Tag: MIB

Over 180 TV channels asked to provide information to EMMC

NEW DELHI: A total of 182 television channels have been asked by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to provide by 8 June certain details required for monitoring purposes by the Electronic Media Monitoring Centre (EMMC).

The pay channels have to provide one set of Professionat TRO for each TV channel permitted to them which can give SD-SDI output (in case of HD channels, HD-SDI output) alongwith one spare IRD per bouquet to EMMC.

Alternately, the pay TV broadcaster/ service irovider should provide Viewing Card (VC) with matching CAlvl module for interfacing with demodulators to decrypt and demodulate the channels over IP. TV Channels are also required to provide the technical details as frequency, satellite, location of teleport, etc.

The Free-to-Air (FTA) TV channels whose signals are not encrypted need not provide such equipment. However, they may immediately inform of the frequency being used

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry said that under Clause 5.14 of Downlinking Guidelines, ‘the applicant company shall provide the necessary monitoring facility at its own cost for monitoring of programmes or content by the representative of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting or any other Government agency as and when required’.

A list attached along with the notice published on the site of the Ministry mib.nic.in also gives a list of the 182 channels as well as the officers to whom the information has to be sent.

The list contains all genres of channels – news, general entertainment, business news, and music.

May 28, 2016
Ad agencies owe DD Rs 24 crore, Rs 53.7 crore recovered by arbitration

NEW DELHI: Noting that there were outstanding dues of approximately Rs 6.40 crore for 2013-14 and Rs 17.76 crore for the year 2014-15 in respect of various Doordarshan Kendras, a Parliamentary Committee has asked the Information and Broadcasting ministry and Prasar Bharati that the process of recovery of dues should be expedited.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee for Information Technology which goes into issues relating to I and B also noted that the final figures of outstanding amount due for the year 2015-16 were still being worked out and, as such, there could be some outstanding dues for that year also.

At the outset, the Committee said the issue of outstanding dues of the Doordarshan Kendras has been lingering for quite some time and there was a huge pendency of outstanding dues. However, the ministry said there was no outstanding amount in respect of All India Radio stations.

Arbitrators had passed fifteen awards in favour of Prasar Bharati and approximately Rs 53.71 crore had been recovered by taking recourse to provisions of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1996 (including all amendments till 2015) by filing its claims against such defaulting advertising agencies for the recovery of outstanding dues.

The Committee was told Prasar Bharati is making efforts to recover the outstanding dues by continuously pursuing the defaulters to make payment and request reminders are sent, and in case of delay, Doordarshan charges interest @ 14.5 % from the defaulting agencies. Bank Guarantees of the defaulting agencies are encashed as per terms and conditions of the agreement.

May 25, 2016
Ad agencies owe DD Rs 24 crore, Rs 53.7 crore recovered by arbitration

NEW DELHI: Noting that there were outstanding dues of approximately Rs 6.40 crore for 2013-14 and Rs 17.76 crore for the year 2014-15 in respect of various Doordarshan Kendras, a Parliamentary Committee has asked the Information and Broadcasting ministry and Prasar Bharati that the process of recovery of dues should be expedited.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee for Information Technology which goes into issues relating to I and B also noted that the final figures of outstanding amount due for the year 2015-16 were still being worked out and, as such, there could be some outstanding dues for that year also.

At the outset, the Committee said the issue of outstanding dues of the Doordarshan Kendras has been lingering for quite some time and there was a huge pendency of outstanding dues. However, the ministry said there was no outstanding amount in respect of All India Radio stations.

Arbitrators had passed fifteen awards in favour of Prasar Bharati and approximately Rs 53.71 crore had been recovered by taking recourse to provisions of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1996 (including all amendments till 2015) by filing its claims against such defaulting advertising agencies for the recovery of outstanding dues.

