Indigo 91.9 FM is India’s international music station, broadcasting in Bangalore and Goa.

Its National Programming Head, Kiran Sreedhar speaks to AsiaRadioToday. 

1. Now that the first round of India’s new commercial stations has settled in, what are your thoughts on programming. Is there enough diversity of content?

Innovations are the key. There have been a lot of innovations, but I believe there is much more that we can do. Audiences are opening up and are receptive to new programming innovations and concepts. While there is diversity, I believe there is much more that we could attempt and succeed at.  At Indigo 91.9, we are striving to do that, we have had a few successes already and there are many more launching in the coming days.

We recently launched the ‘Fitness Hour’, a dedicated show on the radio for fitness enthusiasts in Bangalore & Goa, with 40 minutes of non-stop music, the kind of music that will motivate and push the limits to get fit.  It’s not just about the music alone; we have the top fitness and nutrition experts in the city, who help our listeners understand what work out needs to be done and for how long. The nutrition expert talks about what to eat, what not to eat and how much.

We also had special programming for World Music Day, where we had celebrities and musicians from Bangalore turn RJs. So they just did not come in and request for songs and play songs randomly but they actually turned RJs and played music that inspired them, narrated stories and more.

2. What are your thoughts on news content for Indian commercial stations. Should there be more freedom to mount station generated bulletins, or is AIR news adequate enough?

Radio should have the freedom to generate news content; by the same token, responsible journalism is something that needs to be defined. Guidelines should be drawn so that radio stations don’t deviate from being a positive influence. But having said that, news on radio is a worldwide concept and it works very well. Of course, sources to news are plenty for audiences nowadays, but I like to believe Radio is one of the most sought after medium.

3. What do you look for when hiring on air talent?

Firstly, passion for the medium; second, the competency to be spontaneous and the third to multi task! I do not really bother about good voice or music knowledge, they are secondary to me. I also believe that being a level headed person is equally important, because radio, as much as it is fun, is also a responsible medium. You are an influence on the city and you are talking to thousands of people, so what you say on air will be taken very seriously and should not send the wrong message. So somebody who really knows the medium and understands or has the potential and competency to get there, that’s what I look for. Voice – definitely not important in my radiobook.

 4. How has Indigo 91.9 grown and evolved over the years as an international music station?

There are many firsts to the credit of Indigo 91.9 when it comes to programming initiatives, programming formats, engagement platforms and more. We have taken the lead and done a lot of things for the first time, at least in this part of the world. So when it comes to music, we have obviously been on top of our game. Indigo 91.9 plays the best CHR international music and our audiences have good things to say all the time. So over the years, we are known to be innovative content creators.

 5. What are Indigo 91.9’s plans for 2016? Are there any new programming initiatives in the pipeline?

A lot actually. We just launched The Fitness Hour as I mentioned. To give you a sneak preview, very soon we will be sending our audience to one of the biggest motor sport events and also to a music awards night. Along with relevant engaging content, we are keen on creating experiences in music, fashion, lifestyle and fitness; I call it ‘Indigo experiences’. It will not be just about listening to the radio while driving or on the earphones or while working out or while studying. It will not be a passive medium anymore. We are going to make it more engaging and inclusive of the audience and it’s the Indigo experience that our audience will look forward to in the coming days. The experiences will be exclusive offerings, only on Indigo 91.9.

6. Tell us about your radio career – how did you get to where you are now?

December of 2001, the most disastrous thing happened. 15 people applied for an Australian Visa for Masters in IT and 14 got in… I did not. I wonder why though, but today I am thankful that I did not get the visa because now I have a career which I thoroughly enjoy. So, when I did not get my visa, without any aim in life, I walked into AIR to say hello to an aunt of mine who used to work there. While she showed me around, I got fascinated with the medium. There was a recording going on as I sat in one corner and observed. Week two of the same show, I picked up calls and said ‘Hi, what song would you want to listen to’ and patched calls to the RJ. Week four, fortunately the RJ did not turn up and then the producer of the show said ‘why don’t you try?’…. and that was my first radio show. Let me be honest in saying that it sucked!

Then private radio stations happened and I went on to do the No.1 breakfast show in the city for quite some time amongst other time bands raking in the ratings consistently. Then I got the opportunity to be the programming director, to head a team, more responsibility and all that jazz; Let me be honest, I got conned into becoming a programming director. But nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoy it as well.

So from a freelance presenter at All India Radio to a producer and then the prime time morning show host to an APD to Programming Director … now a National Programming Director, I have seen it all. The career in radio has been great, looking forward to more.