I&B sets ball rolling for e-auction of 2nd batch of FM radio

The Information and Broadcasting ministry has set the ball rolling for e-auction of second batch of FM Radio channels by inviting applications for 266 such channels in 92 cities under the FM Phase III expansion.

According to an official statement released on Monday, the ministry has issued the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) for e-auction of the second batch which consists of 227 channels in 69 new cities besides 39 channels in 23 existing cities.

Out of 69 new cities taken up for auction in the second batch, 20 cities with 80 channels are having population of 3-10 lakh and 38 cities with 114 channels are having population of 1-3 lakh. 11 cities in border areas of Jammu and Kashmir and North Eastern states with population upto one lakh having 33 channels have also been included.

The notice comprises eligibility criteria, application procedures, reserve prices of channels, frequencies available for selection, auction rules, etc and is aimed at inviting applications from the interested companies for participation in the forthcoming auction, the statement said.

Applications are required to be submitted latest by 5 PM on August 1, 2016.