In her hit debut single I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker, singer Sandi Thom laments the loss of a time 'when radio was king'.
If you're among those sick of listening to the same Bollywood tunes and remixes on the local radio station, here's an interesting service whose official tag line says it all: 'There is so much to hear!' You've seen the billboards featuring brand ambassador AR Rahman, now check out our guide to what the WorldSpace Radio service is all about.
WorldSpace provides digital satellite audio, data and multimedia. It conceived of and built the first ever satellite radio infrastructure in the world. Puja Shah, a freelance line producer and avid listener says, "My roommates and I chipped in and subscribed to the service for a year. It works out well because we have varied tastes." According to her, it is the variety of stations that is the biggest plus point.
What you can listen to
WorldSpace has radio stations delivering music, news, sports and entertainment programming, round-the-clock, with digital quality sound. It currently offers over 40 radio stations in India, playing, on an average, about 10,000 songs per day.
. Indian music: Farishta (classic Hindi film music), Gandharv (Hindustani classical music), Shruti (Carnatic classical music) and Jhankaar (contemporary Hindi music).
. International music: Maestro (Western Classical), U Pop (pop), The System (electronica/dance), Potion (soul, R&B), Up Country (country), Radio Voyager (international pop and rock), The Hop (rock 'n' roll), Riff (jazz), Orbit Rock (classic rock), Bob (alternative rock), Spin (hit international music presented by Indian RJs), World Zone (world music), and Flava (hip-hop).
. Spiritual and Wellness: Moksha, Radio Art of Living.
. News and Information: CNN, Bloomberg, BBC Asia West, WRN, Asia Development, NDTV (English) and NDTV (Hindi), Fox News.
. Regional language stations: Sparsha (Kannada), Spandana (Telugu), RM Radio (Malayalam), KL Radio (Tamil), Tunak Punjabi (Punjabi) and Tara (Bengali).
What it costs
You can't 'tune in' to this service using your traditional home radio. You need to buy a special receiver (one-time cost) along with a subscription. Two of the most affordable WorldSpace receivers are Diva (Rs 1,999) and Diva II (with speakers for Rs 2,999). A 12-month subscription is Rs 1,800 (Rs 150 per month) and Rs 1,000 for six months -- for 40 radio stations.
Pros vs cons
You have an excellent variety of music and songs played without interruption by radio jockeys or commercials. On the other hand, customer service can be erratic and some customers complain of signal reception trouble.
Where you can buy it
Locate a WorldSpace dealer in your area after checking the WorldSpace dealer list. Alternatively, you can call 1800-425-5432 toll free for details on dealers and contact numbers. Find out more at http://www.worldspace.in/
Do you own a WorldSpace radio? Share your experiences.
