India’s HT Media Group-owned radio station Fever FM on Tuesday announced that it was shutting down its operations because of “evolving trends” in the media industry.

The announcement was made through the radio station’s Instagram page, where it said: “It is with a heavy heart we bring to you this urgent announcement. You, our partners and our listeners have been with us through our ups and downs and our thick and thin but we must make this decision for all,” Fever FM wrote in a LinkedIn post.

The post also featured a video message from Fever FM CEO Ramesh Menon, who said: “We made this difficult decision to shut down our station. This decision comes after careful consideration and is due to the evolving trends in the media industry.”

“Radio has been a part of our journey, figuratively and literally. Everyday. But as they say, all journeys must come to an end, and the end for Radio is closer than you expect.”

“The management would like to express its heartfelt gratitude to RJs, advertisers, partners, employees and listeners who built and supported the station in its journey,” Menon said.

The Instagram post was accompanied by three subsequent posts simply saying, “Ok. Tata. ByeBye,” with an additional prompt for followers to check LinkedIn for more information.

However, it later turned out to be a marketing gimmick by the station, according to company sources who spoke to BestMediaInfo.com.

According to an article in BestMediaInfo, experts say that the use of such a marketing ploy by a reputed organisation not only creates negative buzz in the industry but also questions their overall judgement and brand integrity.

Fever Network operates 22 stations across 15 cities, with three in Delhi and Mumbai, two in Bengaluru, Chennai, and Kolkata, and a presence in Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad, and 7 UP cities.

In the Oct-Dec quarter, the revenue from Radio broadcast and entertainment vertical fell 4.4 per cent to Rs 39.74 crore.