Category: Regulators

Enhanced reach & instant dissemination on social media impacts content quality

NEW DELHI: Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore said on 19 March that the enhanced reach and instant dissemination on social media had impacted the content style and precision of both photography and videography.

This had led to instant communication across different social media platforms, he said while inaugurating the first National Photography and Videography Workshop organized at the National Media Centre here.

Rathore said that the Ministry would explore the possibility of organizing similar workshops in other parts of the country including the North East wherein the potential was tremendous as the initiative was innovative in approach involving the professionals associated from the concerned domains.

The workshop would also act as a facilitating tool in carrying forward the messages of the Government across platforms accessed by different cross sections of the population. As technology was the principal driver of innovation, it had become a critical determinant and catalyst in enhancing the skills of the individual and organization.

The impact of the dynamic growth of technology was self- evident as there was a proliferation of changes across formats. The enhanced reach, instant dissemination on social media had impacted the content style and precision of both, photography and videography. This had led to instant communication across different social media platforms.

The government is keen to fulfil the aspirations of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose emphasis has been on upgradation of skills through appropriate training methods and tools. The workshop was designed keeping in mind the basic parameters of the ‘Skill India’ initiative. Relying on the basic principles and outline of the ‘Skill India’ initiative, the workshop was an attempt to hone the skills of Government personnel associated with photography and videography.

Speaking on the craft and art of photography, Rathore said that like any other art photography and videography could be mastered through right inputs. The workshop was an appropriate tool in this direction.

Recounting the history of photography, Rathore mentioned that pictures had a long lasting impact. Today historic occasions were remembered on several instances only through pictographic description. This was perhaps the reason for the immense popularity of ‘Coffee Table Books’ on different subjects.

Earlier, I&B secretary Bimal Julka said the workshop had been designed to address the immense skill opportunities that had emerged in the media and entertainment sector. As ‘Skill Development’ was a comprehensive approach involving critical stakeholders in the Government, the endeavor of the Ministry was to incorporate the ‘Skill India’ initiative across its training programmes. The workshop also provided a platform for the Government to converge its expertise and skills, keeping in mind the challenges of assignments, events in the media space dominated by social media, emerging technologies and competitive environment.

Julka mentioned that as key programmes and initiatives of the Ministry involved technological prowess and a thorough understanding of contemporary changes, the Workshop was certainly a step in the right direction.

He specifically highlighted the role and relevance of the workshop in the context of the archival heritage of the Ministry across platforms. It was for this purpose that an attempt had been made to bring together different aspects of technology for both, the photography and video segment. For this purpose, professional agencies specializing in digital technology, animation and graphics had been invited to provide value addition to the personnel associated from Photo Division and Doordarshan.

The key highlight of the workshop was the Joint Session on the History of Art and Appreciation of Photography addressed by eminent photographer Rajesh Bedi and renowned cinematographer Santosh Sivan. Both shared their experiences involving the critical themes with regard to content presentation, layout, use of technology etc.

The one-day workshop had been organised with two parallel sessions being held concurrently on Photography and Videography. The parallel sessions have been organised keeping in mind the common themes and integration between platforms and the need of skills / tools and contemporary development in both the sectors. Approximately 25 organisations / Ministries are attending the workshop. Over 135 officers participated in the Workshop.

March 20, 2015
‘India’s Daughter’ ban extended till 15 April, HC seeks MIB advisory

NEW DELHI: The ban on the telecast of the controversial BBC documentary India’s Daughter by Leslee Udwin about the 16 December, 2012 Nirbhaya gang rape will continue till 15 April, though the film continues to be available on the Internet.

The Delhi High Court today (18 March) asked the central government to place before the court the advisory issued by it on 3 March prohibiting exhibition of the documentary.

A division bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice R.S. Endlaw posted for 15 April the two public interest litigations (PILs) before it for revocation of the ban on the documentary’s telecast.

A different bench had yesterday declined to immediately revoke the ban on the telecast of the documentary. It said it has “no problem” about airing the documentary but the case (appeals of the convicts against death sentence) was pending before the Supreme Court.

It also observed that media trials tend to influence judges by subconsciously creating pressure.

