The Indian government has issued a warning to private FM radio stations over vulgar content and the language used by radio jockeys that is defamatory and indecent.

“It has come to the notice of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) that vulgar and objectionable content is very often being broadcast on several FM Radio channels. It has also been noticed that the language used by many radio jockeys is indecent, dual meaning and offensive. They often make defamatory and derogatory comments, which do not appear to be in good taste, “ the MIB said.

Throwing the rule book at the FM stations,  MIB said clause 7.6 of grant of permission agreement (GOPA) provides that the permission holder shall “ensure…no content, messages, advertisement or communication, transmitted in its broadcast channel is objectionable, obscene, unauthorized or inconsistent with the laws of India”.

 It went on to add that GOPA provides that the permitted station shall follow the same programme and advertisements code that’s followed by pubcaster All India Radio and that airing of objectionable content is in gross violation of the rules.

Issuing a warning, the MIB said, “The GOPA provides that in the event of the permission holder violating any of the term and conditions of permission or any other provisions of the FM radio policy, the grantor shall have the right to impose the sanctions for suspension of the permission and prohibition of broadcast as prescribed.”

The MIB said that all FM radio channels should strictly adhere to the terms and conditions prescribed in the rules and not to air any content that could be in breach of the regulations.

Apart from the radio stations operated by All India Radio, the radio public broadcaster, there were 385 operational private FM Radio stations in 112 cities with operational 34 private FM Radio broadcasters as on September 30, 2021, according to regulator TRAI data.

The reported advertisement revenue for private FM radio operators as on September 2021 stood at Rs 294.78 crore as against Rs 148.02 crore in respect of 384 private FM radio stations for the previous quarter, June 30, 2021.