FM auction: I&B Ministry's application review committee meets

An application review committee, constituted by Information and Broadcasting ministry, today met to decide the pre-qualified bidders for phase III of FM auction which would grant permission to run the 135 radio channels in 69 cities.
A major question that the ministry was facing was about the participation of Kalanithi Maran promoted SunTV group of companies, which operates several radio channels across the country, in the auction.
But ministry offcials remained tight-lipped on the final decision taken by the committee in this regard.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had earlier denied security clearance to the SunTV Network which had cast a question mark over its bid to participate in the auctions.

"The I&B ministry intends to follow the norms and the companies that can be allowed to participate in the auctions are required to get security clearance," a well-placed source said while comfirming that the matter was deliberated in the meeting today.
The sources, however, added that certain aspects including the exact legal position would be looked at before a decision on whether the SunTV group of companies can participate in the FM Radio auctions is announced.

A list of companies which prequalify for the auctions could be put up on the ministry website when the decisions is taken, officials said.

Accordingly, Another source said that since Information and Broadcasting minister Arun Jaitley is visiting Punjab, the I&B ministry may make an annoucement after his approval.
The I&B ministry had earlier received 28 applications for e-auction of 135 private FM channels in 69 existing cities of Phase II in the first batch of Phase III by March 27. Of these, 15 companies, including those from the Sun TV Network, already hold licences under Phase II.