The documentary is about the gang rape of a 23-year-old trainee physiotherapist, who was brutally assaulted in a moving bus in Delhi. The film kicked up a storm after one of the convicts Mukesh Singh justified the action.

The documentary also has comments from the convicts’ counsel A.P. Singh and M.L. Sharma, who allegedly made derogatory remarks against women and who have alreadybeen issued notices by the Bar Council of India.

The PILs said that the ban on the documentary was in clear violation of fundamental rights under Article 19 of the constitution.

They sought direction to declare as illegal the act of banning the documentary by the Home and Information and Broadcasting Ministries, and the Delhi Police commissioner.

The Centre on 3 March issued an advisory to ban the broadcast of the documentary and the trial court had banned it on 4 March until further orders.

The pleas also sought direction for the Supreme Court registry to constitute a three-judge special bench to hear the appeals of the four death row convicts, pending since 25 August, 2014.

The Supreme Court, in July, put on hold the execution of the four convicts in the case. Going by the chatter on social media, the public at large wanted to see the documentary, as within a day of it being put up on YouTube, it was viewed by more 2.86 lakh people, the pleas said.

March 18, 2015
States asked to involve community radio stations in disseminating info on govt policies

NEW DELHI: District magistrates of Indian states have been asked to proactively involve community radio stations in the dissemination of information regarding government policies.

A communication on the same will be sent across to District Magistrates soon. The move is a part of steps that are being taken to facilitate the enhanced role of CRS stations at the state level.

Addressing the closing session of the fifth Community Radio Sammelan, Information and Broadcasting secretary Bimal Julka said that appropriate directions would be issued to the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity to address all important issues including the enhanced presence of the medium across the media plans concerning the Central Government ministries and departments.

Julka assured participants of the Sammelan that the inputs and suggestions given during the three-day workshop would be included in the future policy planning and deliberations of the Ministry.

Regarding operational issues being faced by the stations, Julka said that the Ministry had been involved in discussions with concerned stakeholders at appropriate forums including the Inter-Ministerial Committee of CRS Stations.

He said the Sammelan convened by the Ministry provided critical inputs for harnessing the potential of the medium. As a medium, CRS stations led the way in facilitating interactive platforms amongst the community enabling an opportunity for the local communities to highlight their success stories and learn from each other. As an outreach tool, the medium played an important role in facilitating information on key flagship schemes of the government namely ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’, ‘Beti Bachao. Beti Padhao’ and ‘Jan Dhan Yojna’ amongst others.

Julka also said that the objective was to ensure high trajectory of growth. He added that Community Radios not only made people aware about their rights and entitlements but acted as an important tool for empowerment of masses especially women and marginalized communities. As a platform, it encouraged the local youth to mainstream their talents. As a medium of communication, the CR Stations also promoted and acted as a repository of local folk songs and culture. The repository of rich heritage showcased across CR stations reiterated the diversity of the country in a language and form understood by the people.

March 18, 2015
Govt reiterates no plans to cap number of TV channels in country

NEW DELHI: Even as the Government has no plans to put a cap on the number of satellite television broadcasting channels in the country, the Parliament was informed today that permission had been withdrawn to 27 news and current affairs channels in the past three years.

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore today told Parliament that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in response to a reference by the Ministry had said on 23 July, 2010 that “no cap should be placed on the number of satellite broadcasting channels to be permitted to be downlinked from viewing in India or to be uplinked from India.”

The Minister also said that there was no proposal to amend the uplinking and downlinking guidelines to check the increase in the number of news channels in the country.

In reply to another question, Rathore said that the Ministry had withdrawn permission of 27 news and current affairs TV channels for reasons of non-operationalization of TV channels or surrender of permission, etc.

He said issues related to employment of media personnel, working in the TV channels (including news channels), are governed by the prevalent Labour Laws.

The number of permitted satellite television channels by the end of December last was 826, which include 405 news and current affairs channels and 421 general entertainment channels.

The statistics show that 697 channels (including 382 news channels) were permitted to uplink and downlink from within the country, and 36 (including seven news channels) were uplinked from India for beaming overseas and not in the country. The number of channels uplinked from overseas and downlinked into India was 93 (including 16 news channels).

