Category: Regulators

Prasar advisor Sunil Arora new IICA DG & CEO

NEW DELHI: Information & broadcasting ministry’s former secretary Sunil Arora has reportedly been appointed as the director-general and CEO of the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA), the corporate affairs ministry’s think tank. The IAS officer of the 1980 batch of Rajasthan cadre, Arora retired as the secretary earlier this year, and was serving as an advisor at Prasar Bharati.

IICA generally focuses on matters concerning functioning of corporates and strives towards capacity building with various stakeholders including professionals and regulators.

The government’s Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the appointment of Arora as the IICA CEO and D-G via an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said. He has been appointed in the top scale of Rs 80,000=00 for a period of five years or till attaining the age of 65 years or until further orders, whichever is the earliest, it added.

Also read:

Prasar Bharati advisor reviews DD marketing and policies

Sunil Arora to step in Sircar’s place as Prasar Bharati CEO?

December 16, 2016
Wi-fi proliferation: Discussion postponed to 28 Dec

NEW DELHI: The open house discussion by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India in the capital on its consultation paper on “Proliferation of Broadband through Public Wi-Fi Networks” has been postponed to 28 December 2016 at the India Habitat Centre.

Earlier, the discussion was slated for 20 December on the paper issued on 13 July this year in view of the importance attached to public Wi-Fi systems.

The issuance of this paper was followed by reactions and then a workshop in Bengaluru.

Through a set of 12 questions, the Authority had sought to get the opinion of stakeholders including internet and telecom service providers on how best Wi-fi (an acronym for Wireless Fidelity) can grow in the country.

Later, on 16 November, TRAI issued a second paper on model for nation-wide interoperable and scalable wi-fi networks.This had posed six questions.

Earlier, TRAI had said it realised the importance of public Wi-Fi networks as complementary to existing landline and cellular mobile infrastructure in improving broadband penetration and adoption of Digital India.

Also read: Public Wi-Fi: TRAI plans to evolve model, releases paper

Wi-fi proliferation: Discussion on 20 Dec

December 15, 2016
Wi-fi proliferation: Discussion postponed to 28 Dec

NEW DELHI: The open house discussion by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India in the capital on its consultation paper on “Proliferation of Broadband through Public Wi-Fi Networks” has been postponed to 28 December 2016 at the India Habitat Centre.

Earlier, the discussion was slated for 20 December on the paper issued on 13 July this year in view of the importance attached to public Wi-Fi systems.

The issuance of this paper was followed by reactions and then a workshop in Bengaluru.

Through a set of 12 questions, the Authority had sought to get the opinion of stakeholders including internet and telecom service providers on how best Wi-fi (an acronym for Wireless Fidelity) can grow in the country.

Later, on 16 November, TRAI issued a second paper on model for nation-wide interoperable and scalable wi-fi networks.This had posed six questions.

Earlier, TRAI had said it realised the importance of public Wi-Fi networks as complementary to existing landline and cellular mobile infrastructure in improving broadband penetration and adoption of Digital India.

Also read: Public Wi-Fi: TRAI plans to evolve model, releases paper

Wi-fi proliferation: Discussion on 20 Dec

December 15, 2016
FM P-III: Second batch e-auctions stopped; no activity for two weeks

NEW DELHI: With little or no movement for more than two weeks except for the Muzaffarpur bids, the e-auction for the second batch of FM Phase has been stopped, even as 44 cities failed to attract bidders, with just M/s South Asia FM Ltd declared as the winning bidder for five Radio FM channels a day after commencement of the process.

Information and Broadcasting Ministry sources had earlier told radioandmusic.com that the aim was to continue till all the channels slated in the second batch were auctioned, but breaks will have to be taken for weekends and national holidays.

Ministry sources told the website today that a final result for the second will be issued in a day or two.

On the last day of the e-auction on 13 December, the bid for Muzaffarpur had risen to Rs 4,35,31,244.from Rs 4,10,47,850 last week, but for the first time remaining below the clock round price of Rs 4,39,66,556.

Hyderabad and Dehradun remained at top with Rs 23,43,48,266 and Rs 15,61,00,590 respectively on the 26th day with the completion of three rounds taking the total to 100.

Fourteen bidding companies had been shortlisted for taking part in the second batch.. M/s South Asia FM Ltd will be allotted FM Channels in Surat, Amritsar, Patna, Chandigarh and Jammu.

