Spot production
Voices cast for the language of the station, recorded in versions for each offer and date.
/ 01 Radio advertising in Kolkata
Heard often enoughto be remembered.
Most radio money is wasted on a thin spread across every station, when a listener needs to hear the offer again and again. PromotEdge picks the stations, writes the scripts and books the airtime.
It tracks the response for retailers, builders, colleges and consumer brands, so a burst brings calls and footfall you can count.
Radio reaches people while they are busy: driving down the Bypass, minding a shop, sitting in evening traffic. A listener can't scroll back to your ad, so the offer must be simple and the repeats enough.
We believe in process, so a good result should repeat. We would rather put your budget on two stations, in the hours your buyers listen, with enough spots a day to stick.
Our radio advertising service explains how we plan across India. Radio often runs beside newspaper ads and outdoor boards, which advertising in Kolkata puts together.
- 2015working with Indian brands since
- 65+in-house team: strategy, creative, media and tech
- 4pillars under one roof: strategy, advertising, digital, on-ground activation (BTL)
- 6cities: head office in Kolkata, teams in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Guwahati and Bhubaneswar
/ 02 What we handle
Script to airingcertificate.
0103 04 05 06
Station and time-band plan
Which stations, which hours, how many spots a day and for how many weeks, with the reasoning shown.
02Scripts written for the ear
Short sentences, one offer, and the brand name said early and again at the close.
RJ mentions and sponsorships
Live reads, traffic or weather sponsorships and contests, when a brand needs a human voice.
Akashvani bookings
Primary channel, FM Rainbow, FM Gold or Vividh Bharati, costed from the published rate card.
Response tracking
A dedicated number or short code said on air, so we know which station and hour paid off.
Send us your offer and the hours your buyers listen. We will say which two stations we would test first. Get a free growth plan
/ 03 Why Kolkata radio is its own buy
Seven stations, one public broadcaster.
Three things change how we plan airtime for this city.
A full private FM market. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting's list of operational channels, dated 30 March 2026, shows Kolkata as an A+ city with seven private FM stations. That is enough choice to pick by audience and price, and enough to spread a budget too thin.
Akashvani prices in public. All India Radio's Kolkata services sit on a CBC rate card, with rates in force since 1 June 2017. We ask the broadcaster for each service's coverage before we book.
The script follows the listener. Census 2011 gives Kolkata district 61.45% Bengali, 22.84% Hindi and 13.04% Urdu by mother tongue. A spot that sounds translated is noticed within seconds.
/ 04 The Kolkata dial
Every stationyou can buy here.
| Station | Frequency | Permission holder or rate source |
|---|---|---|
| Friends FM | 91.9 MHz | Ananda Offset Pvt Ltd |
| Big FM | 92.7 MHz | Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd |
| Red FM | 93.5 MHz | South Asia FM Ltd |
| Radio One | 94.3 MHz | Next Radio Ltd |
| Radio Mirchi | 98.3 MHz | Entertainment Network India Ltd |
| Fever | 104.0 MHz | HT Media Ltd |
| Ishq | 104.8 MHz | Vibgyor Broadcasting Pvt Ltd |
| Akashvani: primary channel, FM Rainbow, FM Gold, Vividh Bharati | 657 kHz, 107 MHz, 100.2 MHz, 1323 kHz | CBC rate card, rates from 1 June 2017 |
Sources: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, private FM channels as on 30 March 2026; CBC Akashvani rates with frequency. Read 11 October 2026. None of these stations is our client or partner, and we quote no listenership share because we found no current public survey per station.
/ 05 How a Kolkata radio burst runs
From a briefto the first spot on air.
- 01
Listener map (week 1)
Who buys, where they are when they listen, and the one thing they should do next: call, visit or search.
- 02
Stations and hours (week 1)
As general practice, drive hours cost most. Each station sets its own bands, so we read its rate card first.
- 03
Spot length and script (weeks 1-2)
Indian FM usually sells 10, 15, 20 and 30-second spots. We read every draft aloud before you approve it.
- 04
Release orders and airing proof (week 2)
Each station gets a written release order. We match its airing certificate against it, spot by spot.
- 05
Weekly reweighting
What can't be measured can't be achieved. Calls and codes are counted per station and hour, and spots move to the hours that bring replies.
Tell us what’s not working. We’ll send you an honest one-page growth plan, free.
Go deeperMore on this
Deeper reading if you want the research behind the plan.
How we deliver it, and why
How your business model changes the plan
A shop or showroom sends listeners to a street and a date. A school or college points to an admissions number. A dealer-led B2B (business-to-business) brand uses radio to make the name familiar before the dealer calls. A D2C (direct to consumer) brand gives one short web address or code.
