NEW DELHI: All India Radio (AIR) has failed to achieve its commercial revenue target yet again, earning Rs 2.54 billion during 2011-12 against a projected Rs 3.5 billion.

In fact, AIR?s commercial revenue has dropped marginally from the earlier year. For 2010-11, the state-owned radio operator had earned Rs 2.57 billion against a target of Rs Rs 3.25 billion.

AIR has, thus, failed to meet its projected target in any of the years of the 11th Plan. In the earlier years of the 11th Plan, the gap has also been quite visible. For 2009-10, the commercial revenue stood at Rs 2.01 billion while the projected income for the fiscal was Rs 3 billion.

The record for the earlier two years runs like this: Rs 1.98 billion (against projection of Rs 2.8 billion) for 2008-09; and Rs 2.16 billion (target of Rs 2.43 billion) for 2007-08.

AIR?s gross revenues over the last five years had been: Rs 2.9 billion in 2007-08; Rs 2.9 billion in 2008-09; Rs 3.0 billion in 2009-10; Rs 3.7 billion in 2010-11; and Rs 3.6 billion in 2011-12.

According to Prasar Bharati sources, AIR?s projection for 2012-13 has been provisionally kept at Rs 3.5 billion.It remains to be seen whether stiff competition from private FM radio operators will enable AIR to achieve its target that remains similar to what it had kept for the previous fiscal.