NEW DELHI: All India Radio FM earned Rs 113.99 crore during 2015-16 as revenue from commercials and sharing of AIR FM infrastructures with private channels.

In comparison, it had earned Rs 128.29 crore in 2014-15 and Rs 130.64 crore in 2013-14.

This revenue had been Rs 102.78 crore in 2012-13, Parliament was told today by minister of state for broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore.

Answering the main question, he said 328 district headquarters had the facility of All India Radio (AIR) FM services and 78 district headquarters also had the facility of private FM radio services.

He said 91 channels in 54 cities which were issued Letters of Intent after the e-Auction of the first batch of FM Phase-III comprising 135 vacant channels in 69 existing cities of FM Phase-II were likely to start operations within 12 months of issue of Letter of Intent. India will now host 839 new FM radio stations to be set up in 294 cities.

FM Phase-III Policy extended FM radio services to 227 new cities in addition to 67 existing cities of FM Phase-II, having vacant channels.

Meanwhile, new AIR FM Broadcasting Stations are being set up at 86 locations in the country, including 54 with 100 Watt FM Relay transmitters. These new FM stations are likely to be commissioned within the current plan period (that is, March 2017).