio Industry. Besides, they are looking for an eight-year tax holiday to FM radio operators.

Music industry seeks protection of IPR, enforcement of laws

Riding high on technological changes, the music industry and its affiliates in India are not seeking much intervention from the finance minister this time round, except for better enforcement of laws.

The Indian Music Industry, the body that looks after the interests of most of the music companies in the country, says that there isn't much it expects from the Union Budget. But the Phonographic Performances Limited (PPL), the licensing arm of the IMI, is looking at some concrete intervention.

Radio Creating Value Ad

2007 saw innovations in advertising on radio. Will 2008 see radio reaping the results of the experiments?

Seamless integration is the name of the game, and radio stations that experimented with the format in 2007, are ready to take the theme forward in the new year.

Olds Still Gold in Music Industry

The Om shanti Oms and the Saawariyas might be the rage of the moment, but if statistics are to be believed, Bollywood`s golden oldies continue to rule the roost.