ITV

Category: I&B Ministry

  • MIB awards 14 new provisional MSO licences; no new permanent license

    MIB awards 14 new provisional MSO licences; no new permanent license

    NEW DELHI: Despite the Phase III deadline for Digital Addressable System (DAS) barely two weeks away and the Government’s assertions over this past weekend, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) has granted provisional licences to 14 multi-system operator (MSOs).

     

    However, as per the updated list, the MIB has not granted any new permanent MSO license.

     

    With this, the number of 10-year (permanent) registrations for MSOs remains 230 and the total has only risen by 14 to 567 by including the 337 which got provisional clearance (till 15 December, 2015).

     

    According to the list put on the MIB’s website, Kal Cables of Chennai and Digi Cable Network of Mumbai remain on the cancellation list. Scod 18 Networking Pvt Ltd of Mumbai has also been refused security clearance while SR Cable TV of Bangalore has shut down its business.

     

    The MIB has granted provisional registration to DEN Networks’ Nashik subsidiary DEN Discovery Digital Network for Maharashtra.

     

    On the other hand, Extreme Teleconnect has received pan-India licence. Other MSOs that were granted provisional licences for various districts are: Hindupur Cable TV Operators Welfare Association, RK Digital Cable Service, Srisivakami Amman Cable TV System, Shri Shyam Baba Cable Network, Raj Cable Network, Lonar Cable Network, Srivi Communication, Matarani Cable TV Network, Kulasekharam Television Network, Victoy Digital Network, Jajpur Digital Network Services and Treeshakti Cable Network.

     

    The pace appears particularly sluggish considering that the Home Ministry had announced over five months ago that it was aiming to do away with security clearances for MSOs.

     

    MIB sources told Indiantelevision.com that nothing had been received in writing in this regard from the Home Ministry.  

     

    The number of MSOs was 553 by 24 November, having risen from 470 earlier in November, but this increase was merely in those who had provisional licences.

     

    Considering the warning to broadcasters not to give digital signals to unregistered MSOs, the completion of DAS in urban areas by the end of this month appears to be a mammoth task.

     

    The number of provisional licences has also slowed down, considering it had risen from 246 on 10 November to 323 by 24 November (an increase of 77) and has now risen by eleven to 337.

     

    Only three MSOs who had provisional licences have got permanent licence since September this year. Three provisional licensees have been permitted to change their area of operation. Thirteen permanent licensees have been allowed over the past few months to change their areas, of which one has been allowed to add more areas.

     

    The source said many MSOs holding provisional licences had not completed certain formalities relating to shareholders and so on.

  • MIB to hold open house with broadcasters on 21 December for DAS

    MIB to hold open house with broadcasters on 21 December for DAS

    NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has slotted an Open House meeting with all broadcasters on 21 December in connection with the implementation of Digital Addressable System (DAS).

     

    The meeting will be held at 11 am in the office of MIB director (broadcasting) Neeti Sarkar.

     

    Any broadcaster wanting to attend has been asked to confirm their presence and query by the evening of 18 December.

     

    It is learnt that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is separately meeting the multi system operators (MSOs) earlier in the same connection.

     

    The action is heating up on all fronts as the 31 December, 2015 deadline for implementation of DAS Phase III draws closer.

  • I&B Ministry took action on 91 complaints against TV channels since 2012

    I&B Ministry took action on 91 complaints against TV channels since 2012

    NEW DELHI: The Information and Broadcasting Ministry took action on 91 complaints between 2012 and August 2015 against various private television channels, the Parliament was told today.

     

    This included warnings, advisories, apology scrolls, and prohibiting transmissions of channels for a fixed period, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore said.

     

    A budget of Rs 22.41 crore has been set aside in the budget estimates for the Electronic Media Monitoring Centre (EMMC), which is mandated to look at all private satellite television channels uplinked from and downlinked into India.

     

    The fund allocation for the same in 2014-15 was Rs 27.46 crore, while in 2013-14 was Rs 20.54 crore.

     

    The Inter Ministerial Committee (IMC) set up to look into the violations suo-motu or whenever violation of the Programme and Advertising Codes took action on 91 complaints against various TV channels since 2012.

