Its 'FM mania' in Kerala with at least six private players wooing listeners with a variety of non-stop programmes, new songs, movie releases, film gossip and much more.
After initial teething troubles, the FM channels -- Radio Mango of Malayala Manorama, Club FM of Mathrubhumi, Surya's SFM, Asianet's Best FM, Times of India's Radio Mirchi and Big FM of Reliance -- are picking up momentum, with old and new songs, humour and loads of entertainment.
Listeners are even given tips about congested roads which have to be avoided and weather updates on a daily basis.
There are 17 FM stations in Kerala -- four in Thiruvananthapuram, including Big FM and Radio Mirchi, three in Kochi, four in Thrissur,two in Kozhikode and four in Kannur, George Sebastian, chief operating officer, Club FM, says their channel airs a variety of song based programmes, humour and tips on cookery.
"In today's regulatory environmenet we are able to broadcast only song based programmes and news. Current affairs are taboo," he said.
In Kochi, the 24-hour channel is on air from 5 am, with 'Good Morning' a soft music programme, followed by others like 'Meals Ready', a cookery based show, new eating joints and new recipes, Sebastian told PTI.
Radio Mango's plus point is 'infotainment'. Traffic updates, the weather, gold prices, time check and foreign exchange rates, according to Saju David, Programme Head, Kochi. Fun mixed with entertainment and a lot of music is dished out, which are the reasons for it's huge popularity, he adds.