MUMBAI: While rival radio channels have decided to take a breather from the game shows that flooded the airwaves over a month back, Radio City that staked claim to being the first to have conceived of the idea, is persevering.

Although the initial six week run of Suno Aurr Lakhpati Bano was expected to end this week, the station has decided to run it for at least three more weeks, till end November. This follows an enthusiastic response from listeners and advertisers alike, says Radio City COO Sumantra Dutta. 

An estimated 3,50,000 people have been calling in every day to answer questions posed hourly in superstar Amitabh Bachchan's voice, he claims. The figure has shot up after Diwali, persuading the radio station to carry the programme till the end of November, although Dutta had, during the launch, said that budgetary constraints would permit only an initial six week run. Since the programme started on 7 October, over 10 million have called in, says Dutta.

The initiative has brought in the much needed advertising from the retail sector as well. Although unwilling to divulge details, Dutta says that retail advertising on Radio City, next to nil five months ago, has taken at least a 30 per cent jump. 

While Radio Mirchi has wound up its 'lakhpati' contest pending its forthcoming Tambola game, and Win has also stopped its game show after an initial run, Radio City seems gung ho about Suno Aurr.... While the last entrant, RED FM has promised a fresh lineup of sports and movie based programming apart from the usual mix of songs, Radio City too has a few aces up its sleeve - including sports programming to herald the cricket World Cup early next year and radio versions of hit soaps run on sibling Star Plus. Dutta however has his lips sealed for the time being.