Auction of FM radio Phase III gets eGoM nod

NEW DELHI: The Empowered Group of Ministers have given the green signal to the auction of the 839 FM Radio Channels in Phase III.

It is learnt that the eGoM unanimously decided to refer some issues relating to fees to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) which will be asked to give its responses according to a fixed time frame.

Information and Broadcasting Ministry Secretary Uday Kumar Varma said that it was expected that the Government will earn revenue of Rs 15 billion from the auction. The auctions for all the channels are expected to be completed within one year, he said.

Finance Minister P Chidambaram in his Budget speech for 2013-14 had committed that the auction would commence in 2013-14.

He had said the government proposes to expand private FM radio services to 294 more cities.

He said after the auction, all cities having a population of more than 100,000 will be covered by private FM radio services.