The year 2014 has thus saw the clearance to more than 30 channels.

March 17, 2015
Airwaves are public property & community radio stations are an extension of that concept: Jaitley

NEW DELHI: Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley said today that the government was committed to ensuring that ‘airwaves’ constitutes property of the people or the community and there is no interference of the state in creating any monopoly in this regard.

He said Community Radio as a medium of communication constituted an integral component of the right to free speech and expression. This medium of information dissemination formed a part of the “Airwaves”.

Inaugurating the 5^th National Community Radio Sammelan on the theme “Community Radio for Good Governance” here, Jaitley said community radio as a platform of communication formed a part of the tripartite stakeholder partnership: the broadcaster, the person disseminating the information and the listener, who was keen for information, knowledge and dissemination of facts.

Jaitley said radio had acted as an instrument for dissemination in the past, and would also do so in the future, in which community radio would play a critical role for the expansion of radio content. Community Radio as a concept was vibrant as it facilitated the expansion of an idea – a concept that discussed a range of issues including culture, languages and practices, amongst others.

He hoped the Sammelan would provide a roadmap to the ministry to fine tune the blueprint for policy interventions in the future.

The Minister said the Government was committed to ensuring that the sector was expanded and strengthened to achieve the goals of inclusive growth through social change. The Sammelan also offered an opportunity to highlight the relevance of flagship schemes through the medium to people, who in turn could benefit by such interventions. Sessions on Agriculture and Community Radio, Role of the Medium in promoting Water and Sanitation with emphasis on ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan’ and the relevance of the medium in the context of Jan Dhan Yojana were innovations adopted for the Conference.

A compendium on ‘Community Radio for Good Governance’ was released on the occasion by Jaitley and Minister of State for I&B Rajyavardhan Rathore.

I&B Secretary Bimal Julka said the Community Radio Model offered a third model of radio broadcasting in addition to commercial and public broadcasting. As a platform for communication they served geographic communities and communities of interest. Community radio, rural radio, cooperative radio, and development radio hold the key to unite India’s linguistic and ethnic diversity and improve economic development.

Referring to a Supreme Court ruling of 1995, Julka said airwaves were declared public property to be used for promoting public good and ventilating plurality of views, opinions and ideas, and the role of community radio was important in this context.

He also outlined the recommendations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on Community Radio Stations (CRS) permissions and related issues. The terms of permission are to continue to be for five years; the duration of advertisement on a CRS is to continue to be five minutes per hour; the stipulations that rates for advertisement approved by the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity on CRS are lowest and exclusive to DAVP are to be relaxed in case of CRS. Julka specifically mentioned the role and relevance of CRS during disaster management situations and said that as the medium played a critical role in the given situations consultations with NDMA would be held to outline the detailed guidelines for the said purpose.

He also referred to the TRAI recommendations related to the allowance to be given to CRS to broadcast news and current affairs content, sourced exclusively from All India Radio (AIR) in its original form or translated into in its local language/ dialect. This would enhance the mandate of the medium in the context of operating partnership with AIR.

Jaitley and Rathore also presented the 4^th National Community Awards in various categories.

The Conference assumes importance in view of outlining the vision for community radio in India. One of the key highlights of the three day Sammelan is the session on Access to Justice for poor and marginalized communities in the context of the role of community radio and the work done by the National Legal Services Authority. The Conference will also deliberate upon the integration of CRSs and PRIs. The role of CR stations in promoting livelihood generation and other economic activities would be discussed. Sessions on Community Learning, Emerging Demography and Migration would provide critical inputs in taking the process forward.

The Sammelan has brought together Community Radio Operators, policy makers, Ministries/Departments, the UN and other international bodies like UNICEF and UNESCO and other stakeholders for exchange of ideas and cross learning.

The sessions will highlight the vision of the Community Radio movement in India and its role in setting the agenda on the development discourse at the local level.

