NEW DELHI: The FM radio operators of Indian today formed a nine-member committee to look in to various issues related to infrastructure, music royalty and interacting with various organizations like the Broadcast Engineering Society India Ltd and pubcaster Prasar Bharati, which is slated to rent out some of its transmissions towers.

According to a statement from the Association of Radio Operators of India (AROI), the panel’s mandate is to try negotiating better deals with infrastructure providers and organization that deal in music copyright issues.

The music royalty issue is a contentious matter with AROI alleging that the Phonographic Performance Ltd (PPL) and another music rights organization have made irrational demands for music rights overlooking the fact that a uniform rights fee could not be applied on small and big radio operators alike.

PPL is the copyright society in respect of sound recordings and is registered with the government. It is mainly engaged in administering the broadcasting / telecasting and public performance rights on behalf of over 139 music companies that are its members.

The AROI panel includes BAG Infotainment’s Radio Masti CEO Rajiv Mishra, Radio Mirchi CEO Prashant Panday, Radio Today chief Anil Mehra, Radio City CEO Apoorva Purohit, Syntech Informatics CEO Ashok Narayan, ABP radio CEO Sanjay Prasad and Mathrubhumi Radio chief executive George Sebastian.

Two positions have been kept vacant for representatives from the Anil
Ambani-controlled Adlabs Radio and Sun TV.