Radio Mirchi will sing the Shiv Sena tune

Music station Radio Mirchi on Friday said it would start playing Marathi music across the state from August 1.

Last week, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray had warned all private FM channels to start broadcasting Marathi songs within seven days or face the Sena music.

Radio Mirchi’s Mumbai head S Vayangankar met Thackeray at his Bandra residence and gave him a letter showing their acceptance for playing Marathi music. “At last, FM channels have got a Marathi voice, but the Sena needed to issue a diktat for that,” Thackeray told the officials during the meeting.

“Radio Mirchi has accepted to play Marathi songs in Mumbai within two days. They will do the same in the rest of the state from August 1. Initially, they will play some songs, and later there will be dedicated shows for Marathi music. DJ Nikhil will play the first song for Radio Mirchi,” Sena official Shweta Parulkar said.

She said almost every radio station in the city had accepted their demand. “Radio One has already announced to start a dedicated weekly show for Marathi music,” she said

Thackeray’s threats came after a few Marathi music composers complained to him. The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena had made a similar demand last year.