The Ministry has been organizing the National Community Radio Sammelan every year since 2011. The Ministry has also been organizing intensive Awareness Workshops in various parts of the country to increase awareness about Community Radio. Sixty three workshops have been organized so far. These workshops have proved to be useful not only to operate CRS in an effective way.

The Ministry has so far issued 409 permissions to set up community radio stations in the country. Out of this, 179 stations have become operational while others are in the pipeline.

March 16, 2015
Exhibition by DAVP, Outreach Programme by DFP inaugurated in Rajasthan by Rathore

NEW DELHI: Minister of State Rajyavardhan Rathore has said that women have excelled in all fields and have made everyone proud of their achievements.

Speaking at the Special Outreach Programme on ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ organized by the Directorate of Field Publicity, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting at Dhankya in Jaipur, Rathore said that he could win the Olympic Medal because of the immense support provided by the two women in his life- his mother and wife.

Rathore also inaugurated the three-day exhibition ‘Ek Bharat Shreshta Bharat’ organized by the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity and released a special cover on Beti Bachao Beti Padhao brought out by the Department of Posts Rajasthan Circle.

Rajasthan Minister of Urban Development and Housing Rajpal Singh Shekhawat and Directorate of Field Publicity Principal DG Neelam Kapoor were also present on the occasion.

March 16, 2015
Media should reflect on whether airing gang rape film is justified: Jaitley

NEW DELHI: Even as the Delhi High Court is still to decide finally on the ban on India’s Daughter by Leslee Udwin, Information and Broadcasting Minister (I&B) Arun Jaitley said, over the weekend, that the media worldwide should reflect on issues surrounding the film made by BBC and specifically on whether a media organisation should allow its platform to be used by a rapist to justify his innocence.

Asked by reporters in London to give his view on the ban, Jaitley who, is a also lawyer, said the matter was in court.

“The Home Ministry and Parliament had a certain view, which was expressed. Without getting into the issue because it has been challenged in the court and let the court decide this; I will only mention two points to be borne in mind by anyone who wants to produce any film on these causes,” he said.

Jaitley pointed out to a provision under Section 228A of the Indian Penal Code, which came into force following the Justice Verma Committee report, to prohibit the naming and showing any photograph of the rape victim.

“Secondly, it is a question for the media itself to debate whether during the pendency of the appeal, a media organisation should allow its platform to be used by a rapist to justify why he is not guilty,” he added.

“My understanding of the English law is that on both these counts in a sub-judice matter wit the appeal pending, a media forum may not have been made available to the accused to justify his innocence,” Jaitley said.

He made a direct link with the comments of one of the rapists, Mukesh Singh, who had claimed he was at the wheel and hence “not part of the act.”

“These are the two crucial issues on which I would like the media itself to reflect on,” the Minister said.

March 16, 2015
Fifth National Community Radio Sammelan to commence in capital, Jaitley to inaugurate

NEW DELHI: The fifth National Sammelan for Community Radio Stations will be inaugurated in Delhi on 16 March by Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitely.

Minister of State for I&B Rajyavardhan Rathore will also be present on the occasion.

The Sammelan will bring together Community Radio Operators, policy makers, Ministries/Departments, the UN and other International bodies like UNICEF and UNESCO and other stakeholders for exchange of ideas and cross learning.

The sessions will highlight the vision of the Community Radio movement in India and its role in setting the agenda on the development discourse at the local level.

The three-day workshop will discuss several important issues such as the role of community radios in good governance, sustainability, content sharing and programming for development. It will delve into the role that Community Radio can play in community learning, promoting livelihoods and agriculture, promoting water conservation and sanitation, strengthening Panchayati Raj Institutions, financial inclusion, legal literacy and facilitating access to justice for marginalized communities.

A compendium containing inspiring stories of community radios from all over the country will be released.

The National Community Radio Awards would also be presented to promote better programming on CR stations and motivate CR operators to achieve goals of community empowerment.

The Ministry has been organising the National Community Radio Sammelan every year since 2011. The Ministry has also been organising intensive Awareness Workshops in various parts of the country to increase awareness about Community Radio. Sixty three Workshops have been organized so far. These workshops have proved to be useful not only to operate Community Radio Stations in an effective way.

