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Jiving to the FM beat

The FM stations are here after a prolonged wait, and Hyderabad can't wait to tune in. Sangeetha Devi. K reports

PHOTO: SAMPATH KUMAR

ON AIR FM channels in the city target the younger lot

The construction of flyovers in prime locations of the city has only affirmed the fact that it will be a while before the traffic congestion eases. As you groan behind the wheel, there's something to give you company and warn you about traffic diversions ahead. The FM radio channels have finally arrived in Hyderabad. The wait was too long that many Hyderabadis nurtured no hopes of tuning in to FM and radio went out of vogue, almost.

Now, barely weeks after major players have begun competing on the airwaves, the city is on track. Listen in while on the move or simply plug in your tiny earphones while taking a walk. Rainbow (101.9 FM) and Radio City (106.4 FM) dole out a mix of Hindi and Telugu programmes that are largely film based, while Radio Mirchi (95 FM) thrives on Telugu music.

Tri-lingual channels

"Hyderabad has a mix of people speaking Telugu, Hindi and English and you can't afford to miss out on any section. Our programmes are based on a `mood map' that we've prepared. For instance, you are in no mood to listen to racy numbers in the morning.

The peak driving hours, 9 a.m to 12 noon, are synonymous with melodious hits. The afternoon slot, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., is when the life of college students begin. The music changes accordingly," explains a spokesperson of Radio City.

Programmes are yet to diversify with channels gauging the response closely. Those in the business agree that Hyderabad will take another two years before it can compete with Mumbai and Delhi, simply because programmes have to capture the pulse of the city. A radio jockey points out that while in Mumbai, a DJ can host a radio show that's in sync with the Saturday night fever, the pub hopping crowd here is negligible.

More from radio

Listeners are just glad that FM has arrived. K. V. Krishnan, a sales manager in a manufacturing firm, says, "I am happy that we have a few FM channels. The channels should cater to the cosmopolitan crowd as well as localites. In some time, hopefully the channels would become more chirpy and informative like their counterparts in other metros.

Apart from traffic, information on health care, shopping and banking would be welcome. What newspapers do at a macro level, radio can do at a micro level."

Rainbow FM, for instance, airs a programme on HIV awareness that's been conceived by the AP AIDS Control Society. Sailaja Suman, director of the channel, feels that radio has to cater to the varied sections of the city.

Sumanaspathy Reddy, programme executive, feels that Hyderabad is a tough domain given its mix of cultures. "Though you primarily cater to the younger lot, you cannot miss out on older melodies. Likewise, we have a slot for western music even though Hindi and Telugu programmes cater to the larger sections," he says. He adds that gauging feedback will be easier once a national-level survey for radio begins on the lines of TAM for television.

There are more FM players, like Adlabs and the Sun group, who are eyeing Hyderabad. While prospective RJs have more choice of work, listeners can hope for better programmes.

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