     

    The IMC has representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Defence, External Affairs, Law, Women and Child Development, Health and Family Welfare, Consumer Affairs and a representative from the industry in Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI). IMC meets periodically and recommends action in respect of violations. 

  • Modified list of DAS areas in Goa, Meghalaya, Sikkim sees 61 changes

    Modified list of DAS areas in Goa, Meghalaya, Sikkim sees 61 changes

    NEW DELHI: In an updated list issued today, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has made deletions and changes in the areas to be brought under Phase III of Digital Addressable System (DAS) in Goa, Meghalaya and Sikkim by the end of the month.

     

    These include a total of 6q changed including 57 areas deleted from the list of Goa, two deleted in Sikkim, and two changed in Meghalaya.

     

    The Government had first notified the list of areas under Phase III on 30 April and later modified the lists for 16 States/UTs and another eight States/UTs on 16 October and 2 November respectively.

     

    The changes made in Goa, Meghalaya and Sikkim are based on comments/data received from the State/UT Governments.

     

  • MHA holds up 56 TV channels’ applications for lack of security clearance

    MHA holds up 56 TV channels’ applications for lack of security clearance

    NEW DELHI: The Parliament has been informed that eight permission holder companies have been refused to set up television channels because the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) declined security clearances to them.

     

    These include Mahuaa Media (earlier known as Pearls Media), which has applied for five channels; Sai Prakash Telecommunication for one channel; Positive Television, which applied for six channels and two teleports; Maa TV Network for four channels; STV Enterprises Ltd for four channels and one teleport; Indira Television for one channel and one teleport; and Lemon Entertainment for two channels.

     

    In addition, the case of Sun TV Network for 33 channels and two teleports is held up as the matter is sub judice. The company also owns FM radio channels.

     

    Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore told the Parliament that four of these have been served show-cause notices and the matter is under process.

     

    The Ministry will decide on these cases on the basis of their reply in consultation with Home Ministry. 

     

    Permission and renewal of permission of satellite TV channels whose security clearance is denied by MHA are not granted. Such permission holder companies are issued Show Cause Notice (SCN) on the basis of legal advice obtained recently that gives them an opportunity to make their representation.

     

    After consideration of the same, their permission is cancelled with the approval of competent authority on merits.

  • Inflation, 6th Pay Commission taking toll on Prasar Bharati: Rathore

    Inflation, 6th Pay Commission taking toll on Prasar Bharati: Rathore

    NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati earned Rs 604 crore in revenue as against expenditure of Rs 1187.44 crore up to October this year for the financial year 2015-16.

     

    Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore told the Parliament today that the revenue in 2014-15 was Rs 1124.43 crore as against expenditure of Rs 2132.98 crore, in 2013-14 it was Rs 1295.96 crore against expenditure of Rs 1945.84 crore and revenue in 2012-13 was Rs 1298.16 crore as against expenditure of Rs 1883.19 crore.

     

    The Minister added that Prasar Bharati had said that with inflation and rising costs of TV channels, Doordarshan has also experienced gradual increase in operational costs. In addition, the implementation of various recommendations of 6th Central Pay Commission has led to increase in administrative and staff related expenses.

     

    Since Prasar Bharati is a public service broadcaster, its functioning cannot be guided purely by commercial motives.

     

    However, the Minister said Prasar Bharati is adopting an aggressive marketing strategy to increase the revenue receipts besides putting into best use its spare infrastructure available with the field formations across the country.

     

    The Ministry provides financial support to Prasar Bharati under Plan and Non Plan heads, in the form of grants-in-aid. In the current financial year (2015-16), an amount of Rs 605.03 crore has been allocated to Prasar Bharati under Plan Head and Rs 2342.12 crore has been allocated under Non-Plan.

