Modi govt eyes shift to satellite radio: A DTH-like model for clearer broadcasts

The Narendra Modi government is expected to get in touch with ISRO to examine the feasibility of the shift to satellite radio.

All India Radio broadcasting house | Twitter

New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government is planning to bring clearer, but dearer, satellite radio to India for nationwide and international broadcasts, which are currently heard through short-wave, medium-wave and FM transmissions, and digital live-streaming carried out by the state-owned All India Radio (AIR).

Multiple highly-placed sources in the government told ThePrint that satellite radio is being pegged as an alternative to current radio transmissions, particularly foreign AIR broadcasts, as it will offer “clarity and consistent broadcasts”. Simply put, this means you won’t lose the station you are listening to even when travelling between cities and through remote highways.

The information & broadcasting (I&B) ministry, the sources added, will get in touch with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to examine the feasibility of the shift to satellite radio as well as work out the modalities.

Deliberations on satellite radio follow Prasar Bharati’s decision to phase out the Soviet-era short-wave transmitters of All India Radio (AIR), which carry several global broadcasts to nearly 150 countries, particularly those of strategic importance.

The basic difference between satellite radio and radio as we know it is the location of transmitters: In case of the former, ground-based transmitters beam the content to satellites, which then deliver them to specialised ground-based receivers. As for short-wave, medium-wave and AM/FM radio, the transmitters are all located on the ground.

One of the sources, a senior Prasar Bharati official, said satellite radio will effectively take AIR’s broadcasts to the audience through a constellation of satellites, adding that it will be accessible on the move.

These can be India’s own satellites or hires from other countries, the official added.

The hurdles

The government’s decision to explore satellite radio follows the success of DD Free Dish, the free direct-to-home (DTH) television service of Doordarshan that uses one stationary satellite.

The model has since been adopted by private players to a tremendous response from consumers tired of grainy cable services provided by local operators.

SiriusXM Satellite Radio, a broadcasting service based in the US, is one of the most recognisable names in the field. Since it is subscription-based, it offers commercial-free music and live sports commentary that you can stream on your phones, computers and tablets.

AIR had experimented with satellite radio services in the early 2000s as well, but the project did not go far. The reason, according to former AIR officials, was the audience’s reluctance to buy expensive receiver sets and prohibitive subscriptions.

“Also, the technology required, a set-top box and Yagi antennae, wasn’t user-friendly, particularly for the masses living in rural India,” a former official told ThePrint.

Sources in AIR said a shift to satellite radio is unlikely to be seamless even now, primarily owing to two problems: The expensive receiver sets and its subscription-based model, which could put off consumers who hear FM for free through their phones and car radio even now.

“Chances of buying expensive radio sets are unlikely when they can listen to FM on their radio or in cars,” a former AIR official said. “Secondly, it remains to be seen if the subscription-model will work for AIR.”