New FM channels for northeast region

New FM radio channels will be set up in five towns of northeastern states along the Bangladesh border to reach out to the people of bordering areas.

The FM channels will also be set up in Jammu and Kashmir, a release said Monday.

It said: "The FM radio channels would be set up in Haflong and Dhubri in Assam, Jowai in Meghalaya, Lung-lei in Mizoram, Mokukchung in Nagaland and Belonia in Tripura. Currently, 12 FM radio channels are functional in the northeastern states."

"The FM radio channels would also be set up in Kathua, Bhaderwah, Kargil, Leh and Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir," it said.

The new FM channels are being launched with the objective of extending the reach and impact of radio to the border areas.

Four northeastern states of Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Assam share an 1,880-km border with Bangladesh and several lakh people are residing in and near the bordering areas.

"In a vast bordering areas, accessing the India centric programmes of public broadcasters are either a gigantic problem or not possible. With the setting up of the proposed FM channels, these problems are expected to be over," said an official of the information and broadcasting ministry.