FM Phase III: I&B to soon finalise RFP for e-auctioneer

A committee set up by the Information and Broadcasting ministry will meet next week to work out the final details of the Request for Proposal for choosing an e-auctioneer for the much-awaited FM phase III expansion.
"The technical and financial parameters on the basis of which the auctioneer should be selected to conduct the e-auctions will be discussed in the upcoming meeting," a senior official said.
Once the RFP is finalised, it will be put up on the ministry's website which will then lead to the process for choosing the auctioneer who will conduct the e-auctions for the Phase III expansion of FM radio.

The ministry is planning to allow 839 FM radio channels in 294 cities as per its plans for Phase III expansion. It is estimated that the e-auction for the FM channels would earn the government over Rs 1,500 crore.
The official said the government had appointed two Independent External Monitors to ensure that the e-auctions for the FM radio channels are held in the most transparent manner.
Officials said that among the issues that the Inter Ministerial Committee will discuss in its meeting on Tuesday will be suggestions made by one of the IEMs regarding the process.