Net radio man

Ice People

"Radio is ready to explode in your face," swears former BBC radio journalist Raman Nanda, who has revived the sinking India World Radio, his news and current affairs channel on the Net.

For the past three years the channel has been struggling to keep afloat for want of funds.

"For starters, we're keeping the channel in the magazine format and will focus on current affairs rather than news," says Nanda.

The revival plan includes propping up the channel with fresh programmes churned out by students at his radio workshops.

With the launch of several private FM radio stations in the country, Nanda has been quick to spot an opportunity in radio broadcasting and software training.

"Even the students are happy when their programmes are heard on Net radio and can be accessed anywhere in the world," he adds.

Another reason for suddenly fine-tuning his Net channel is also to showcase his ability to do radio programming.

"With more and more stations being launched, we see a huge business potential, though initially most channels are sticking to low-cost programming," he adds.

How about launching your own channel FM station? "To be honest we've got feelers from several corporates and entrepreneurs to help them set up radio stations," he says.

Many hopefuls are waiting in the wings for the next auction to happen. "You will be surprised at the number of people who are watching the radio scene very closely despite the steep licence fees that exist today."

For the time being, Media-ARC, the company that runs India World Radio, is offering consulting services on setting up professional and semi-professional radio stations for educational institutions and non governmental organisations.