Government plans OTT platform, FM auction to increase footprint
New Delhi, February 16
In a bid to increase its footprint, the government is planning a fresh auction of FM radio stations, roll out an OTT platform and conduct trials of direct-to-mobile television broadcast this year, Information and Broadcasting Secretary Apurva Chandra said on Thursday.
“We are also working towards an auction of FM radio stations this year. We hope to take FM radio to Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities this year,” he said, addressing the Broadcast Engineering Society Expo here.
Targeting new belts
- Govt to take FM radio to Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities this year
- Currently, FM radio stations only cover 60% of the country
- Allocation of Rs 2,500 cr made over a four-year period to widen reach of Prasar Bharati
- Scheme aimed at boosting public sector broadcasting and infrastructure development of Prasar Bharati
He said though there were a large number of FM radio stations, the service covered only 60 per cent of the country. Chandra said the government had made an allocation of Rs 2,500 crore over a four-year period for the Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network Development (BIND) Scheme to widen the reach of Prasar Bharati, including in the Left wing extremism, border and strategic areas. The scheme aimed at boosting public sector broadcasting in the country and focuses on infrastructure development of Prasar Bharati, including All-India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan (DD).
Chandra said IIT-Kanpur and Sankhya Labs had installed transmitters along Kartavya Path and adjoining areas to demonstrate how television signals could be directly broadcast to mobile phones. “Now you can receive television signals directly to your mobile. This is a very interesting technology, which has the potential to increase the reach of television media,” he said.
