Friends 91.9 FM

In old days, when there was no TV and government didn’t allow private radio broadcasts, media companies’ life was laidback and easy. For them mostly it’d be publishing newspapers and newsmagazines. Today life has changed beyond what anyone would have thought barely 5 years back.

Big publishing houses have their fingers in nearly all the pies of media communication. City’s giant media company, ABP Group, by launching its own FM channel on Feb 28, christened as ‘Friends’, seeks to bridge a vital gap in media communication.

“Friends” will be pitted against TOI’s Radio Mirchi, which is already well entrenched in the segment, being one of the first movers. Radio Mirchi is said to enjoy considerable lead in the big 3 metros, Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata.

To recall Radio Mirchi’s newspaper ad some 6 months back about which I wrote this post, Radio Mirchi on the prowl, its ‘listenership’ of the then 27.7 lakhs was even more than the numero uno Kolkata newspaper, Anandabazar Patrika’s readership of 27.2 lakhs.

Tall order for ABP’s Friends, no doubt there. For the present, ‘Friends’ does come out as a decent listening. You get to hear lots of Bengali songs, which to me is good. Who knows, in order not to let slip ‘listenership’, Radio Mirchi and hosts of others will play more Bengali songs. In which case, there can be a renewed thrust to create quality Bengali songs.

If demand is there, would supply be left behind!

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