A ban preventing private FM stations in India from broadcasting news bulletins is likely to be lifted, says the sector’s industry body.

The Association of Radio Operators in India (AROI) says they’ve been told that government funds have been allocated for a new regulatory system to monitor content on FM radio channels.

The question of why the government has singled out the radio industry when scores of TV news channels exist all over India was brought to the Supreme Court recently.

When questioned about its policy, the government said the primary reason behind the ban is lack of a system to monitor radio content.

Radio operators have been tried several times to get the government to overturn the ban.

Speaking to Asia Radio Today, Uday Chawla, Secretary General of AROI said: “We have been opposing this ban for the last 5 years. Why should radio be singled out? People have a right to information as well as entertainment on radio, just like across other media.”

AROI thinks the new regulations may take about a year to be implemented while interministerial discussions take place.