HT Media has begun winding down its radio presence in Chennai, closing two FM stations as part of a broader consolidation of its southern operations. Although the formal announcements surfaced only recently, listeners had already noticed that the 94.3 FM frequency went silent weeks earlier, with broadcasts stopping well ahead of regulatory filings.
The move follows sequential decisions by two HT Media subsidiaries. Next Radio Limited was the first to exit, surrendering its 94.3 FM license and officially discontinuing transmission from 24 October 2025-though the station had gone off-air prior to this date. Shortly after, the board of HT Music and Entertainment Company Limited (HTME), which operates Fever FM, approved relinquishing its 91.9 MHz license during a meeting held on 25 November 2025. Fever FM is slated to end broadcasts on 24 December 2025.
Both entities have since submitted applications to the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) to formally return their licenses.
In its SEBI filing, HT Media stated that the decision to voluntarily surrender both licenses-despite validity running until 31 March 2030-was driven by limited strategic and financial returns. The company noted that the Chennai stations contributed only marginally to group revenues in FY25: 94.3 FM generated ₹2.17 crore (0.12% of total revenue), while Fever FM 91.9 brought in ₹4.58 crore (0.25%).
The closures reflect HT Media’s ongoing efforts to optimize its radio portfolio and focus resources on markets with stronger long-term potential.
