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HIGH UP in the AIR
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"We impose reasonable restrictions because AIR FM is for family listening."
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EVEN AS the city's self-proclaimed coolest radio channel has sought refuge in Hindi soaps and remixes to fill airtime, good old AIR FM 101.3 has increased its hours devoted to Western non-classical music to four hours a day. This is part of FM Rainbow, which includes other interactive programmes such as Monday Moods, Tuesday Tunes (there's even a Friday Fries!), and so on. For its programmes christened Fire 101 (12 to 1 p.m.), Wind 101 (5 to 7 p.m.), and Space 101 (10 to 11 p.m.), AIR has picked some 20 bright young people as RJs who are bilingual, if not trilingual, and who enjoy a certain degree of flexibility when it comes to form and content.
But it's not as if anything goes. As Station Director G. Jayalal emphasises: "We impose reasonable restrictions because AIR FM is for family listening. We keep in mind every segment of society and every age group. Our listeners are not teenagers alone." Assistant Station Director H.S. Saraswati chips in: "We're strong on local culture. We have our roots here. That is our strength." And both laugh gleefully, saying: "Our competition is closely watching us. And sometimes even copy our programmes. Yes, there is healthy competition."
The change comes in the wake of mass defection of listeners enamoured of youthful prattle on other channels. But AIR FM ("We're actually younger than our competition. We took off only on September 1, 2001.") is fighting back, wooing lost audiences. It is in a strong position. It has solid institutional backing and no problems when it comes to royalty and copyright issues. "We have signed agreements with music companies and our RJs are allowed to air music marketed only by those companies," says Mr. Jayalal. AIR FM is also meticulous about paying royalties, so there's no question of hassles like lawsuits.
"Not only do we have phone-ins, but also phone-outs," says Ms. Saraswati. "Listeners call us. We call them. They can also SMS us. And to keep the programmes fresh, our RJs don't get more than six assignments a month each."
Like everywhere else, RJs go through auditioning and training. And they have to do their homework. Twenty-three-year-old Manoj Deshpande is one. A graduate in engineering, he is at the console on Mondays. AIR has always had a special place for him, he says. He grew up listening to it and would accompany his mother, a writer, when she came by to do her programmes. Someone suggested that he audition and he did. AIR liked his voice and accent and trained him. "I keep in touch with trends through the Internet, TV, and magazines," he says. "I also check out with people." He is partial to Latino singers and likes some of the boy bands. And yes, "I have a fan following, to a certain extent," he says with a shy smile.
RJ Manoj vibing with his listeners. Below: Station Director G. Jayalal — Photos: K. Gopinathan
FM Rainbow has theme-based programmes, be it anniversaries or occasions. "If we get sponsors, we're willing to extend the hours," says Ms. Saraswati. "Our listeners are very responsive. For example, initially, in the mornings, we were broadcasting loud music. The overwhelming response to this was the need for sober music. So we obliged. Our archives also are unbeatable. We have recordings dating back to even 1943. For example, we have quizzes where listeners have to identify voices. Imagine hearing the voices of Subhash Chandra Bose and Gandhi! By the way, we don't give away any prizes: the only reward is that the listeners' names are announced."
According to her, two most popular programmes are Breakpoint and Silly Joint. The first, in the morning, gives three different audio clues, often in lighter vein, on a subject and the results are announced at 9.15 and 9.30. "We get between 60 and 80 calls everyday, some from schoolchildren who complain that they are in school and so don't get to know the answers. They want the answers to be announced at night, when they're at home."
Silly Joint pops up at 5.55, 7.05, and 7.55 in the evening. "It's both silly and sometimes naughty," says Ms. Saraswati. "We have things like, `In the game of life, if wife is the goalkeeper, what is the husband? Please call the doctor.' The last is the clue. The answer is announced after five minutes. It is: `The husband is the injured player.'"
So who comes up with stuff like this? Both in-house talent as well as listeners, apparently. "Our ideas are sometimes copied," Ms. Saraswati says. Not that she minds. She rests in the knowledge that FM Rainbow's reach is as wide as Mysore, Tiptur, and even beyond Hosur and Kanakapura in various directions. "We even have listeners calling in from Kollegal."
AIR FM is on air 17 hours a day, from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.. It has 10 hours of Kannada programmes while the rest is divided between Hindi and English.
AIR's RJs, however, could do with a bit of training by thorough professionals. As a listener complains good-naturedly: "There are too many hesitations, too many `ers' and `ahs'. But on the whole, they're OK and don't talk nonsense to fill airtime. After all, not everyone is a Willis Conover or an Ameen Sayani."
Photos: K. Gopinathan
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