MUMBAI: North east based Positive Radio owned FM venture, Radio Ooo La La is sailing in troubled waters, having defaulted on license fee payments and having to grapple with intra company issues. Positive Radio has four frequencies to carry out radio operations in the north east- Itanagar, Shillong, Guwahati and Agartala.
The Information and Broadcast Ministry last week issued a notice to Positive Radio for non payment of license fees and non submission of relevant documents. According to the provisions of GOPA (Grant of Permission Agreement), the radio stations are accountable to pay the annual fees on a quarterly basis in advance within the first 15 days of the respective quarters. Radio Ooo La La defaulted in payment of the annual fee and some payments were received by the minisry after the expiry of the prescribed time, it is learnt. The station is now liable to pay 18 per cent compound interest for delayed payment of license fee, say ministry sources.
Sources mention, the four stations have been playing back to back music and repeatedly airing recorded programmes.
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I&B sources say that Radio Ooo La La has not filed their operationalization report although they have been operational for over a year. This report, duly authenticated by Becil, has to be submitted within a period of one month from the date of operationalization of the channel.
Radio operators are also supposed to furnish the accounting statements every financial year and maintain separate financial accounts for each channel, to the guarantor. The annual statements are instrumental in calculating the annual fee to the submitted by the radio operator. The annual revenues are decided as 10 per cent of OTEF (one time entry fee) or four per cent of annual revenue, whichever is higher.
Ministry sources mention that the radio operator has repeatedly defaulted by delaying payment of annual license fee and not adherence to the rules and regulations of GOPA like non submission of relevant documents, so penal action is likely to be initiated against the company
The ministry has asked the radio operator to rectify defaults within a period of seven days from the date of receipt of the letter, failing which the ministry could initiate action.
Radio Ooo La la was the first private commercial FM station to be launched in the north eastern part of India. Launched in 2006, Positive Radio started its first venture in Guwahati followed by Agartala, Shillong and Itanagar in August 2008.
