2015, has been an exciting year for the media industry, the radio industry witnessed the much awaited phase III with its first round of e-auctions. The radio channels are now busy in processing the launch of their new arms.
IndianMediaBook gets in the conversation with Evening Show fame RJ Dilip from Big FM to analyse the performance of the radio industry in 2015. He holds 14 years of experience in the industry and has represented Big FM in International Marathi Film Festival Awards (IMFFA) held in Europe.
How Radio industry changed over the years? What is the current position of Radio Industry in India and what are the major changes arequired in the growth of the industry?
In a span of 16 years we have seen the radio industry grow from just one radio channel, AIR, to more than 800 radio channel licenses across 227 new cities following the FM phase-III auctions.
In 2005, the launch of Phase-II auction policy fuelled private FM radio channels in the country under which the government allocated licenses for 245 channels. With the recently held Phase-3 auctions the radio industry will see a substantial boost as the radio station operators would expand and enter further in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.
If private FM radio broadcasters are allowed to air news and live sports, then it will definitely boost the growth of radio industry as it would mean more variedness in programming.
What are the major challenges an RJ faces while hosting any show? How much liberty should be given to an RJ while designing a show? What is the role of an RJ in content and format of the show?
The most important challenge faced by an RJ is that the information going on air must be authentic and verified from various reliable sources, sometimes there is very less time available to research and cross check.
Thus, it becomes very challenging. RJs should be given complete liberty to design his/her show as she/ he knows the pulse of the city. RJ plays a major role in content format of the show as it depends on the personality traits of the RJ and city he/she belongs to.
How has 2015 is been? Please share your experience.
2015 was one of the most fulfilling years for me in terms of my career. My show is ranked among top 10 shows of Mumbai. Also my Marathi show on sunday mornings remained consistently number 1.
I got an opportunity to be on a cruise and represent Big FM in Europe with almost the entire Marathi film industry for International Marathi Film Festival Awards (IMFFA 2015). Also I made a brief appearance on television for Zee TV’s Saregamapa Little Champs. Overall, it was a fruitful year with the grace of God and love from my listeners.
Digitization has changed the traditional No Face image of RJ in India. What is your point of view and how digitization has changed your life?
Yes, definitely digitization is the game changer. Listeners have a platform to interact with their fav RJ and also whenever there is any celeb visiting our studios we make a point to immediately post pics and videos online.
Jock talk is one the most tried and trusted marketing option. But since it is sponsored, somewhere the objectivity of the content is lost. How do you balance your content in such situations?
RJ mentions can be handled with interesting ways of execution and many RJs do it very creatively. There should be a limit to such mentions per show and should be assigned as per the flavor of the show and RJ personality.
How do you maintain the objectivity of content with the increase in commercial pressure?
Commercial pressure in a metro like Mumbai prevails throughout the year. Yes, I agree that the time to execute content gets hampered due to this but then again crisp and to the point jock talk is my way of handling such situation.
What things do you keep in mind while choosing any campaign? How do you take forward any campaign? Please share the best campaign experience of 2015.
As per my opinion I feel that a campaign should not be done for the sake of it. It should bring in relevance to my listener. Hence something which is informative yet is fresh in its approach in tapping the listener is a big thumb up.
For example, Big Googly was one such campaign. With the cricket season at its peak we decided to integrate humor with the sport and roped in Javed Jaffery who is known for his comic timing. We also had him in the studios with the listeners for the final IPL match which was enjoyed by many.
Many RJs are appearing on reality TV shows. Do you have such plans in near future? Is there any plan to try hand at acting?
Radio is theatre of mind. I am fascinated with any medium which is creative and allows me to explore my creativity, be it theatre, TV, or stage shows, live events, films. So any opportunity to explore my creativity is welcomed by me. Yes, I definitely want to try my hand at acting.
What tips would you like to give to the youth wish to become an RJ?
Be yourself on air, know the city well where you wish to go on air, be consistent, be updated on what’s happening in and around your city/state/country/world. Listen to all RJs but don’t follow anybody’s style, develop your own style.
What are you planning for 2016? Please share your resolution
2016 seems to be exciting in terms of growth of radio industry. India’s radio industry is readying for a makeover with new radio licenses allocated through e-auction. So I will try and actively be a part of the station set up for new cities where Big FM is coming up. Personally, I’ve not thought of any resolution as of now.
