India public broadcaster Prasar Bharati has granted GeoBroadcast Solutions permission to test its MaxxCasting and ZoneCasting systems on the All India Radio network. The technology is meant to improve the broadcast signal and offer customized content for ethnic and dialect groups, allowing broadcasters to reach minority groups and multi-language-speaking residents.
The approval came after a series of meetings and presentations spanning nearly 36 months. The technology will be installed and ready for trial by the end of the summer, and FM Gold and Rainbow 101.3 will modify their studio systems to provide separate programming for the zoned broadcasts.
The project was introduced to Prasar Bharati through Dev Banad Viswanath, a New York-based attorney with US and Indian ties to the broadcast community. Prasar Bharati’s radio tower infrastructure will provide the necessary foundation to design and implement a network of zones that is expected to reach unique populations through a single broadcast platform.
“Nothing pleases me more than to bring to my native country the latest advances in the radio industry,” said Viswanath. “ZoneCasting will be an incredibly valuable asset for the National Broadcast community in India and will help diversify the reach of broadcasters’ programming.”
