'Radio and digital are bound to coexist in the future'

Radio City, a part of Music Broadcast Limited (MBL), is a subsidiary of Jagran Prakashan Ltd. The first private FM radio station of India, launched 19 years ago, has bagged nearly 85 awards across national and international platforms like Golden Mikes, India Radio Forum, New York awards, ACEF awards. Radio City has also been recognized as ‘India’s Best Workplaces for Women – 2019’ and has ranked amongst the Top 75 organizations on the list. 

e4m spoke to Ashit Kukian, CEO, Radio City, on how the radio medium has grown over the years, and how innovations and new opportunities have helped the radio industry sustain during the pandemic.

Excerpts:

• How has your journey in the media industry been so far?

It has been a long and fruitful journey that started with print, in both broadsheets and magazines, then a TV channel, followed by radio, out of home, and now digital. My journey in the media industry so far has been deeply fulfilling, with the kind of learning curve that has today allowed me to head one of the most loved and leading FM radio stations in the present day, as we come together to redefine entertainment every single day.

• How have you seen radio grow in the past few years?

Radio is a platform that has a mass reach and appeal. It has the rare ability to speak out to millions and at the same time be personal. It is also localised in nature, streamlined at every juncture and location to offer customized content to different regions and audiences. While India’s journey in the early days was more about songs, and the power of music, today it is also about the power of people, and their lives, which are spread out as a reflection on a creative audio canvas. It has significantly evolved to compete with visual media such as television and OTT content. With continually pushing for quality, it remains a medium that perhaps has the farthest reach in the country. With time, it has also moulded its operations to provide just the right balance of emotions, that creates the most dynamic mix of entertainment for listeners, including engaging relevant segments that reach a wider audience, insightful celebrity interviews, region-specific community discussions, and more, that have made it a preferred medium for the listeners. 

• What were the challenges that the industry has faced during this pandemic?

From the beginning of 2020, the globe had to face a black swan event - COVID-19. Like every other media domain, radio had its own set of challenges during this troubling time. Radio and commercial advertisers showed a de-growth trajectory. To counter the issue, we provided integrated solutions to advertisers which are believed to be the growth driver in the future. Additional challenges included ensuring that our channel remained an extremely sensitive, relevant portal and a refuge for all our listeners, providing them the right comfort during these unprecedented times. However, we were able to rise to the challenges, with the launch of many of our special segments such as ‘Little shots’, featuring humane COVID-19 recovery stories by celebrities like Sanjeev Kapoor, Urvashi Dholakia, Shantanu Maheshwari, and Rohan Joshi to name a few. Our programs provided just the right mix of entertainment and heartfelt content for all Radio City listeners amidst the pandemic.

• What were the innovations or the new opportunities this pandemic has brought for the industry?

Despite challenges, there are opportunities to be tapped with localised products and solutions. The avenues unlocked by the emergence of digital connectivity have significantly improved engagement between content creators and consumers. One can expect greater innovation in content formats and business models, going forward. Radio has always been known for being a uniting force for communities during difficult times. The special show entirely conceptualised amidst the lockdown, ‘Radio City Bazaar’, acted as a ‘vocal hub for local vyaapar’, giving quality financial and entrepreneurial advice, whilst also promoting many small and home-grown businesses. Furthermore, as the world continues to progress with great strides in the digital domain, radio channels have successfully innovated via partnerships with the music streaming apps to provide the best of radio to the digital landscape for a wider set of audiences. Additionally, many collaborations with the digital world, through active affiliations with virtual audio platforms have helped radio develop a more futuristic approach, preparing it for the technological shifts in not just the coming years, but for the next few decades.

• Would you like to share more information on other initiatives, innovations and opportunities taken by Radio City?

Radio City has undertaken quite a few strategic expansions to increase its digital footprint and further expand its reach. Its partnership with India’s leading short video-making app Chingari with an active base of over 68 million users, on World Music Day, has been one of the initiatives to increase the platform’s digital reach amidst the pandemic whilst uniting for the noble cause of COVID relief. We also conducted highly successful activities to celebrate World Music Day, in some of the biggest cities in the country, including Mumbai and Bangalore, to spread healing and positivity through the power of music. In Bangalore, the initiative ‘Wave of Music’ included as many as forty-five Sandalwood artists and music personalities accepting the special Musical Wave Challenge, receiving a phenomenal response. The program was yet another tribute by Radio City to its millions of loyal listeners. Radio City also reiterated its commitment towards making the city pollution-free by organizing a plantation drive - O2Movement, in the capital city. To spread the light of education amongst children, Radio City conducted and conceptualised City Ki Tech Shaala. This activity aimed at providing laptops/tablets to the students who find it difficult to afford them. As a part of Radio City Mumbai’s Kadak Show with RJ Salil Acharya, we have associated with Zee Business, as a step to integrate TV and Radio, in a candid chat about how to simply and effectively managing finance. This helps to amplify our reach and create different types of interesting and engaging content.

