Image Source: DALL-E In a major boost to strengthen the community radio sector, the government has allocated a generous Rs 17.40 crore in the Union Budget 2025-26, more than tripling last year’s allocation of Rs 5 crore. This significant increase underscores the government’s commitment to empowering local voices and expanding the reach of community-driven broadcasting.  In 2021, the Government of India approved a Central Sector Scheme, “Supporting Community Radio Movement in India”. This scheme aimed to strengthen new and existing CR Stations with resources, capacity, and technology and promote the growth of Community radio stations across remote and rural areas. This scheme was extended for five years, from 2021-22 to 2025-26, with an outlay of Rs 50 crores.  In September 2024, a mid-term appraisal was carried out without increasing the overall cost of the scheme.  According to an official release by the MIB's CRS cell, stakeholders suggested increasing financial ass

View from the Press Rooms/Hot off the Press India’s currency crisis deepened as the rupee plunged to a historic low of Rs 87.29 against the US dollar, rattling financial markets. The Economic Times’ Rozebud Gonsalves and Hindustan Times’ Gopika Gopakumar reported that the sharp decline follows heightened trade war fears triggered by former US President Donald Trump’s new tariffs. The Indian stock market took a hit, with the Sensex slipping over 800 points as investor sentiment soured. The latest tariffs imposed by Trump’s administration on Canadian and Mexican goods have escalated trade tensions, sending shockwaves through global markets. Meanwhile, Indian Express’ George Mathew explained that India’s widening trade deficit, coupled with global uncertainty, has further weakened the rupee. Rising crude oil prices have also contributed to the pressure, increasing India’s import bill and worsening the currency's outlook. Through the Digital Lens According to Gopika

David Dalkin has announced his retirement after an impressive 50-year career in radio, Radio Info reported. Currently serving as content director at ARN’s 3BA and Power FM in Ballarat, Dalkin’s career spans several decades, having begun in 1975 at 2AD Armidale. He took over the night shift after Doug Mulray, another well-known radio personality, moved to daytime. Over the years, Dalkin worked at various stations across Australia, including in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, and Tasmania. In the late 1980s, Dalkin was the original program director at 3TT Melbourne, later known as KIIS 101.1, and he also contributed to the station’s conversion to FM in 1990. During the 90s, Dalkin worked internationally, including as program director at 91ZM Christchurch, where he won the prestigious New Zealand Programmer of the Year award in 1996. He later moved to Malaysia, becoming group program director at AMP Radio Networks (now ASTRO Radio), where he helped grow the brand across So

Cybersecurity consultancy business Cordant, in partnership with Karissa Breen’s KBI.FM, has launched its new podcast, DevSecOops.  Cordant's Principal Security Consultant and co-host of DevSecOops, Scott Fletcher, told Influencing Tech the idea came about during discussions around a company rebrand.  “We [Cordant] identified 6 to 8 months ago that we don't spend enough time explaining to the industry, the market, and advertising ourselves. “We thought a podcast was a great next step because one of the things we will realise we had in common was we all listen to podcasts as well.” KBI.FM and Cordant launched the DevSecOops podcast last week. Fletcher and co-hosts Tom Walker and James Vincent discuss essential topics relevant to the cybersecurity industry. Guests will appear in specific subject episodes.  “Initially, we needed to introduce the concept of who we all are and where we've all come from. Then we focused on the background topics and looked at topics aroun

A new report by Excellent Publicity reveals key shifts in the jewellery sector’s advertising strategy, with print media maintaining dominance while digital sees significant growth. The report which Influencing India accessed, was based on an analysis of over 1,50,000 media campaigns and data from TAM Media Research Pvt Ltd, the report highlights how jewellery brands are diversifying their ad spend across platforms to reach a wider audience. Television remains a crucial medium, with General Entertainment Channels (GECs) accounting for 45 per cent of total ad expenditure, followed by News (36 per cent) and Sports (9 per cent) channels. Kalyan Jewellers led TV advertising, capturing 20 per cent of the sector’s total TV ad spend in 2024, driven by high-profile celebrity endorsements featuring Janhvi Kapoor and Alia Bhatt. Print advertising, however, continues to command the largest share, with 73 per cent of total jewellery ad spend in 2024. Titan Company led print advertising wit

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has updated the list of mandatory channels that cable operators must carry, reinforcing compliance with the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995. The revised directive, issued on January 17, 2025, introduces modifications to existing channels while adding new ones to ensure broader access to national news, regional content, and parliamentary proceedings. Among the changes, channels like DD Assam, DD Odia, Sansad TV-1 HD, Sansad TV-1, Sansad TV-2 HD, and Sansad TV-2 have been modified. Additionally, four new channels—DD National HD, DD News HD, DD Sports HD, and DD India HD—have been added to the mandatory list, strengthening coverage across genres including news, sports, and entertainment. Cable operators are required to ensure these channels are correctly categorised and available to viewers as per government regulations. Failure to comply could result in action from authorities. This move is aimed at enhancing public a

Even as the euphoria around the huge tax rebates announced during Budget 2025-26 is yet to die down across the Indian media spectrum, the Union Finance Minister has now sought all taxpayers to brace for what she claims is the next relief -- a new Income Tax Act, which is "relevant to the 21st century."  Hot Off The Press In an exclusive interview with Diwakar and Surojit Gupta for The Times of India, a day after she presented her 8th consecutive Union Budget, Sitharaman asserted that the tax relief unveiled by her was meant to honour the honest taxpayer. She said it was not wise to keep loading the narrow tax base with taxes. “But it is also equally upon us to widen the base and keep newer people coming in,” she added.  On the proposed revamp of the I-T Act, she said, “It will be a comprehensive approach to making it relevant to the 21st century, to an era which is technology-driven, where the taxpayer is most often doing it himself. For a citizen to be able to deal with