Radio Today appoints Grey Worldwide, Delhi

Radio Today, the FM radio division of the India Today Group (owners of news channel Aaj Tak), has awarded its creative and AOR business to Grey Worldwide, Delhi, following a two-way pitch between Grey and Saatchi & Saatchi. This information was confirmed by Nishchint Chawla, COO, Radio Today. According to sources close to agencyfaqs!, the size of the business in the initial stages would be between Rs 2 crore and Rs 3 crore.

Radio Today had invited two agencies to pitch for the business on the basis of a simple brief: To devise a strategy for the launch of Radio Today and get people to listen to the channel. On the basis of the brief, Saatchi & Saatchi made a creative-cum-strategy presentation, and Grey decided to make a simple strategy presentation.

As it turns out, Grey's strategy clicked. And it's a relationship that both Grey and Radio Today are looking forward to. "It's a good account for Grey and Grey is a good agency," says Chawla.

The challenge before Grey is awesome. The countdown to the launch of the channel has already begun. Following the Interim Tower Clearance Order by the Government, according to which private players are allowed to set up radio towers in Mumbai, Radio Today would be starting off with its operations in Mumbai on April 29 - in exactly four days' time. The radio channel will be available on the frequency 93.5 MHz.

While the launch is right round the corner, competition too is hotting up. Besides Radio Today, there are four more players in the fray - The Times Group's Radio Mirchi, the STAR India-PK Mittal-promoted Music Broadcast's Radio City, Millennium Broadcast (promoted by NRI Gautam Radia) and Radio Mid-Day (from the Mid-Day Group).

The Radio Today brass feels there is room for many. "The introduction of multiple frequencies will help in the growth and popularity of radio. Radio has always been a powerful medium in the country with most urban homes having access to radio sets. The explosion in the number of cars has helped make radio mobile. The full potential of radio will be realised once the operations begin in the other cities in different parts of the country," feels Chawla.

Radio Today, if officials working on the launch are to be believed, is toying with the idea of rebranding its channel. Radio Now is one of the names that seems to have been shortlisted. However, no official confirmation on this was available. The company also refused to comment on the promotional activities lined up for launch. According to our sources, Radio Today has lined up a slew of below-the-line activities. "The medium (Radio) is such that below-the-line activities and outdoor promotions, road shows etc work best. The India Today Group might also leverage Aaj Tak, its news channel, to run television commercials and its publications for strip ads," he said

While the deadline for the Mumbai launch has been fixed for April 29, in the metro cities of Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata, the private players have four months' time to start operations (August 29, 2002). Thus, in the second phase, Radio Today will be entering Delhi and Kolkata, where it would transmit from the Prasar Bharti towers in conjunction with the other players in the market.

Apparently, Radio Today has spent close to Rs 17.87 crore as licence fee for the three centres of Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata for the first year. An additional Rs 20 crore has been invested on infrastructure etc in these three cities. © 2002 agencyfaqs!