Frequency allocation over for 1st batch e-auction of pvt FM channels

With the completion of frequency allocation today, the e-auction of the first batch of private FM radio phase-III channels involving 135 channels in the 69 existing cities of Phase-II now stands concluded.

In a statement here, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry said that after the channel allocation stage was completed yesterday, the frequency allocation stage commenced this morning at 10.00 A.M which saw a total of three rounds of half-an-hour duration each with no gap between two consecutive rounds.

During the frequency allocation stage, the provisional winning bidders were allowed to select an FM frequency for the winning channel(s) from the frequencies already identified in a particular city as mentioned in the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA), the ministry said.

Frequency selection preference was based upon the rank of the bidders, the ministry said in its statement, adding that that some of the channels could not find takers.

At the close of the e-auction, 97 channels in 56 cities became provisional winning channels, earning a cumulative provisional revenue of about Rs 1,156.9 crore as against an aggregate reserve price of about Rs 459.8 crore.

"The summation of provisional winning prices surpassed the cumulative reserve price of the 97 channels by Rs 697.05 crore or 151.58 per cent. Overall, cumulative provisional winning price exceeded the total reserve price of the first batch, i.e., Rs 550.18 crore by Rs 606.72 Crore or 110.27 per cent," the I&B ministry said.

The list of successful bidders shall be notified on the I&B ministry website, www.mib.nic.in, the statement added.

This is the first time that private FM channels have been offered through Simultaneous Multiple Round Ascending (SMRA) e-auction, the ministry said.

It added that a noteworthy feature is that of the 15 channels in Jammu and Kashmir and the North-Eastern states, 12 were identified as being provisional winners with Guwahati earning a provisional winning price that was more than 10 times its reserve price.