KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Information and Communications has scrapped licences of at least 12 FM radios across the country for failing to renew their licences on time.

According to the Audio, Visual and Broadcasting (AVB) section at the ministry, the stations either had not applied for renewal or had failed to do so by paying the royalty.

The stations include Himalayan Broadcasting Company Pvt Ltd at Arubari in Boudha, Creative Eyes Multimedia in Hetauda, Kalika FM in Butwal and Rupandehi, Community Radio Haleshi FM in Khotang and Budhasubba FM Pvt Ltd in Dharan, said Shailaja Regmi Bhattarai, under secretary at the ministry.

“If the licence holder or the station owner applies for license renewal, the request is presented to the committee formed to take action against defaulting companies. If deemed fit, the committee can issue the license again after the applicants pay the royalty and fine,” she added.

According to AVB officials at the ministry, more FM stations would have had their licences scrapped had former communications minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara not been lenient to them. Under his influence, the previous government decided that the stations that had not paid their renewal fee and fine for two fiscal years before July last year would be able to renew the licenses without paying the fees, said an official on condition of anonymity.

Amending the separate royalty provisions for community-managed and profit-oriented stations, the National Broadcasting Regulation in January last

year had asked all the radio service operators to pay two per cent of their total annual turnover as royalty to the government, a precondition for the renewal of the licences.

Number of FM radios in operation or planning to

go on air soon across the country is 351. Image Channel Pvt Ltd paid the highest royalty last fiscal.