     

    The Ministry has also allocated (through its Office Memorandum dated 27 August, 2015) a sum of Rs 11,116.79 crore [Rs 11,116.76 crore under Revenue Section and Rs 0.02 crore as Token Supplementary and Rs 0.01 crore as Token Supplementary under Capital Section as first batch of supplementary grant 2015-16] to Prasar Bharati subsequent to the approval of Ministry of Finance for the following:

     

    (i) Conversion of a sum of Rs 5684.34 crore towards Loan-in-Perpetuity and Capital Loan into Grants-in-Aid for the period 1 April, 2000 to 31 March, 2010.

     

    (ii) Waiver of an amount of Rs 4082.88 crore towards interest on Loan-in-Perpetuity, interest on Capital Loan and Penal Interests for the period 1 April, 2000 to 31 March, 2010.

     

    (iii) Waiver of a sum of Rs 1349.54 crore towards accumulated arrears of Space Segment and Spectrum Charges accrued to Prasar Bharati up to 31 March, 2011.

  • MIB reminds broadcasters & MSOs of DAS Phase III signal transmission laws

    MIB reminds broadcasters & MSOs of DAS Phase III signal transmission laws

    NEW DELHI: After the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) firmly ruled out any extension of Phase III of digital addressable systems (DAS), the Information and Broadcasting Ministry today told broadcasters that “it is obligatory to stop TV signals to multi system operators (MSOs) and local cable operators (LCOs) who are not registered with the Ministry for operation in DAS notified areas.”

     

    In a letter sent to all broadcasters and MSOs, Ministry joint secretary (broadcasting) R Jaya said, “All the broadcasters are requested to ensure to stop TV signals to those MSOs who are not registered with this Ministry for operation in DAS notified areas under Phase Ill and/or those who are not transmitting digitally encrypted TV signals in phase Ill areas after the cut-off date of 31 December, 2015.”

     

    The letter aimed at drawing the attention of all broadcasters is drawn to certain rules, regulations and guidelines related to transmission of television signals in connection with approaching cut-off date for Phase Ill of cable digitisation in the country.

     

    The letter said under Section 4A of the Cable Television Network (Regulation) Act 1995, it is obligatory for every cable operator to transmit or re-transmit programmes of any channel in an encrypted form through a digital addressable system with effect from the date as may be specified in the notification.

     

    Under para 5.6 of the Policy Guidelines for downlinking of Television Channels, the company will provide satellite TV channel signal reception decoders only to MSOs/cable operators registered under the Act or to a direct-to-home operator registered under the DTH guidelines issued by the Government or to an Internet Protocol Television Service (IPTV) provider duly permitted under their existing Telecom license or authorised by the Telecommunications Department or to Headend In The Sky (HITS) operator duly permitted under the policy guidelines for HITS operators issued by I&B Ministry to provide such service.

     

    Furthermore, the letter said under sub-regulation 3(2) (Chapter II- Interconnection) of Interconnect (Digital Addressable System) Regulations 2012, every broadcaster will provide signals of its TV channels to MSOs registered under rule 11 of the Cable Television Networks Rules 1994, making request for the same.

  • Govt. earmarks Rs 13 crore for DAS Phase III & IV completion

    Govt. earmarks Rs 13 crore for DAS Phase III & IV completion

    NEW DELHI: The government has earmarked a sum of Rs 13.02 crore for completion of Phase III and IV of Digital Addressable System (DAS) for cable television.

     

    Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore informed the Parliament that the scheme ‘Mission Digitization’ had been drawn up and a sum of Rs 1 crore out of the total Plan allocation had been earmarked for the MIS Software.

     

    A multi-lingual and multi-desk toll free call centre was established under the Mission Digitisation Project to address peoples’ queries regarding ongoing cable TV digitization in the country.

     

    Answering a question about committees set up by the Ministry for overseeing DAS, he said a Task Force had been set up to steer the digitization of cable TV network in the country in the remaining Phase III & IV. All the stakeholders, State level nodal officers of all States/UTs, Departments of Electronics and Information and Technology, Telecommunications and others including one consumer forum from each region have been made members of the body.

     

    Referring to other committees relating to television, the Minister said an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) had been constituted to take cognisance suo moto or to look into specific complaints regarding content on private TV channels on any platform including direct to home (DTH) & FM Radio with regard to violation of the Programme and Advertising Code as defined in Rule 6 & 7 of the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994 for TV channels & applicable Content Code for Radio. 

