Almost all of India’s 242 private FM radio stations play film music all the time. The lack of variety on FM radio has been the biggest bugbear in the growth of the medium over the last decade. But, there are indications that news will finally be allowed on private FM radio in India. Should we be singing in delight?

Not yet. To start with, the policy states that private operators have to take news from All India Radio (AIR) without changing it in any way. That means a Radio Mirchi or Radio City will sound like AIR whenever they broadcast news.