The Indian radio stations can now look to the international experience to improve their ratings and increase their revenues.
London-based United Radio becomes the first international radio consultancy company to set up office in India.
The company aims to provide its services to the existing operators, investors, the government and the regulatory bodies.
The Indian operations of the company will be headed by Sunil Kumar, the leading consultant in the Indian radio industry. Kumar has advised the Bhaskar Group, the Muthoot Group, Lokmat Publications, Neutral Publishing, CCL Media and several other promoters of radio companies in India. Kumar has also headed the radio businesses of Mid-Day Multimedia and Zee Telefilms.
United Radio has been the consultant to Malayalam Manorma’s Radio Mango and Radio City for their programming and music strategies in the past.
The focus of the company will be on creating new programming formats, setting up newsrooms and providing training to existing operators. It will also provide business planning and support services to the new entrants in the radio business, following the likely announcement of the Phase III of FM licensing in India early next year, as indicated by the Minister of Information & Broadcasting Ambika Soni at the India Economic Summit of the World Economic Forum on Monday November 9, 2009.
United Radio is also in talks with several companies in India to set up India’s first Radio News agency, which will provide content for news and current affair activities either directly to radio stations or through All India Radio. The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting is considering allowing news broadcasts to private FM radio stations.
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Explaining the scope of the services to be offered by United Radio in India, Paul Chantler, Director and Senior Partner of the company said, “Our services will supplement the experience Indian operators have gathered over the last three years. We bring to India the knowledge and insights of the UK radio industry which is nearly 30 years old and has seen virtually every phase of market development. United Radio partners have worked for almost all the large radio companies in the UK. Between us we also have the experience of working with the country’s regulatory authority, Ofcom, and the public service broadcaster, the BBC. Here too we would like to approach the regulator, the Public Broadcaster and other stakeholders to offer our services”.
Sunil Kumar, India Partner, said, “The knowledge and experience that United Radio brings from radio businesses across the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Asia will work as a catalyst for the growth for our relatively young market. We’ll combine this experience with our in-depth understanding of the media behaviour of the Indian audiences at all geographic, social and economic levels to offer our clients innovative programming strategies, training, format solutions and well defined tactical products. We have developed some exciting India specific services and solutions, which we’ll announce soon.”
United Radio will also work as an interface between investors in the UK who are considering investment in India’s radio industry, which is expected to grow a CAGR of 14.2 percent over 2009-13 and reach a size of £210 million (Rs.1630 crores) by 2013, according to a FICCI-KPMG study.
About United Radio
United Radio is a full service radio consultancy. It works with media owners to build audience, increase revenue and strengthen their market brand.
United Radio is now the fastest growing practice of international radio consultants; it brings together some of radio's most experienced professionals to create an unparalleled resource network for the global audio industry. A passion for radio is underpinned by expertise and resource in every core discipline from strategic consultancy to training and development.
Since its inception in 2005, United Radio Consultants has enjoyed considerable growth and success; such that we are seen by many as the fastest growing international radio consultancy network. As well as working in the most established and sophisticated world radio markets, United Radio prides itself as a valuable source of training, consultancy and support in the emerging radio sectors. Today, United Radio supports radio businesses across the UK, Europe, The Middle East and Asia.