- Map the listener. The hour and the place decide the station, not the other way round. One page: who, where, and the next step.
- Cut the station list. A listener needs repeats, and a thin spread gives none. Two stations and the hours we chose.
- Write for the ear, and read it aloud. A line that reads well can sound clumsy. A draft read in the room.
- Match airing proof to the order. You pay for spots that actually aired. Each certificate checked.
- Move spots to what rings. Good results should repeat, not happen by luck. Calls per station and hour.
Our Chief Creative Director, Sayantan Guha, leads the creative brief.
Go deeper: the calendar and the rate card
Puja and the year around it
Storyboard18 reported industry estimates of a 10-15% rise in Puja ad spend in 2025. In 2026 Mahalaya is on 10 October and Dashami on 21 October. Around it sit Poila Boishakh (15 April), the Durand Cup with Kolkata as a hub (25 July to 23 August) and the Book Fair (22 January to 3 February). Good hours around each go early.
Source: Storyboard18, 22 September 2025; West Bengal holiday list 2026; News on AIR; ETV Bharat
How Akashvani is priced
The CBC card gives a gross rate per 10 seconds, in three categories, for each service, so budgeting is simple. The card says rates apply from 1 June 2017, so we confirm what is current before we book.
Source: CBC, Rates of Advertisements on Akashvani
AI in radio advertising: today and next
Today: scratch tracks in Bengali
Google Cloud's text-to-speech documentation lists Bengali (India) voices in three types: Chirp 3 HD, WaveNet and Standard. That is enough to test a script's timing before booking a studio. Broadcast voices stay human.
Source: Google Cloud Text-to-Speech documentation, read 11 October 2026
Next
Our view: script variants and rough cuts will come faster. Choosing the station, the hour and the one line a listener remembers is still a human call. Want us to test your script? Ask us.
Our beliefWe use AI to save your team's time. A person still makes the decision.
Planning a Puja burst? Talk to us early, while the strongest hours are open. Talk to us
/ 06 Cost
What radio in Kolkata costs.
We do not publish a price list, because a one-week burst and a year of always-on radio are very different plans. Airtime is billed at each station's quoted rate; Akashvani's rates are public on the CBC card.
What affects the cost
- Station and time band, with drive-time hours usually the dearest
- Spot length, since private FM is usually priced per 10 seconds
- Spots per day and the number of days on air
- RJ mentions, sponsorships and contests, priced on top of spots
- Recording, voices and the number of language versions
How we quote
- Tell us the goal, the part of the city you want to reach and the dates.
- We ask each private station for its rate and time bands in writing.
- You get a quote with airtime at each station's rate and our script and recording work apart. We send it within 2 working days.
What you get in the quote
- Each station, time band and spot length
- Spots per day, days on air, and any bonus spots with their air times
- Scripting, voices and recording, with each language version
Private stations negotiate, and packages often add bonus spots in off-peak hours. Ask any agency when those spots will actually air.
/ 07 What happens next
What happensafter you ask.
For projects we think we can help, this is how it goes.
- 01
A strategist calls you
In one working day: a 30-minute call with one of our strategists about your business and what is not working.
- 02
You get a 1-page plan
A short, honest plan: what to fix first and what we would do. It is free.
- 03
A quote, if you want one
If you want to go ahead, we send a quote within 2 working days.
We confirm the timeline in the quote. Contracts start at 3 months, with 30 days' notice to stop.
Brands and people are named only as public examples. They are not PromotEdge clients or endorsers unless stated.
Keep exploring
Related pages.
The expertise that fits your business, and the places we work.
More in Kolkata
Advertising across India
Proof and reading
What people say
In their own words
What clients told us after working with PromotEdge.
“PromotEdge and their team did an excellent job with our website. They engaged with every team member, understanding their needs with great patience before collating them into a user requirement and a design spec. …”
Bimal ShahExecutive Director at Fine Organic Industries Limited“PromotEdge has been working with our organization for social media management and other creative activities. They are responsive, supportive and hard working. We look forward to a long and positive relationship with them.”
Medha SharmaStrategic Head at TATA Metaliks“PromotEdge has been a unique creative group amongst unique creativity world. …”
Rajat ChatterjeeHead Business Development at Birdman Chemeng Pvt Ltd.“An aligned partner is always a welcoming step. Someone who can think deep through lines, understand the matrix of product management. Fortunate enough, PromotEdge has been a partner in progress for me. …”
Bobby SrinivasChief Manager Marketing & Brand Marketing at Utkarsh India“We are thoroughly impressed with the extensive knowledge and professionalism demonstrated by PromotEdge. Their adept management of our digital and creative requirements has significantly contributed to our satisfaction with their digital marketing services and expertise.”
