Big 92.7 FM is Number One

Chandigarh media scene is alive and throbbing, especially with the launch of two private radio stations, Big 92.7FM and MyFM 94.3, owned by Adlabs and Dainik Bhaskar respectively. The city had earlier had only one local channel of AIR, and last year saw the transmission of AIR Rainbow from Delhi through Kasauli transmission, adding zest to the radio buffs. Even the local AIR station had seen the advent of many private software producers for which the trend was set by RadioBuzz in November 2002, that provided some zing to the programmes.

And Chandigarh appears to be on the radar of everyone including the market research organisations which thought of moving out of the metro-oriented listenership surveys and explore the Tier-II cities. In March-April 2007, Mumbai based Indica Research Consumer Insights, which has numerous listernship surveys to its credit, conducted the research in Chandigarh across the age groups of 15-34 yrs ( male & female), households belonging to SEC A/B/C.
Obviously both the private radio channels, BigFM and MyFM scored a lead over the All India Radio Rainbow. And amongst these three, Big92.7FM has emerged as leader with 82 percent overall listenership.
Music being a key differentiator, BIG 92.7 FM’s music positioning has received the endorsement of Chandigarh with 81% of Chandigarh voting it the best on Music.. My FM has also received thumbs up for their music by 64% of Chandigarh, both scoring above AIR Rainbow in the parameter of most enjoyable stations to listen to with 77% and 69% votes respectively, which AIR scored 18 percent.
As to the popularity of the RJs amongst city listeners, for their distinct lingual flavour and persona, Pankaj, Meenakshi, Nidhi of BIG FM have scored the maximum votes to be the top 3 RJs of the City. MyFM’s RJ Khushi ranks 7th amongst the top 10s, while other being from BigFM.
CJ Singh . CorePR

Photo Exhibition

Our friend from Public Relations Haryana, who has made a mark as a photographer with numerous awards to his credit, is putting up the exhibition of his latest collection at Panjab Kala Bhavan, Sector 16, Chandigarh. The Exhibition opens tomorrow, i.e. 19th April at 5:15pm. Let us join him and compliment him in person. CJ

Budget Your PR efforts

April is the month for the PR people to review the results of their efforts of the past and plan for the future. One of the essential component is to consolidate the report for your organisation or each of your clients with the results achieved through various PR initiatives last year. And get ready for the presentation on what you want to accomplish in the coming 12 months.
This exercise is of tremendous help, and has several advantages. One, it makes you proactive; two, it helps the top management understand the need for professional PR support in all its operations; three, it provides you with the opportunity to plan your activities and get approvals for the budgets.
However, do incorporate the proposed timelines, and measurement parameters of your success.
Best of luck in this year of pig, which, in the Chinese culture, is associated with fertility and virility, and bearing children in the year of the pig is considered very fortunate, as they will be happy and honest.
So it is a happy time for PR people to show their 'fertility and virility' in culling out newer ideas and launch newer campaigns (your children), which should bring happiness for all stake-holders, provided they are 'honest'...based on ethical professional values.
Happy April :)
CJ, CorePR

Lie travels faster than the truth?

Last month has seen two major rumours showing the power of communication, especially if it is a lie. I remember what Mark Twain once said, “A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting its shoes on.”

The rumour of deaths by mobile phones travelled all across the northern region within one day, while a week back, the rumour of 'impending earthquake' kept many people out of their homes the whole night. My enquiries revealed that most of the people received phone calls from friends or relatives informing that an 'earthquake is expected so rush out'. The entire Panjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, was affected within a matter of hours...and it all happened between 1am and 3am.

The question is: who started it? And how come majority of the people believed it, without realising that the mankind has yet to reach a stage to be able to predict earthquakes.

Prof. H.S. Dilgir is no more

We have lost the father-figure of journalism, author, journalist, Public Relations professional, playright, theatre artist, film producer, and more importantly, a truly saintly Teacher, and a great human being. He was the founder president of the Chandigarh Chapter of Public Relations Society of India, and had attended several all India PR conferences. A visiting faculty to several journalism and public relations departments to various universities, he had authored several books on public relations, and journalism.
He was admitted in Sector 32 Hospital today morning as he complained about breathlessness, but on reaching there at 9:30am he had a heart attack and his blood pressure also dropped suddenly. Though the doctors struggled on and despite our best of prayers, he passed away at 3pm. He had willed to donate his body and with the concurrence of his wife and two daughters, the body was handed over to the Govt Medical College, Sector 32 hospital, while the eyes were gifted immediately to the eye bank in the hospital. He was a great man, who cared about every little thing, and would go all the way to help anyone. After his retirement he had taken sojourn in the Nadiali village where he built up his library and taught little children. He spearheaded the literacy movement in his small hamlet, a village of few families, where no one, especially the girls, had any schooling. But he relentlessly dedicated his life to ignite the power of learning amongst children, and helped many children graduate from the village.
Like me who had the opportunity to know him right from the days in the department of journalism, there are countless students around the globe who cherish some of the choicest moments that we spent with him. I had the good fortune of being with him till the last moment.
He lives amongst us. Physically, his eyes would light up someone's lives. His body would give the insight to the medical students, to learn and save many lives, in their professional life time. We salute him. And pray to God, to give peace to the departed soul...though we know that though he left in peace, living his life to the fullest, he would not rest...and would be preparing for his next plan of action.
CJ Singh

PR Accreditation

PR Accreditation is a big issue and I have been writing about it for quite some times, but not much progress has been achieved. In the recently concluded PR meet in Goa which included the national council meeting also on the 18th, Dr. Ajit Pathak, President, PRSI, informed "about the efforts taken by the PRSI in getting accreditation for public relations practitioners from the Centre on the lines of the highly developed countries, in tune with the emerging economic environment."
This is a good initiative but at the same time the involvement of Centre, or the PIB, or the HR ministry should be restricted only to the extent of regulating and managing the appointment, and promotions of the PR practitioners in the government PR set-up, with the rider to obtain accreditation from the national accreditation board of PR. Because, accreditation of PR has to be managed by a high-powered national-level board of experienced PR professionals, who should conduct the examination, hold interviews, review projects/case studies, and then accredit the practitioners.
It is time that such an accreditation board is constituted independent of any PR body but taking the representation of all the PR societies functional in the country today.