The Committee was told Prasar Bharati is making efforts to recover the outstanding dues by continuously pursuing the defaulters to make payment and request reminders are sent, and in case of delay, Doordarshan charges interest @ 14.5 % from the defaulting agencies. Bank Guarantees of the defaulting agencies are encashed as per terms and conditions of the agreement.

May 25, 2016
MIB’s new joint secretary in charge of Prasar Bharati affairs

NEW DELHI: Senior Indian Postal Service officer Anju Nigam has been appointed Joint Secretary in the Information and Broadcasting ministry.

Nigam is a 1988 officer and will take charge for a period of five years or until further orders (whichever is earlier) from the date she assumes charge.

She takes the place of Indian Administrative Service officer Puneet Kansal who was in charge various matters such as e-auctions and other issues in Prasar Bharati, Kansal was from the Sikkim cadre in the 1996 batch.

May 9, 2016
MIB’s new joint secretary in charge of Prasar Bharati affairs

NEW DELHI: Senior Indian Postal Service officer Anju Nigam has been appointed Joint Secretary in the Information and Broadcasting ministry.

Nigam is a 1988 officer and will take charge for a period of five years or until further orders (whichever is earlier) from the date she assumes charge.

She takes the place of Indian Administrative Service officer Puneet Kansal who was in charge various matters such as e-auctions and other issues in Prasar Bharati, Kansal was from the Sikkim cadre in the 1996 batch.

May 9, 2016
Challenge to denial of security clearance by Home Ministry not maintainable before TDSAT

NEW DELHI: Can the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal examine denial of security clearance to multi system operators? Clearly, chairman justice Aftab Alam and member B B Srivastava have held that this falls outside the ambit of Section 14A of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act.

A petition by Positiv TV Pvt Ltd was dismissed by the tribunal as Information and Broadcasting ministry counsel Rajeev Sharma said permission to set up teleport (uplinking hub) at Guwahati and Noida had been refused because the Home ministry had refused to give security clearance as required under clause 9.2 read with clauses 10.4, 5.8 and 5.9 of the Guidelines for Grant of Permission dated 5 December 2011.

The I and B ministry had refused permission in a letter issued on 3 March.
The tribunal noted that the core question that arose for adjudication was not the cancellation of permission by the MIB but the decision of the MHA to not grant the security clearance to the petitioner.

Home ministry counsel Anshuman Upadhyay described as incorrect the statement by Positiv counsel Mukul Gupta that his client had not been informed about the Home ministry decision.

The tribunal said: “We are clearly of the view that the decision of the MHA to grant or not to grant security clearance to a telecom service provider does not come within the ambit of section 14 A and thus lies beyond the jurisdiction of the tribunal”.

It therefore dismissed as not maintainable the petition, “without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case”.

However, the tribunal said it will be open to the petitioner to seek its remedies before an appropriate forum in accordance with law.

May 3, 2016
Challenge to denial of security clearance by Home Ministry not maintainable before TDSAT

NEW DELHI: Can the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal examine denial of security clearance to multi system operators? Clearly, chairman justice Aftab Alam and member B B Srivastava have held that this falls outside the ambit of Section 14A of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act.

A petition by Positiv TV Pvt Ltd was dismissed by the tribunal as Information and Broadcasting ministry counsel Rajeev Sharma said permission to set up teleport (uplinking hub) at Guwahati and Noida had been refused because the Home ministry had refused to give security clearance as required under clause 9.2 read with clauses 10.4, 5.8 and 5.9 of the Guidelines for Grant of Permission dated 5 December 2011.

The I and B ministry had refused permission in a letter issued on 3 March.
The tribunal noted that the core question that arose for adjudication was not the cancellation of permission by the MIB but the decision of the MHA to not grant the security clearance to the petitioner.

Home ministry counsel Anshuman Upadhyay described as incorrect the statement by Positiv counsel Mukul Gupta that his client had not been informed about the Home ministry decision.