Rahul MishraAssistant Manager Digital Marketing & Ecommerce at Magik Lighting“We have been working with PromotEdge for almost a year. We have engaged them to manage our Digital marketing campaigns and are impressed with the outcome. …”
Shubham GadodiaDeputy Brand Manager at Shyam Metalics Group“I really want to thank Sayantan and his team from PromotEdge because what I find good in them is that, the team. When the team is wonderful, the outcome will definitely be wonderful. …”
Abhijit BhattacharyaFormer Captain Indian VolleyBall Team; and Founder of Brahmaputra Volleyball League“PromotEdge is one of the most hard working creative agency that LISTENS ! Do I need to say anything more ?!!!! …”
Harsh GuptaManaging Director at Rishta Foods“I would just like to congratulate, PromotEdge Led by Sayantan and his Team who have done an absolutely fantastic job of branding for the Kolkata Thunderbolts, the Branding, the social media campaign was bang on, and I think …”
Joy BhattacharjyaCEO at Prime Volleyball League“I am delighted with the successful launch of our new website, thanks to the exceptional support from PromotEdge. …”
Mom MitraMarketing Head at Ilead“I commend PromotEdge as a content and advertising partner. I applaud their top-notch team, swift problem-solving, and outstanding digital media work for my brand. I express my happiness and eagerness for a long-term partnership.”
Priyanka GuptaDirector at Nitya Gold & Diamonds“PRAN & PromotEdge have been working together for last 1.5 years. Throughout, the work experience is good and satisfactory. As a client, we found PromotEdge very professional and dedicated towards any project assigned to them. …”
Sharif Rezwan KabirBrand Manager at PRAN RFL Group“As a progressive and emerging digital marketing company, PromotEdge is doing something right to enhance the experience of companies associated with them. …”
Anish Basu MallikMarketing Executive at Unimark Group“Hi, my name is Hitesh Malhotra. I'm working in FIVB. We are working with PromoteEdge (with Team Sayantan). I would like to give you a brief detail. …”
Hitesh MalhotraSports Development at Fédération Internationale de Volleyball - FIVB“Working with PromotEdge has been an enriching experience for ABP at many different levels. Your understanding of the digital space, customized brand solutions and prompt servicing have helped us achieve our brand goals with so much ease. …”
Satabdi SahuLead - Brand and Content at ABP Education“The PromotEdge Agency stay with us all these 3 days, since when we arrived..more, more than 3 days. Since in the airport, they stayed together with us (FIVB team). …”
GibaBrazilian Former Volleyball Player“In the city of Kolkata , there are very few full service advertising agencies which are compact, agile, quick and yet have the vision and creative /executional abilities of large reputed agencies. …”
Hardeep SinghMarketing ConsultantIndependent view“It’s a great way to be back at PromotEdge. …”
Priyam GhoseContent Creator
Radio in Kolkata?
Tell us your offer.We'll tell you which hours to buy.
Straight answers.
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Yes. Our office is Suite 508, Ambuja Neotia Eco Centre, Sector V, Salt Lake. Hearing a draft read aloud in the room is the best test a radio spot can get, and it is far cheaper than fixing it after recording.
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Seven private ones, per the MIB list of 30 March 2026: Friends FM 91.9, Big FM 92.7, Red FM 93.5, Radio One 94.3, Radio Mirchi 98.3, Fever 104.0 and Ishq 104.8. Akashvani adds FM Rainbow at 107, FM Gold at 100.2, its primary channel at 657 kHz and Vividh Bharati at 1323 kHz.
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The one your buyers hear at hours you can afford. We ask each station for its own audience data, set it against your buyer and its price, and run a short test before a long booking. A station's claims are its own, so we judge by the calls that come in.
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Yes. Through our language partners we write radio spots in Bengali, Hindi and English. Whatever the language, the script is matched to the station and the listener, and every draft is read aloud in our office before it goes to the studio.
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Plan in July and confirm airtime by early September. In 2026 Mahalaya is on 10 October, Dashami on 21 October and Lakshmi Puja on 25 October. Radio can go live within days, but the strongest Puja-week hours are taken early.
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For a sale or a shop opening, two to three weeks leading up to the date is common. For recall, a lighter weight over several months. Two weeks with enough spots a day usually beats six weeks at a trickle. We confirm the timeline in the quote.