Satellite Radio

So now its time for a high tech radio. The erstwhile AIR got replaced with the local FM stations. This has caught well with the public, and its popularity can be seen virtually everywhere in cities like Mumbai. Whether Worldspace, with its model of paid radio subscription would find many users is a matter of thought. In a market like India, where anything that's free, goes; it may not find a big audience. Its site www.worldspaceasia.com mentions about Punjabi and the Indian effect. At Rs 1800 per annum + initial hardware charges, it can work provided it gives some value. Spending Rs 150 a month may not be difficult (even airtel and other mobile operators are letting people speak at Rs 200 a month), but what's important is the content. It has to find an initial acceptance. I can see their ads in Mumbai, but it gives no clue as to what it is all about.

The government had sanctioned new FM bands all over the country. But before the subscription of satellite radio starts, FM would find a better acceptance because of the fact that it's free and the hardware needed can be purchased even at Rs 50. So it's all about price, and the value it provides!!