Despite the existing Telugu population that lives in Bangalore, most FM stations are still hesitant to play Telugu music. This is because most stations see it as a choice of music that is not very popular among a majority of their listeners, who are not Telugus. Playing music that is popular with their listeners will help them attract potential advertisers. In any case, it is argued that those who are interested in listening to Telugu music can easily access it online. However, FM Rainbow, the national broadcaster plays some bit of Telugu music, in addition to Tamil, English and Hindu music.
Telugu is a Dravidian language that is spoken by approximately 75 million people, making it one of the top 15 most widely spoken languages in the world, the 2nd most popular language in India and the most widely spoken Dravidian language. At the start of the 21st century, Telugu had more than 21 million speakers. Speakers can be found in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, where it is recognized as an official language. The language is also spoken in other Indian states such as Maharashtra, Orissa, Chattisgarh, Tamil and Karnataka. Speakers can also be found in other parts of the world such as Malaysia, the United States, Fiji, South Africa, Australia, Ireland, Canada, Mauritius, UK, United Arab Emirates, Myanmar and Reunion. Telugu has 4 regional dialects and 3 social dialects, that have developed as a result of class, caste and education. The spoken dialects differ from the written language.
Telugu has been classified as one of the 4 classical languages by the Indian government. Other classical languages in India include Tamil, Sanskrit and Kannada. Niccolò Da Conti, an Italian explorer referred to Telugu as Italian of the East. This is because most Telugu words end with a vowel sound. Alternative names for Telugu include Telgi, Telegu, Terangi, Tolangan, Andhra and Gentoo. The Telugu alphabet can be traced back to Brahmi script of ancient India. This developed into an alphabet system that was used for Telugu and Kannada, which later split into 2 alphabet during the 12th and 15th century.