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Unfurling of VIBGYOR

FM fever is catching up fast and city-dwellers are no exception to it, says G. RAVIKIRAN

PHOTO: CH. VIJAYA BHASKAR

SMALL WONDERS Denizens are going gaga over the tiny pieces

The hip-hop and happening FM (frequency modulation) culture has taken the city by storm. Palito, Star, Samar Sound, Rado and Pilot are the names doing the rounds. You might not have heard much about these companies , but they have arrived silently. Pay just Rs. 40 for a pocket radio and listen to FM round-the-clock. Loosen your purse strings a little more and get a palm-sized one for Rs. 60.

If you find a youth wandering aimlessly, bothering least about the goings-on around, see whether he has those soft cables creeping into his ears.

He must be glued to an FM radio rolled out from the stable of one of the facelesscompanies. Besides superb quality, they give the listener an inalienable feel of FM.

Electronic shops here have an avalanche of FM radios carted from Delhi, known as `China' items in the local parlance. Though they come without any warranty or guarantee,shelling out Rs. 40 for a pocket radio, Rs. 75 for a tiny transistor with a speaker and Rs. 175 for a break box type is worth the deal.

The FM mania has gripped all sections alike -- - students, auto-rickshaw drivers and mutha workers. Sadly though, popular brands have not pumped many FM-only pieces in the market. High-end customers like doctors and lawyers are going for two-band radios, which offer a combination of FM and Medium Wave (MW).

Sonovision electronic and appliances showroom on Eluru Road has many high-end customers asking for branded FM radio sets. Most customers are looking for pocket radios with only FM.

The showroom gets nearly 15 enquiries every day. As this is not available, they opt for two-band sets offering MW, in addition to FM. Short wave has much to lose in the evolving phenomenon, as customers do not bother to look for a three-band combination. Sonovision has three-band sets offering TV as a third feature.

Durability factor

PHOTO: RAJU. V.

UP FOR GRABS Sleek palm-sized transistors are a major attraction.

Bhaskara Murthy, proprietor of Sonovision, says branded FM-only sets will be available soon. Local dealers for Philips have been apprised of the consumers' preference in FM radio sets. A pocket radio offering only FM is priced at Rs. 175 and it runs only on pencil batteries. It comes with earphones and without a speaker facility.

The two-band FM and an MW set cost Rs. 390, which also has no in-built eliminator. A socket may be carved to create the feature to run it on power. It requires two pencil batteries. If used for 12 hours a day, the batteries will last for nearly 15 days. A three-hour use a day will enable the user to benefit from it for two to three months. An oft-repeated query that comes from a buyer is that if the Rainbow Krishnaveni Channel features news also.

An advocate, while buying a branded FM set at Sonovision, says that announcement aboutnews should be made now and then to inform the listeners. In addition to music and youthful programmes, FM channels broadcast news also.

Accessibility

Buyers are eager to know if private channels can also be accessed on the same transistor. Two private channels - rolling out from Sun Network and another from Anil Ambani's Adlabs -- are set to launch operations in the city very soon. Officials say that all the FM channels broadcast in the city will be accessible to listeners. Rainbow is accessible at 102.2 mega hertz (MHz), while frequencies for other channels are yet to be allotted.

M. Tirumalesh, proprietor of Sri Ganesh Electronics, says break box types, which cost Rs. 175, are a rage among auto-rickshaw drivers and mutha workers. To avoid the prying eye of the policeman on the road who objects to the use of big radios fitted to auto-rickshaws,, the drivers are opting for sleek, tiny piecesthat can be carried without being noticed.. Pocket-sized sets costing Rs. 40 are a craze among youth.Theyremain glued to these sets, be it at home or college.

FM is the best thing to havehappened to this city where people like to enjoy the good things of life.

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