Chennai, Sep 8 (IANS) The $22 billion Reliance ADA Group Friday announced plans to launch 'BIG FM' radio station across 45 stations.

The six Indian metros - Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai - will be covered first, extending the service to Jammu, Srinagar, Aligarh and Bikaner later, the company said.

ADLABS Radio's Chief Operating Officer (COO) Tarun Katial said: "We are adopting a two-pronged launch strategy. While the metros are ideal to establish brand recognition and recall, the other virgin markets are completely new and fresh to explore, giving us an opportunity to provide them with an entertainment medium of high quality."

"By early next year, we will be present across India from Srinagar to Trivandrum and Surat to Guwahati," Katial said.

"It is our endeavour to enthrall the local audiences and build a brand that connects at the grassroots," he added.

Katial emphasized: "We offer a fresh new approach to the medium, keeping in mind the local sensibilities of our diverse population."

Extensive research on consumer tastes and moods will ensure that the content aired complements the listeners' tastes and provides them a dynamic and an interactive platform, Katial said.

The radio jockeys have been selected via a careful and selective nationwide hunt, with a number of celebrity jockeys lined up as hosts.

The company said it has invested Rs. 40 million for transmission equipment, infrastructure and licensing.

The revised license fee structure - from a flat fee model to a revenue sharing one announced in 2005 - has been an important incentive for investors in the radio industry, Katial said.