Radio City also has an active presence on social media with millions of views across all popular social media channels such as YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.

• How important is listenership tracking for Radio City?

Listenership tracking is very important for us. We have our own method of tracking listenership.

We have broadly two categories of programs: pre-planned programs and spontaneously devised programs.

• How have you tried to differentiate Radio City’s programming from that of other stations?

Our differentiated and credible content makes us one of India’s most preferred radio networks. We develop our library in tune with the evolving preferences of customers. From the world of music and melody to pressing societal concerns, we deliver content and drive campaigns that bring a lasting positive difference to people’s lives. Our focus on developing hyperlocal content helps us lead the Indian FM space with the continued trust, affection, and loyalty of our listeners. We hence ensure the relevance, relatability, and timely delivery of impactful content and meet listener needs. For instance, during the COVID-19 outbreak, we aired targeted programs, aimed at entertaining our customers during the lockdown such as the concert at home series that enabled our customers to experience concerts even while being confined to their homes. Our Radio Jockeys were also actively engaged in awareness-building activities to help our customers grasp the seriousness of the pandemic and nudging them to embrace a precautionary and proactive approach to fight the pandemic. We also actively engage with our listeners through social media channels to understand their views and perceptions of our programs and activities. This keeps us in tune with contemporary trends and helps conceive content that resonates with our audience.

•  What is your view on the quality of radio advertising in India?

Radio has been an extremely creative domain that captures the attention of listeners through just audio, and as a result, radio ads have been highly creative too. Through the ages, Indian radio ads have been capturing the audience’s pulse by tapping into their vivid imagination. With the added challenge of describing a product or an idea through just the power of sound, creators have managed to break through the advertising special effects barrier by creating audio commercials that are just as powerful.

• Where do you see yourself at present?  

Today, Radio City has built a legacy as India’s leading radio station, with 39 channels across 12 states. Starting out as the first FM radio broadcaster in India and with 20 years of expertise in the radio industry, Radio City has consistently been the number one radio station across some of the biggest cities in India. At every juncture, Radio city has repositioned and rebranded itself, continually evolving to serve as the ultimate one-stop entertainment destination for its listeners. With a wide myriad of shows to tap into every mood of the listeners, and a peppy mix of every kind of RJ, covering all spectrums of radio, right from soulful segments to knockout masala entertainment, Radio City is synonymous with quality entertainment throughout the country, from the north to the south and from the west to the east. Indeed, we see ourselves as India’s number one radio station creating path-breaking and impactful content that entertains our listeners.

• Upholding its legacy, Radio City is embarking on the journey of Radio City Super Singer, Season 13. Amid the pandemic, what is going to be different this year?

Radio City Super Singer focuses on turning the spotlight onto some of India’s brightest talents. Our creative approach helped reach over 69 million listeners through our holistic presence across on-air, on-ground, and digital media. Over the years, the platform has discovered and encouraged many promising singers and helped them showcase their skills. Now one of the country’s most celebrated shows, the new season is all set to uphold and further Radio City Super Singer’s legacy, and Padmashri Kailash Kher has been roped in yet again as the celebrated judge of the property. This year, with the whole world migrating to digital, we have continued to innovate and push the boundaries, with all our shows and segments incorporating the transition brought about by this sensitive time. Like our sentiment expressed during Season 12’s ‘Sangeet par koi lockdown nahi hota,’ this year’s theme would be “Ab lagega singing ka naya dose, Radio City Super Singer 13 par” as we provide the country’s most enchanting voices, a platform to showcase their talent on one of the country’s largest media platforms!

• Radio City has been going digital with the launch of new IPs. How has that made a difference in your marketing strategy?

We, as an entity are famous for the special connect, we enjoy with our listeners, and through the years, our reach has grown exponentially. Consistently being the number one station in Mumbai and Bangalore, and with a massive listener base across many parts of the country, we realised there was a huge market waiting to be tapped through the digital route as well. Today, Radio City is a household name, and our digital marketing initiatives have ensured that we reached every segment of listeners amidst the lockdown. Radio and digital are bound to coexist in the future, and Radio City has been one of the first in the country to adapt to this wave of change, and hence our marketing strategy has become more integrated in nature, with a strategic mix of traditional and digital. Radio City has launched a series of shows and campaigns, bringing the best of relatable content, including, Aji Suntey Ho featuring celebrity couple banters, Khayalon Wali Khidki, a motivational and concept-based digital show focussed on pertinent subjects, extending motivation through impactful oratory, Nethra’s Style Mantra, humorous Gujarati web show, Peli Vaato, food show Taste of Bengaluru. The station is indeed geared up more than ever to entertain and motivate its listeners.