Other than Hyderabad and Dehradun, the top sixteen cities remained static with bids of more than Rs 32 million. The bids at Alappuzha (Alleppey), Erode, Hubli-Dharwad, Nellore, Salem, Vellore and Vijaywada remained at just over Rs 70 million while bids for Tiruchy was just above Rs 50 million and Tirupathi, Puducherry and Muzaffarpur to a little over Rs 40 million. Amravati, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar and Ujjain bid a little over Rs 35 million and Mysuru a little over Rs 32 million.

The first day of auction on 26 October saw a winning price of Rs 1820 milion against the aggregate price of Rs 1792 million, while the second day onwards the bidding has been low.

This data has been compiled on the basis of system generated “Final Round Result Report” and “Frequency Identification Report” accessible through auction administrator role.

Also Read : South Asia FM bags five channels in first round of the second batch of FM Batch III

FM Phase III: E-auction moving at snail’s pace even as Muzaffarpur shows some rise

December 15, 2016
FM P-III: Second batch e-auctions stopped; no activity for two weeks

NEW DELHI: With little or no movement for more than two weeks except for the Muzaffarpur bids, the e-auction for the second batch of FM Phase has been stopped, even as 44 cities failed to attract bidders, with just M/s South Asia FM Ltd declared as the winning bidder for five Radio FM channels a day after commencement of the process.

Information and Broadcasting Ministry sources had earlier told radioandmusic.com that the aim was to continue till all the channels slated in the second batch were auctioned, but breaks will have to be taken for weekends and national holidays.

Ministry sources told the website today that a final result for the second will be issued in a day or two.

On the last day of the e-auction on 13 December, the bid for Muzaffarpur had risen to Rs 4,35,31,244.from Rs 4,10,47,850 last week, but for the first time remaining below the clock round price of Rs 4,39,66,556.

Hyderabad and Dehradun remained at top with Rs 23,43,48,266 and Rs 15,61,00,590 respectively on the 26th day with the completion of three rounds taking the total to 100.

Fourteen bidding companies had been shortlisted for taking part in the second batch.. M/s South Asia FM Ltd will be allotted FM Channels in Surat, Amritsar, Patna, Chandigarh and Jammu.

Other than Hyderabad and Dehradun, the top sixteen cities remained static with bids of more than Rs 32 million. The bids at Alappuzha (Alleppey), Erode, Hubli-Dharwad, Nellore, Salem, Vellore and Vijaywada remained at just over Rs 70 million while bids for Tiruchy was just above Rs 50 million and Tirupathi, Puducherry and Muzaffarpur to a little over Rs 40 million. Amravati, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar and Ujjain bid a little over Rs 35 million and Mysuru a little over Rs 32 million.

The first day of auction on 26 October saw a winning price of Rs 1820 milion against the aggregate price of Rs 1792 million, while the second day onwards the bidding has been low.

This data has been compiled on the basis of system generated “Final Round Result Report” and “Frequency Identification Report” accessible through auction administrator role.

Also Read : South Asia FM bags five channels in first round of the second batch of FM Batch III

FM Phase III: E-auction moving at snail’s pace even as Muzaffarpur shows some rise

December 15, 2016
Prasar Bharati constituting departmental promotion panels

NEW DELHI: The Government today admitted in the Parliament that Departmental Promotion Committees (DPCs) in Prasar Bharati could not be constituted in time due to non-acceptance of proposals for promotion in respect of employees by the Union Public Service Commission on account of amendment to Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) Act.

Noting that DPCs were not constituted in some cases due to litigation, the minister of state for information and broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore said the matter had now been resolved and Prasar Bharati was conducting the work of constituting the DPCs.

In reply to a question, Rathore said that Prasar Bharati had informed that Reservation Rosters are being maintained in respect of all cadres in All-India Radio and Doordarshan in accordance with the guidelines of the Department of Personnel and Training issued from time to time.

Filling up the vacant posts was an ongoing process, he added. Vacancies including backlog vacancies, if any are filled from the eligible persons as per the guidelines issued in this regard.

