The Hindu : AIR station making waves

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Sep 19, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram

AIR station making waves

By C. Maya

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Sept. 18. With more of audience-interactive programmes, special audience forums and programmes that focus on public grievances, AIR Thiruvananthapuram is ensuring that people keep tuning in to the airwaves.

`Ask the doctor', a one-hour live phone-in programme in which the audience can interact directly with doctors, was started on an experimental basis by the Thiruvananthapuram station in 2000. But the programme has been so popular that every time it was aired, all phone lines got jammed.

From next month, Thiruvananthapuram AIR would have more of live interactive programmes, with focus on special audience groups like children, women and youth, says Srinivasa Raghavan, station director.

The focus would be on increasing listeners' participation and AIR will try to rope in Government officials, experts in various fields as well as celebrities to lead the programmes, according to Mr. Raghavan.

However, one of the most popular programmes on radio is also one of the oldest. `Prabhathabheri', which focuses on civic affairs and public grievances, has been on air since 1988 and continues to evoke good public response. The format of the programme was later picked up by many television channels also.

AIR is also doing a series of live phone-in programmes on various aspects of insurance in a tie-up with the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) as part of the latter's campaign to promote the concept of social security.

AIR has been concentrating on revamping the format of various programmes. The listening pattern of audience has shown that active listening periods are few and hence, programmes are now being made shorter and crispier.

``We have been trying out various experiments and we will soon have a breakfast show on the lines of the `Kochi FM Diary'. The programme will be a take on current issues,'' Mr. Raghavan says.

A music magazine, which throws light upon the lesser-known aspects of music and its traditions, was also being planned by the station. Another programme that is being shaped is one that gives information or guidance on public utility devices, like credit cards, ATMs and the like.

According to AIR officials, it is a myth that only those in rural areas listen to the radio. In many urban homes, people prefer to listen to the radio in the morning because it doesn't tie one down to a place.

``Going by the feedback we receive, it is obvious that we have reached across to all sections, in both rural and urban areas,'' says an official.

On assessing the percentage of those actually listening to the Commercial Broadcasting Station (CBS) and the primary channels of Thiruvananthapuram on a given day, it was found that the CBS channel had 59 per cent listeners in the urban area and 74 per cent in the rural area. As for the primary channel, the urban listening percentage was 53 per cent while in the rural area it was 74 per cent.

The increasing advertisement revenue raked in by various AIR stations and the enthusiastic feedback from the audience, speak for themselves. This year, Kerala is poised to be among the top three States as far as ad revenue from AIR is concerned. The revenue till July was Rs. 1.07 crores and post-Onam, this figure is expected to take a leap, says Mr. Raghavan.

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AIR station making waves