The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the Empowered Group of Ministers' (EGoM's) recommendations about the Phase-III of FM radio auction, setting a stage for faster rollout of FM Radio in the country.

In the third phase of expansion, the government will auction a total of 839 FM radio channels in a total of 294 cities through private agencies. The approval has put an end to the more than two-year-long wait for the phase-III expansion of the private FM radio network in the country.

Uday Varma, Secretary at Ministry of Information & Broadcasting said that the implementation of Phase-III of FM Radio was expected to be completed by the end of current fiscal year.

Speaking on the topic, Mr. Varma said, "Radio Phase III is expected to be completed by the end of this financial year. We will have 839 new radio stations in the private sector."

Vineet Singh Hukmani, managing director & chief executive of Radio One, welcomed the development, describing it as great news. He said the phase-III of FM radio expansion would make radio the most prevailing medium in the country.

The Request for Proposal (RFP) is expected to be issued around this month, and the process of auction is expected to start in around two months.

The expansion means every town with population of more than 1 lakh will receive the latest FM radio services.