Mumbai: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has announced a key amendment to the auction rules governing the allocation of Private FM Radio channels under Phase III (Batch III), as part of its ongoing efforts to streamline the e-auction process.
According to the latest amendment issued to the Auction Rules dated November 27, 2024, the duration of each round during the rank-wise multiple rounds frequency allocation stage has been revised from 30 minutes to 60 minutes, with no provision for time extensions available to bidders.
This adjustment, which comes into effect starting April 2025, is aimed at offering bidders more time to evaluate and make informed decisions during the auction process.
The change follows the government’s earlier announcement on October 14, 2024, inviting applications for the e-auction of 730 FM radio channels across 234 uncovered cities as part of the ongoing rollout of Phase III of private FM radio expansion.
Currently, 20 applications are under review by the Ministry for the allocation of FM Phase-III channels under the third batch.
This move is seen as a step toward enhancing transparency, improving participation, and ensuring better decision-making in the allocation of radio frequencies across the country.