     

    Members include the I&B, Home Affairs, Law & Justice, Women & Child Development, Health & Family Welfare, Extemal Affairs, Defence, Consumer Affairs, and Food and Public Distribution Ministries apart from a representative of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI).

     

    On a question about use of modern technology, Rathore said his Ministry and the Media Units under the administrative control of the Ministry have been consistently making efforts to use the state-of-art technology to increase their efficiency.

     

    In a bid to modernise the Press Information Bureau (PIB), officers are being equipped with laptops and smart phones to enable them to effectively use Information Technology to disseminate information.

     

    Rathore added that mobile applications like WhatsApp have been utilised by the Department of Field Publicity during ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padao’ campaign in Rajasthan during March 2015 and other Special Outreach Programmes. 

     

    The Minister added that MIB and most of the Media Units under its control had presence on various social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Blog, Google+, YouTube and Instagram. These platforms were being used to disseminate information due to easy accessibility and their wider reach.

     

    The Ministry’s Twitter account had 425,000 followers, its Facebook account has more than 1.1 million likes, YouTube has 4,049,641 views, the blog page has 1.9 million page views and Instagram has 1040 followers.

     

    The PIB website is being revamped and new technologies such as live streaming, smart phones, hi-speed broadband etc. are being used for this purpose.

     

    Video conferencing facilities are also being installed to carry out the live streaming of press conferences by important news makers.

  • MIB yet to clear 260 applications for new satellite TV channels

    MIB yet to clear 260 applications for new satellite TV channels

    NEW DELHI: Even as India has a total of 830 private satellite television channels, as many as 260 applications are pending with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) for grant of permission to operate TV channels.

     

    As grant of permission is a continuous process, only cumulative data is maintained, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Col Rajyavardan Singh Rathore told the Parliament today.

     

    While 37 channels including 11 news channels were permitted in 2012, the number of clearances came down to only seven in 2013 including four news channels. In 2014, a total of 45 channels were cleared including 14 news channels, while 42 channels were cleared until November-end this year, which included only three news channels.

     

    Of the 830 channels, 398 channels are news and current affairs channels, the Minister said, adding that religious and sports channels are included in the non-news and current affairs category.

     

    The Minister said that the MIB ensures regular monitoring of all the applications, regular follow up with concerned Ministries and Departments for obtaining clearances, and processing of applications according to the Citizens’ Charter. 

  • Manpower audit required to identify posts in Prasar Bharati that need to be filled: Rathore

    Manpower audit required to identify posts in Prasar Bharati that need to be filled: Rathore

    NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati has been advised to carry out a Manpower Audit to identify posts that actually need to be filled up, the Parliament has been informed.

     

    Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said in reply to a question that though there are vacancies in All India Radio and Doordarshan Kendras, there is a need to reassess actual requirement of staff in Prasar Bharati keeping in view changes in broadcast technologies.

     

    Earlier this year, a report had shown that although it had stressed the need for a manpower audit in view of technological upgradation, statistics showed that only 30093 of the 46756 sanctioned posts have been filled in the cash-strapped Prasar Bharati.

     

    Of the total, the filled posts in All India Radio are 15538 out of the sanctioned 26129, while 14555 posts have been filled out of the 20627 sanctioned posts in Doordarshan.

     

    In Group A, AIR has filled just 719 of the 2002 posts and DD has filled just 517 of the 1083 sanctioned strength.

     

    After rigorous exercise, the Government had identified 3452 posts as essential category posts for filling up in Prasar Bharati. Out of these, 3067 posts were identified by Government as essential category of posts in Prasar Bharati to be filled up through direct recruitment have been revived.

     

    A Special onetime dispensation was obtained to recruit these through Staff Selection Commission.

     

    Prasar Bharati sources say Staff Selection Commission has already recommended 2367 candidates for appointment. Prasar Bharati is in the process of issue of appointment orders.

     

    In addition, 38 middle/ senior level Programme posts have been revived for filling up on deputation basis.