ITV

Tag: Broadcasting Ministry

  • Permission to 126 TV channels remains cancelled even as total of permitted channels rises to 869

    Permission to 126 TV channels remains cancelled even as total of permitted channels rises to 869

    New Delhi, 10 March: While the total number of satellite television channels uplinking from or downlinking into India has risen by twelve to 869 in the past month, the number of channels to whom permission had been cancelled remains 126.

    Thus, the government had given permission to a total of 995 channels which included those whose permissions were cancelled later.

    Of the permitted channels, 402 are news and current affairs channels while 467 are general entertainment channels until 29 February.

    Unlike previous times, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has not uploaded details of the twelve new channels that have been permitted during February.

    Twenty channels including seven news channels have been permitted to uplink from India but not downlink within the country. 

    A total of 755 channels including 375 GECs are allowed to uplink and downlink in the country while 94 including 79 GECs are uplinked from overseas but allowed to downlink into TV homes in the country.    

     

  • Permission to 126 TV channels remains cancelled even as total of permitted channels rises to 869

    Permission to 126 TV channels remains cancelled even as total of permitted channels rises to 869

    New Delhi, 10 March: While the total number of satellite television channels uplinking from or downlinking into India has risen by twelve to 869 in the past month, the number of channels to whom permission had been cancelled remains 126.

    Thus, the government had given permission to a total of 995 channels which included those whose permissions were cancelled later.

    Of the permitted channels, 402 are news and current affairs channels while 467 are general entertainment channels until 29 February.

    Unlike previous times, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has not uploaded details of the twelve new channels that have been permitted during February.

    Twenty channels including seven news channels have been permitted to uplink from India but not downlink within the country. 

    A total of 755 channels including 375 GECs are allowed to uplink and downlink in the country while 94 including 79 GECs are uplinked from overseas but allowed to downlink into TV homes in the country.    

     

  • Project Management Unit set up in MIB to monitor DAS

    Project Management Unit set up in MIB to monitor DAS

    NEW DELHI: A project management unit has been set up in the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to monitor digitisation of cable television networks in the country.

    Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar told Lok Sabha that this is in addition to the task force constituted earlier to steer phase III and phase IV of digital addressable systems, which has to be completed by December, this year.

    He said intensive monitoring of digitisation was undertaken by the Ministry earlier with the support of Prasar Bharati officials and the Broadcasting Engineering Consultants India (BECIL).

    The first phase was set at March 2012 covering the four metros (though DAS was later stayed in Chennai) under the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Amendment Ordinance 2011, which is an amendment of the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act 1995.

    The target date for completely digitising cable sector in cities with population of more than one million was 30 March 2013, all urban areas by 30 September 2014, and the whole country by 31 December 2014.

  • Kashish Queer Film Festival invites entries for fifth edition

    Kashish Queer Film Festival invites entries for fifth edition

    MUMBAI: The Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender (LGBT) community is set for a filmy outing very soon as entries for the fifth Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival has been invited.

     

    The festival will be held from 21 to 25 May 2014 (tentative dates).

     

    Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival is the only LGBTQ film festival in India to be held in a mainstream theater and the only queer festival to receive clearance from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

     

    The previous four editions of the festival were well received and attracted close to 6,500 footfalls over five days at two venues. Almost 120 to 130 films including shorts, documentaries and features with LGBTQ themes from across the world are screened at the festival every year.

     

    The competition categories in the festival are: Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary Feature, Best Documentary Short, Best International Narrative Short, Best Indian Narrative Short, and Riyad Wadia award for Best Emerging Indian Filmmaker.

     

    The last date of submission of forms is January 31, 2014. However, the festival encourages early submission as previews begin mid November. The selected filmmakers will be notified by email by March 31, 2014.

     

    The winners will be selected by a panel of eminent jury.

     

    For details and online submission of forms, one can log on to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/K2014-FilmSubmissionForm

  • Advisory on PMs speech should not to be used against news channels: Allahabad HC

    Advisory on PMs speech should not to be used against news channels: Allahabad HC

    NEW DELHI: The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has directed the Information and Broadcasting Ministry not to use against news channels the advisory issued by it last month about comparisons drawn between the Prime Minister’s Independence Day speech with other leaders.

     

    Social activist Nutan Thakur had sought quashing of the Advisory of 21 October passed by the Ministry.

     

    The Bench of Chief Justice Dhananjay Yashwant Chandrachud and Justice Rituraj Awasthi said the Advisory whereby the electronic news channels have been notified that their licence will be cancelled in case they compare the Prime Minister with any other political leaders should be used only for compliance of rules and regulations and not beyond.

     

    The petition said that the Ministry issued this Advisory threatening penal provision in Section 20 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995 because many news channels compared PM Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi for their Independence Day speech which the Ministry found “indecent” and “bad in taste”.

     

    Calling the Advisory ‘a dictatorial step to curb the independence of media’, Thakur had prayed for its immediate quashing in larger public interest.

  • Tewari issues clarification on Sardar Patel ad releases by govt

    Tewari issues clarification on Sardar Patel ad releases by govt

    NEW DELHI: The Government gave out 2164 newspapers advertisements on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel between 1998 and 2003.

     

    Interestingly, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry said in a statement in response to statements by certain political leaders that no advertisements were released during the years 1999, 2000 and 2001.

     

    However, 20,915 newspapers were given the advertisement between 2004 and 2013. No advertisement was given in the year 2008.

     

    The Ministry said the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity had been regularly releasing advertisements on the birth anniversary of prominent national leaders including Sardar Patel.

