Tuesday, August 05, 2008

FM Scene in North bengal - Radio Netherlands & Radio Misty 94.3 FM declares thier partnership

Radio Misty & Radio Netherlands officially declared their partnership in a
meet at Hotel Sinclairs, Siliguri, West Bengal, India, last night.

Now both their websites also declares the same.

In Radio Netherlands Blog Andy Sennitt writes "RNW connects with Radio Misty
94.3FM in India" on August 4th, 2008 - 9:35 UTC which says "Radio
Netherlands Worldwide (RNW), has established a partnership with first and
foremost North Bengal and Sikkim FM station, Radio Misty 94.3FM. In the near
future Radio Misty will air a variety of RNW music programmes ranging from
European pop charts to classical, jazz and world music but also RNW radio
books. ....
Considering the rapid growth of the number of FM-stations and multimedia
platforms in India, RNW is glad to establish a mutually beneficial
partnership with Radio Misty 94.3FM and provide them with music and
spoken-word programmes. "

And later the same story as our last post. All this stories describes
falsely that "Radio Misty is the first North Bengal and Sikkim FM station
for the local people and has a reach of 80 km", while we all know this
station uses AIR Siliguri transmission facilities located in 2.5 Mile,
Seveoke Road, Siliguri.
AIR Siliguri Started its FM transmission few years back with Bibidh Bharti
Programmes, which still exists today. After that AIR Kurseong came with AIR
FM Rainbow in 102.3 MHz FM which has more coverage in this region gained
from better transmitter location and signal strength. Where as Radio Misty
came here less than two years ago, along with Radio High 92.7 FM. Although
Radio Misty and Radio High both uses similar studio setups but Radio High is
renowned for more Bengali programmes/songs and better sound quality. Both of
them uses same transmitting site and both of them transmits in Stereo mode
but yet they both yet fails to transmit in atleast 50% channel separation
over stereo. This has been tested by us, while we listen a audio CD with
100% channel separation in Stereo had two separate instrumental in left and
right speakers of the head phone, the same track came via Radio Misty to our
Sony ICF-SW7600GR via Headphone in Stereo mode as mixed up. Radio High also
fails to do atleast 50% channel separation, while AIR normally broadcasts
with less sound quality, low bass/treble response through the same facility,
when they play any instrumental via audio CDs we get 50% Channel Separation
assured.

Before all this stations FM enthusiasts of this area used to listen Kantipur
FM 96.1 MHz from Nepal, which has good content filled programmes with
entertainment, but since many stations coming with highpower transmissions,
and transmitters not maintaining the norms (or intentionally initiated?) the
transmission from 92.7 MHZ or 94.3 MHZ even overlaps on 96.1 MHz, so people
no more able to listen Kantipur FM. Surprisingly this overlapping occurs on
around 96.1 MHz where the Nepal FM station transmits and 98 MHZ where BBS
Phuntoshiling transmits...

And lastly the new player in this area 91.9 FM booked such a frequency that
stopped our listening to 92 MHz BBS from Thimpu.

Although this was making some DXers unhappy, majority of the listeners are
more happy as they have more choices and more entertainment now. The FM sets
costing from 25 Indian Rupees to 250 Indian Rupees (US$ 0.7 to US$ 6.00) is
getting high & higher...

And we welcome & congratulate Radio Misty as their trying their best to give
more spices to our ears by providing more and more content filled and
entertaining programmes where other local players failed to do so.

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