The Ministry has so far issued 409 permissions to set up community radio stations in the country. Out of this, 179 stations have become operational while others are in the pipeline.

The Ministry has also streamlined the approval process for setting up of Community Radio Stations. The applicants can now apply online and track the status of their pending application through a Comprehensive Community Radio Management Information System. A Facilitation Centre has also been set up, with a Toll Free number (1800-11-6346) for providing information. Efforts have also been taken by the Ministry to enable Community Radio Stations to sustain themselves. The Ministry has also introduced a Plan Scheme to provide financial assistance to existing and new community radio stations for infrastructure/equipment/training/capacity building etc.

The Ministry has also been advocating with various stakeholder Ministries like Health, Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Science and Technology and Tribal Affairs to use the medium of CR to reach out to the masses.

March 14, 2015
Media can transform rural poor’s life by providing info on central scheme: Rathore

NEW DELHI: Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore has said that media can transform the lives of the people living in rural areas by providing information about welfare schemes.

He said that the emergence of internet and social media has brought about an information revolution in the country. He underlined that there is need to build capacities of rural journalists for establishing better reach to the people in rural areas.

He stated this in a message read out at the opening of a one-day Regional Media Conference organized by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) on strengthening information dissemination on Government policies and programmes in rural areas at Jobner near Jaipur this week.

About 70 regional journalists including stringers of newspapers and news channels participated in the one-day conference.

One of the major objectives of the conference was receiving feedback from journalists working in rural areas on their information needs. During the interactive sessions, the participants wanted more interactions of this kind in the future and wanted a mechanism for enhanced information flow from PIB on central government schemes to rural journalists.

In his keynote address, senior journalist Yashwant Vyas said that rural journalists have a major role in highlighting issues of local importance on which they should report fearlessly. Senior journalists Rajendra Boda, Pratap Rao, Ashok Chaturvedi and Shakti Singh addressed journalists on issues including role of different media in effective information flow in rural areas. A session on the role of media in disaster management was conducted by Bijendra Singh, who is officer on Special Duty of the State Disaster Management Department of Rajasthan.

The participants were also given orientation on the role of new/social media in information dissemination.

March 14, 2015
TRAI extends time for draft tariff order comments for DTH interoperability methods

MUMBAI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has extended the deadline for comments by stakeholders on the draft Tariff Order prescribing framework for commercial interoperability of Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) in DTH services. The draft was issued on 27 February, 2015 and invited comments/views from the stakeholders, latest by 13 March, 2015.

Now, at the request of stakeholders, the last date for receipt of written comments has been extended up to 19 March, 2015. The Authority has also decided that no request for further extension of time for submission of comments will be entertained.

It can be noted that TRAI had issued the draft Tariff Order for consultation, since in the DTH sector, as on date, CPEs deployed by one operator is not compatible with the network of another operator and a subscriber cannot migrate to another operator or platform without re-investing in another CPE.

According to the Authority, the interests of subscribers in this regard can be largely protected through the provision for commercial interoperability of CPEs. Commercial interoperability provides for a viable exit option to the subscribers in case they want to switch operator /platform.

The draft is aimed at striking a balance between the interests of the consumers and that of the service providers, as well as to curb piling up of e-waste on account of CPEs.

The draft also provides for declaration of the price of all types of CPEs, installation and activation charges and applicable taxes on CPEs by DTH operators; mandatory offering of standard scheme for all type of CPEs on a standalone basis by DTH operators, specifying separately the price of CPE, taxes, other charges etc; flexibility to DTH operators to offer other schemes; and flexibility to DTH operators to offer brand new as well as refurbished CPEs.

This paper also refers to provision of buy-back/refund option in all the offered schemes, including bundled schemes for CPEs; mechanism for buy-back/refund in the standard and other schemes for CPEs; provision of lock-in period for the purpose of refund in the offered schemes for CPEs if the subscriber wants to switch from one operator to the other; applicability of buy-back/refund option for all types of offered CPEs; option for the DTH operators to redeploy the surrendered CPEs; mechanism for registration of request for surrender of connection; and time-limit to settle refund/buy-back claims of the subscribers.

March 14, 2015