RadioOne hears SC shockwave

MUMBAI: The Supreme Court has upheld the Telecom Disputes Settlement & Appellate Tribunal’s (TDSAT) ruling directing Radio Mid-Day West (India) Ltd to shift its broadcast frequency from 92.5 FM to 94.3 FM in Mumbai.

The company, which owns RadioOne, had filed a petition in the apex court, appealing against the TDSAT decision. It had claimed that the radio station had been broadcasting on the ‘Go 92.5’ frequency for four and a half years and the frequency had become a part of its brand identity. As per clause 11, the government could only force it to change frequencies in the eventuality of a public or national issueconcern.

Ironically, RadioOne was beaming on 94.3 FM in Bangalore and Delhi, while it resisted shifting to the same frequency in Mumbai.

Rajesh Tahil, chief executive officer, RadioOne, stated, “We built a brand out of 92.5 in Mumbai and I am sure that the new frequency, in time, would generate just as much of a recall. It’s just a question of the right effort and the right resources. The situation is disappointing for us, but we will make the most out of it.”

The ruling suits the ADAG-controlled Big 92.7 FM, which beams across 45 cities, including Mumbai, though 92.5 FM was no longer offered as a frequency in Phase II of the expansion of radio broadcasting services.