The tribunal said: “We are clearly of the view that the decision of the MHA to grant or not to grant security clearance to a telecom service provider does not come within the ambit of section 14 A and thus lies beyond the jurisdiction of the tribunal”.

It therefore dismissed as not maintainable the petition, “without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case”.

However, the tribunal said it will be open to the petitioner to seek its remedies before an appropriate forum in accordance with law.

May 3, 2016
Public interface and exhibition wings of MIB integrated for greater synergy

NEW DELHI: The activities of the Song and Drama Division, the Exhibition Wing of the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity, and the Public Interface Campaign (PIC) work of the Press Information Bureau are to be integrated with the Directorate of Field Publicity.

The move is aimed at bringing in greater functional integration and better outreach in the activities of the various field media units of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

Under the new directive that takes effect immediately, the director of the Song and Drama Division and the additional director general of the exhibition wing of DAVP will directly report to the principal director general of the DFP at the headquarters.

As the budget of all the concerned media units – DFP, S&DD and DAVP – has already been allocated under the ministry budget, the directive issued today said this will be united for the activities to be undertaken by the respective organisations within their budget lines. Thus each unit will only utilize the budget allocated to it for the purpose of public awareness and exhibitions.

The PIB does not have any staff for public awareness campaigns and the concerned information officers are asked to pitch in whenever needed, the order says these activities will be performed by the DFP and the funds earmarked for the DCID Scheme for PIC activities shall be utilizd by DFP.

Interestingly, various committees had recommended similar integration of activities of different media units of I and B doing similar work in the 1980s. Those committees had said the exhibition wings to be under one head, the film wings to be under one head, and the public information wings to be under a third head.

April 25, 2016
Public interface and exhibition wings of MIB integrated for greater synergy

NEW DELHI: The activities of the Song and Drama Division, the Exhibition Wing of the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity, and the Public Interface Campaign (PIC) work of the Press Information Bureau are to be integrated with the Directorate of Field Publicity.

The move is aimed at bringing in greater functional integration and better outreach in the activities of the various field media units of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

Under the new directive that takes effect immediately, the director of the Song and Drama Division and the additional director general of the exhibition wing of DAVP will directly report to the principal director general of the DFP at the headquarters.

As the budget of all the concerned media units – DFP, S&DD and DAVP – has already been allocated under the ministry budget, the directive issued today said this will be united for the activities to be undertaken by the respective organisations within their budget lines. Thus each unit will only utilize the budget allocated to it for the purpose of public awareness and exhibitions.

The PIB does not have any staff for public awareness campaigns and the concerned information officers are asked to pitch in whenever needed, the order says these activities will be performed by the DFP and the funds earmarked for the DCID Scheme for PIC activities shall be utilizd by DFP.

Interestingly, various committees had recommended similar integration of activities of different media units of I and B doing similar work in the 1980s. Those committees had said the exhibition wings to be under one head, the film wings to be under one head, and the public information wings to be under a third head.

April 25, 2016
TDSAT wants to know from MIB if it can adjudicate on denial of security clearances to new TV channels

New Delhi: With the Home ministry holding that the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal does not have the jurisdiction to examine the validity of denial of security clearances, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has been asked to present its point of view.

In a petition filed by Positiv TV Pvt. Ltd, chairman Aftab Alam and member B B Srivastava said: “Before taking up the matter any further, we would like the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting also to make its stand clear. We accordingly direct Rajeev Sharma to file the reply on behalf of the ministry and listed the matter for 26 April.

The Home ministry had filed its reply in which apart from contesting the petition on merits, it had raised objections to the maintainability of the petition before the tribunal taking the position that the tribunal does not have the jurisdiction to examine the validity of denial of security clearance to the petitioner.

Earlier last year, the I and B ministry had said the Home ministry had in principle agreed that security clearances would not be needed for multi-system operators, but no such assurance was given with regard to those who had applied to start new television channels.

April 21, 2016