MUMBAI: While major FM broadcasters in Bangalore are exploring new formats and content offering, the Karnataka Audio and Video Owners’ Association (KAVOA) with the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce has served notice to four FM stations for flouting rules by not promoting music in local language.
Radio One, Radio Indigo, Red FM and Fever FM are the four stations who are facing music by KAVOA. As reported by Radioandmusic.com earlier, the said stations were served a letter one month ago to air local Kannada music on the station in a bid to promote local culture and language. The organization had set a month’s deadline to the networks, failing which the KAVOA with the active participation of writers, film personalities and all wings of the music industry were to initiate strict action against them.
But inspite of repeated reminders, radio stations were not prepared to broadcast Kannada songs. The association claims that if ignored further, they will be forced to approach the government to cancel the licenses as per the agreement.
Speaking with Radioandmusic.com , Karnataka Audio and Video Owners’ Association president Lahari Velu said, “We sent a letter to the stations last week asking them to come for a meeting regarding the issue. It states that they are not promoting the local language and only playing niche and hindi songs. But they are just ignoring the letter. If they continue to do so, we will soon be forced to approach the government to revoke their licenses as per the agreement.”
Velu affirms that the agreement signed by the radio stations to broadcast in the state, mentions that the licenses of the broadcasters can be revoked if they fail to promote local culture on-air regardless of their format, but one of the four radio stations contacted begs to differ.
Radio One national programming head Anil Machado said, “The agreement states that there has to be some local content in a station’s broadcasting, which we are very clearly following. Our talk is in three languages – Kannada, Hindi and English so we are not disconnected from the local language. We are a local station just playing bollywood music. Either the agreement has been misunderstood by them or us.”
Fever FM, Radio Indigo and Red FM remained unavailable for comment.
As both the parties refuse to budge from their respective stands, the issue has launched a war of words by Velu stating that inspite of Karnataka having such a rich culture the radio stations are not doing their bit to promote it. He also claimed that while they want the revenues to come from the local people, the stations are not willing to air local content.
The association with the support of the Film Chamber of Commerce and the music industry is now awaiting a response from the radio stations on the letter served to them, failing which they have decided to approach the state government for its support and then contact the central governement for its decision on the same.