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Our Bureau

New Delhi , April 6

THIS could come as a respite for the loss-ridden private FM radio companies. The broadcasting regulator, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Tuesday suggested that all private FM radio licence holders could be given the option of deferring payment of their next instalment of licence fee till a final decision on revenue-sharing is taken.

In its interim recommendations on private FM radio broadcasting to the Government, the regulator said: "This would be subject to the condition that the dues as finally decided by the Government, after taking into account the recommendations of TRAI, would be collected from the licensees with interest from the due date, on the quantum of licence fees found to be payable."

The final recommendations of TRAI would address the issue of licence fee payable as well as the relevant interest rate. Five private FM broadcasters met the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, and sought a deferment of annual FM licence fee till the Government takes a decision on the implementation of FM Radio Task Force report.

TRAI said it was in the process of preparing a consultation paper on which it would seek the comments of all the stakeholders. It has also called for the accounts of Phase I licensees and these are being scrutinised. The Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry had in February sent the report of the Task Force headed by the FICCI Secretary-General, Dr Amit Mitra, to TRAI. The Ministry had pointed out that the licence fee for the third year for Mumbai city was due in April and licence holders had not paid the second year's fee for Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai.

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