     

    In this context, I and B Minister Manish Tewari said: “The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has always followed a policy to acknowledge the contribution of prominent national figures in nation building by releasing advertisements. The advertisements released on the birth anniversary of Sardar Patel are part of the continued policy of this Ministry of expressing gratitude to great leaders for instilling confidence and inspiration in the young minds.” 

  • I&B Ministry dictates channels to follow the programme code

    I&B Ministry dictates channels to follow the programme code

    NEW DELHI: Taking umbrage at constant comparisons of the speech of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Independence Day to that of other political leaders, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry today advised all News and Current Affairs TV Channels to follow the provisions of the Programme and Advertising Codes ‘scrupulously’.

     

    An advisory issued by the Ministry also said it was necessary to keep ‘the significance of the solemn days like Independence Day, etc. in view while carrying the speech of the Prime Minister and the President of India’.

     

    The Ministry said any further violation of the provisions of the Programme/Advertising Code would attract penal provisions stipulated in Section 20 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995 and the terms and conditions of uplinking and downlinking guidelines.

     

    The advisory was issued in exercise of powers under Uplinking/Downlinking Guidelines issued by it, the terms of permission granted to the Channel to uplink or downlink TV Channels and under Section 20 of the Act.

     

    The Ministry said that the ‘telecast of this kind of programme on a day when the entire nation was celebrating its 67th Independence Day is highly objectionable. The Prime Minister spoke from the Ramparts of the Red Fort as the Prime Minister of the country and not as a leader of a political party.’

     

    ‘Therefore, on such a solemn day to put him in an artificial competition with anyone is not appropriate. On Independence Day when the Prime Minister addresses the nation and the country is united in the emotions of national integrity, patriotism and national fervor, the attempt by certain TV channels to denigrate the status of the Prime Minister can best be described as sensational against all norms of ethical journalism.’

     

    The Ministry pointed out that under Section 5 of the Act read with Rule 6 (1Xa) & (i) of the Cable Television Networks Rules 1994 as amended from time to time, ‘no programme can be transmitted/retransmitted on any Cable Service which contains anything offending against good taste or decency; and criticises, maligns or slanders any individual in person or certain groups, segments of social, public and moral life of the country.’

     

    It added that according to the basic conditions/obligations of permission/approval for
    Uplinking/Downlinking of TV Channels in India, the channels are bound to follow the Programme Code and Advertising Code as prescribed under the Act and rules framed there under.

  • Notice to I&B Ministry, NBA on allegations of paid news

    Notice to I&B Ministry, NBA on allegations of paid news

    NEW DELHI: The Allahabad High Court today issued notice to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) and the News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) in a petition relating to paid news.

     

    Justice Devi Prasad Singh and Justice Ashok Pal Singh of the Lucknow bench said that in a democratic country while freedom of expression is a basic requirement, there are problems related to paid news and other vested news if there is no forum with the government for complaints to be presented by the public.

     

    The court has asked the ministry as well as the media organisations to present their reply about social activist Dr Nutan Thakur’s complaint and the present grievance redressal mechanism for viewers against news channels, within four weeks.

     

    Thakur had previously sent her complaint relating to news channels reports about the role of Raja Bhaiya in DSP Ziaul Haq murder being one-sided, but the NBSA had concluded that no impropriety was done in broadcasting of these news items. She then approached the High Court against this decision.

  • I&B, Tourism Ministry work jointly to promote film tourism

    I&B, Tourism Ministry work jointly to promote film tourism

    NEW DELHI: The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has promoted Incredible India and Cinemas of India as a sub-brand of Incredible India at four international festivals since it entered into an agreement with the Tourism Ministry in February 2012.

     

    These are the Cannes Film Festivals in 2012 and 2013, the European Film Market in Berlin, and the International Film Festival of India in Goa in 2012.

     

    Tourism Minister K. Chiranjeevi told Parliament that I&B Ministry had constituted on 15 April 2013 an Inter-Ministerial Committee for promotion and facilitation of film production with the objective to facilitate shooting permission in India.

     

    The MoU on 16 February 2012 was to create and build upon a film tourism vertical of ‘Incredible India Campaign’ by promoting Cinemas of India as a sub-brand of Incredible India, with emphasis on its linguistic/cultural/regional diversity.

     

    The aim was also to promote India as a film destination, both for international and domestic film producers; participate in various international and domestic film festivals, markets and events; frame policies and guidelines for facilitating shooting of international films in India;  maintain dialogue with the state governments and union territory administrations for development of locations for film shooting and promotion of tourism; and constitute a national level committee for coordination with various stakeholders for promotion of India as film and tourism destination and for facilitating visas for film units from overseas.

  • I&B officials: Digitisation drive will accelerate further

    I&B officials: Digitisation drive will accelerate further

    NEW DELHI: For all those who think that there’s going to be a slowdown in cable TV digitisation. It is time to think again. All thanks to the focus of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry on the preparations for the upcoming elections next year.

    In fact, the teams at I&B and TRAI, which have been spearheading the drive along with TRAI representatives, has been informed by  new secretary Bimal Jhulka and TRAI chairman Rahul Khullar, to keep the foot on the accelerator pedal and if possible rev the digitisation drive even more.

    Last week, I&B sources told Indiantelevision.com that MSOs and other television ecosystem players are being told to start planning for phase III and phase IV of digitisation from now itself. Phase III and phase IV have been compressed into a single deadline which will end in December 2014.

    “The learnings from phase I and phase II are being put into place,” says an I&B source. “We will be setting up deadlines for import of set top boxes and for rollout of the boxes. There will also be a clear game plan about which channels will be switched off to force the pace of digitisation and CAF forms in the smaller towns and rural areas. We want the transition from analogue to digital to be smoother in the next phase.”