December 15, 2016
Prasar Bharati constituting departmental promotion panels

NEW DELHI: The Government today admitted in the Parliament that Departmental Promotion Committees (DPCs) in Prasar Bharati could not be constituted in time due to non-acceptance of proposals for promotion in respect of employees by the Union Public Service Commission on account of amendment to Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) Act.

Noting that DPCs were not constituted in some cases due to litigation, the minister of state for information and broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore said the matter had now been resolved and Prasar Bharati was conducting the work of constituting the DPCs.

In reply to a question, Rathore said that Prasar Bharati had informed that Reservation Rosters are being maintained in respect of all cadres in All-India Radio and Doordarshan in accordance with the guidelines of the Department of Personnel and Training issued from time to time.

Filling up the vacant posts was an ongoing process, he added. Vacancies including backlog vacancies, if any are filled from the eligible persons as per the guidelines issued in this regard.

December 15, 2016
Govt warning to TV channels on b’cast norms breach

NEW DELHI: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has issued warning to three different television channels over content that an inter-ministerial committee, appointed by it, felt was not as per broadcasting norms and a breach of content code, a PTI report stated.

In the first case, a television channel was issued a warning in an order dated 29 November, after it showed disturbing visuals of incidents of suicide in Kerala without adequately morphing them, as recorded in the ministry order.

In another instance, a warning was issued in an order dated 29 November to another channel which too allegedly did not adequately blur the visuals of a murder victim lying in a pool of blood.

Another channel was also issued a warning by the ministry over revealing the identity of a victim of sexual abuse and other content which did not confirm to the norms.

A couple of months back, as reported by Indiantelevision.com, MIB had issued a notice to NDTV channel suspending its telecast over alleged breach of content code relating to national security issues. The order was subsequently suspended owing to public and media pressure and criticism that the government was resorting to censorship of news in the garb of broadcasting norms breaches.

December 14, 2016
Govt warning to TV channels on b’cast norms breach

NEW DELHI: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has issued warning to three different television channels over content that an inter-ministerial committee, appointed by it, felt was not as per broadcasting norms and a breach of content code, a PTI report stated.

In the first case, a television channel was issued a warning in an order dated 29 November, after it showed disturbing visuals of incidents of suicide in Kerala without adequately morphing them, as recorded in the ministry order.

In another instance, a warning was issued in an order dated 29 November to another channel which too allegedly did not adequately blur the visuals of a murder victim lying in a pool of blood.

Another channel was also issued a warning by the ministry over revealing the identity of a victim of sexual abuse and other content which did not confirm to the norms.

A couple of months back, as reported by Indiantelevision.com, MIB had issued a notice to NDTV channel suspending its telecast over alleged breach of content code relating to national security issues. The order was subsequently suspended owing to public and media pressure and criticism that the government was resorting to censorship of news in the garb of broadcasting norms breaches.

December 14, 2016
81 teleports permitted to uplink, downlink TV channels

MUMBAI: A total of 892 private satellite TV channels can downlink and/or uplink from 81 teleports in the country, apart from those of Doordarshan which are uplinked directly from Prasar Bharati transmitters.

The permission to the private channels has been according under the Uplink and Downlink of TV channels policy as last amended on 5 December 2011.

The Parliament was told recently that while no information regarding Free to Air teleports is available, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has said there are 281 pay channels as on 30 September 2016. A list of such pay channels is available on TRAI’s website under the link:www.trai.gov.in/WriteReadData/List-of-pay-chanel-03.03.2015.pdf.

It was also revealed that payment of annual permission fee 60 days before the due date will by itself be sufficient permission for continuation of a channel for a further period of one year from the due date and broadcasters which hold valid permission for uplinking and/or downlinking they would not require to obtain renewal permission from the ministry. All the TV channels and teleports are likely to benefit from this decision provided the validity of 10-year permission is available.

The list of permitted private satellite TV channels is available in this ministry’s website i.e.www.mib.nic.in. and the list of permitted teleports as on date is enclosed.

The channels which are not mentioned in the list may be considered as Free to Air (FTA) channels.

Questions were raised in the Lok Sabha about details of the channels and teleports functioning in the country; details of the free to air channels and teleports at present; whether the government has completely abolished the process of obtaining an Annual Renewal for TV channels in the current forms; and it were so, the details thereof, along with the aims and objective thereto; and the number of channels and teleports likely to be benefit from the said decision.

December 12, 2016