Parliament Question: Establishment of a New FM Radio Station at Pathanapuram in Kollam

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 492 (TO BE ANSWERED ON 22.07.2026) ESTABLISHMENT OF A NEW FM RADIO STATION AT PATHANAPURAM IN KOLLAM

492. SHRI KODIKUNNIL SURESH:

Will the Minister of INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has received any proposal for establishing a new FM radio station at Pathanapuram in Kollam district, Kerala and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether the Government has assessed the feasibility and requirement of setting up an FM radio station at Pathanapuram to improve radio coverage in the eastern and hilly regions of Kollam district and adjoining areas;

(c) if so, whether any survey or technical study has been conducted regarding frequency availability, transmission infrastructure and coverage for such a station and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether the Government proposes to establish a new FM radio station at Pathanapuram under Prasar Bharati or through the private FM broadcasting policy and if so, the details and timeline thereof; and

(e) the steps taken or proposed by the Government to improve FM radio coverage and public broadcasting services in the eastern parts of Kollam district including Pathanapuram?ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (DR. L. MURUGAN)

(a) to (e): Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network Development (BIND) scheme is a Central Sector Scheme for development, modernization and upgradation of broadcasting infrastructure of Doordarshan and Akashvani in the country. BIND scheme has been approved with a total outlay of ₹2539.61 crore for 2021-26. The scheme has been extended upto 31.03.2027.

The scheme includes setting up and modernization of transmitters and studios of Akashvani, expansion of DD Free Dish DTH platform and DD TV channels. It also includes upgrading production & transmission facilities.

Establishment of new transmitters is an ongoing process depending upon need assessment, available resources, inter-se priority and feasibility.

Presently, 14 Akashvani broadcasting stations are operational in Kerala state having total 19 transmitters (4 Medium Wave and 15 FM) of varying capacity. A 100W FM relay station at Punalur (in Kollam district) is operational which is about 12 km radial distance from Pathanapuram.

Further, Prasar Bharati is operating "DD FreeDish", a multi-channel Free-To-Air Direct to Home (DTH) service. Its signals can be received throughout the country, including the eastern and hilly regions of Kollam district and its adjoining areas. Apart from Doordarshan channels, more than 48 channels of Akashvani and more than 300 co-branded educational channels are available on DD Free Dish. More than 260 Akashvani channels can also be listened through "NewsOnAIR" mobile app.Prasar Bharati has also launched the WAVES OTT platform, which provides live streaming of various Doordarshan and Akashvani channels, along with many popular entertainment and news channels of private broadcasters.

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