94.3 MY FM, radio station of Synergy Media Entertainment Limited, SMEL, a fully owned company of The Bhaskar Group has emerged among the fastest growing radio networks in India. The company launched its first station in Jaipur, in May, 2006 and now has 11 operational stations.

With the core spirit of 'Dil Se', MY FM essentially works around a blend of "emotional connect" with the listeners and a stronghold on retail markets, says Mr Harrish M Bhatia, Business Head, 94.3 MY FM, in an interview with the Brand Reporter.

Mr Bhatia is an old hand in the Bhaskar Group. He is credited with the launch of Divya Bhaskar in Gujarat in 2003. Prior to his appointment with MY FM, he functioned as VP-Sales and Marketing for South and West India. Mr Bhatia hopes to use this opportunity to experiment and expose himself to a new medium that offers scope for fresh rules to be written. He has also worked with LG Electronics and brands like Onida and Aristrocrat Luggage.

Q. What are the key factors driving the growth for MY FM?
A Being a part of the Dainik Bhaskar Group, MY FM has a strong understanding and insight into the way of life of listeners of cities where we have launched our stations. We are cued into the cities talking points and the news, which helps us as a brand. Also we have strong hold of the retail market – for instance in Jaipur, our first station, we have over 70 per cent of the retail market, which validates our position. We are already in the number one slot in Jaipur, Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Ahmedabad and Bhopal.

Q. Could you share any interesting experiences in listenership behaviour and programming in small towns.
A. A fine example is Ajmer. When we think of the city, we think of a particular community that would define the taste of music but in reality, we find a large number of NRI Sindhi listeners in the city. So the music programming is broader and fast paced. Another instance is Kota, a small town, which has a surprisingly large number of student population who come in from different parts of the country to attend coaching courses. So the choice of music and content has to be youthful to be relevant to their taste.

Cities like Ahmedabad, Indore and Chandigarh like international music so we adapt music to cater to their demand. Another contrast is about the daily timeslots like leisure, entertainment and pass time, which are different for each city. Ajmer, for instance, wakes up at 6 o’clock, while Indore just doesn’t sleep. One has to be understand such nuances as it helps us bond with the listeners in the cities.

Q. Why `Dil Se’ and how it is being used to differentiate programming?
A. MY FM `Dil Se’ is about establishing and sustaining an emotional connect with the listeners and involving them in our programming. The content is designed to touch the listener’s heart and move their sentiments. There has to be palpable passion in whatever we talk about and what the listener wants from us.

Q. What are the on-air innovative strategies being implemented to strengthen brand popularity?
A. A recent example is an on-air `Matki phod’ event in Indore that was organized on the occasion of Janam Asthami – it was based on a touch-and-feel effect. The Udaipur station celebrated the spirit of `Chak De’ with a hockey match that recreated the magic of the Asia Cup victory.

Q. What are MY FM consolidation and expansion plans?
A. The new stations to be launched are in Bilaspur, Raipur, Jabalpur, Nagpur, Jodhpur & Kota. The 17 station launches across Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Chattisgarh, will be complete by October 2007 and we hope to see wider coverage and penetration in these markets. This will also place MY FM as the 4th largest FM station network in India. A recent AC Nielsen research shows that MY FM has been the No.1 radio station in Ahmedabad, since the very first day of its launch there. The focus at the moment is to launch the new stations and stabalise their presence in the different cities.

Q. How different are the expectations of advertisers in metros as compared to smaller cities and how do you cater to their requirements?
A. The advertisers in the metros have not experienced our product so their expectations are different from us and packaging has to be done accordingly. But those who are experiencing us in the small cities know about our reach and effectiveness and thus, are more convinced about our connect with the listeners. The difference is that between demonstration and experience.