ITV

Tag: Ministry of Home Affairs

  • SC stays centre’s ban on Malayalam news channel MediaOne

    SC stays centre’s ban on Malayalam news channel MediaOne

    Mumbai: The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted interim relief to Malayalam news channel MediaOne, staying the central government’s decision to revoke the channel’s security clearance.

    A bench of justices DY Chandrachud, Surya Kant and Vikram Nath ordered that the channel can resume operations in the same manner in which it was being operated before revocation of security clearance, according to a report by Bar and Bench.

    The apex court also directed the government to file its counter affidavit in the matter.

    On the issue of whether the files containing adverse intelligence inputs can be disclosed to the channel or not, the court said it would keep the issue open for final disposal.

    The appeal by MediaOne had challenged the Kerala high court division bench judgment which had upheld the central government’s ban.

    The channel, owned by Madhyamam Broadcasting, had applied for broadcast permissions to be renewed from 30 September 2021 to 29 September 2022. MediaOne was issued a notice by the I&B ministry on 5 January revoking broadcasting permissions under the uplinking and downlinking guidelines stating that it was denied security clearance by the ministry of home affairs. In response to a show-cause notice by the ministry, the company mentioned that they are “unaware of the grounds of denial of security clearance.”

    When the case was heard by the Kerala high court, the central government told the bench that the decision to revoke the license was based on credible national security concerns, however, it refused to state what the concerns raised by MHA were and contended that a party cannot insist on observing natural justice principles in a situation involving national security.

  • MIB prohibited transmission of 15 TV channels since 2019: Anurag Thakur

    MIB prohibited transmission of 15 TV channels since 2019: Anurag Thakur

    Mumbai: The ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) has prohibited the transmission of 15 channels for violations under the uplinking/downlinking and of the programme code since 2019, minister of information and broadcasting Anurag Thakur informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

    Thakur also said that the ministry has issued directions for blocking 56 YouTube-based news channels and their social media accounts for public access during 2021-22 under Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics) Rules 2021.

    Between 2014-2021, the ministry of electronics and information technology also exercised its powers under Section 69 A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 to block 25,369 URLs, consisting of web pages, websites, pages on social media accounts etc.

    The Lok Sabha questioned the minister whether the government is authorised to impose broadcast bans on TV channels and if it has outlined any policy for the same. It also asked if the government has put a redressal mechanism in place to hear the grievances of the channels.

    The minister informed the Lok Sabha that all private satellite TV channels are granted permission by the ministry under the uplinking and downlinking guidelines, 2011 and are required to adhere to the terms and conditions of such permission including adherence to the programme code and advertisement code and other provisions laid down under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995.

    He further noted that the grant of permission to a satellite TV channel under the guidelines is subject to security clearance by the ministry of home affairs as per the procedure laid down by it.

    To address the grievances of TV channels, the government follows the due process of law and laid down the process before taking a decision to suspend/prohibit a channel. “Grievances related to the uplinking/downlinking guidelines are addressed by the ministry,” said Thakur.

    The Lok Sabha also asked if the government had conveyed a detailed explanation of why MediaOne was not allowed to continue their broadcasting to the channel management. To which the I&B minister replied, “The government has followed due process of law and the laid down procedure before taking a decision regarding the cancellation of permission to TV news channel ‘Media One’. The matter is sub-judice before the Supreme Court.”

    He further informed the Lok Sabha that details of channels whose permission has been cancelled for violation of the uplinking and downlinking guidelines are available on the I&B ministry’s Broadcast Seva portal.

  • Kerala HC upholds ban on Malayalam channel MediaOne

    Kerala HC upholds ban on Malayalam channel MediaOne

    Mumbai: The Kerala high court has dismissed the appeal by Malayalam news channel against the single judge order upholding the recent ban imposed on it by the ministry of information and broadcasting citing security concerns.

    A division bench of chief justice S Manikumar and justice Shaji P Chaly upheld the order passed by the ministry of information and broadcasting refusing the broadcast license granted to MediaOne. “We have perused the confidential files and we are convinced that there is threat to national security,” said the bench while pronouncing the verdict.

    Madhyamam Broadcasting Limited which operates the channel MediaOne had applied for renewal of permission on 3 May 2021 and was denied security clearance by the ministry of home affairs. Subsequently, the ministry of information and broadcasting revoked the company’s license to uplink and downlink Malayalam news channel MediaOne on 31 January citing security concerns.

    As per the I&B ministry’s order, clause 9.2 of the uplinking guidelines stipulates that security clearance of a company and its directors is a prerequisite condition for grant of permission for TV channels.

    In addition to the channel, appeals were also filed by its employees including its editor against the I&B ministry’s decision which were also rejected by a single judge on 8 February.

    This is the second time that the channel has been barred from airing. In March 2020, Asianet News and MediaOne TV had been barred for 48 hours by I&B ministry citing security concerns.

  • Kerala HC dismisses Media One’s plea against order barring transmission

    Kerala HC dismisses Media One’s plea against order barring transmission

    Mumbai: The Kerala high court on Tuesday dismissed the petition of Malayalam news channel Media One TV challenging the government’s order barring its transmission after the ministry of home affairs refused security clearance for renewal of the channel’s license.

    The bench of Justice N Nagaresh dismissed the appeal after going through the files submitted by the ministry of home affairs following the ban order issued by the ministry of information and broadcasting. The court observed that there are sufficient grounds for denying permission for the renewal of the channel’s license.

    Madhyamam Broadcasting Ltd which operates the channel MediaOne had applied for renewal of permission on 3 May 2021 was denied security clearance by the ministry of home affairs. In response to a show-cause notice sent by the I&B ministry, the company mentioned that they are “unaware of the grounds for denial of security clearance.”

    According to the I&B ministry order, clause 9.2 of the uplinking guidelines stipulates that security clearance of a company and its directors is a prerequisite condition for grant of permission for TV channels which is up for renewal every ten years.

    Subsequently, MediaOne posted a statement on its social media handles stating that it would take legal steps against the I&B ministry’s order. This is the second time that the MediaOne channel has been barred from airing. In March 2020, Asianet News and MediaOne TV had been barred for 48 hours by the I&B ministry citing security concerns.

  • Malayalam channel MediaOne goes off air as MIB revokes permission

    Malayalam channel MediaOne goes off air as MIB revokes permission

    Mumbai: The ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) on Monday revoked the permission granted to Madhyamam Broadcasting Ltd to uplink and downlink the Malayalam news channel MediaOne citing security concerns.

    The MIB granted permission to the MediaOne channel to be aired on 30 September 2011 which was valid up till 29 September 2021. According to the ministry order, clause 9.2 of the uplinking guidelines stipulates that security clearance of a company and its directors is a prerequisite condition for grant of permission for TV channels which is up for renewal every ten years.

    Madhyamam Broadcasting Ltd which had applied for renewal of permission on 3 May 2021 was denied security clearance by the ministry of home affairs. In response to a show-cause notice sent by MIB, the company mentioned that they are “unaware of the grounds for denial of security clearance.”

    On its social media handles, MediaOne has put out a statement attributed to its editor Pramod Raman. It reads, “MediaOne telecast has once again been disallowed by the ministry of information and broadcasting, government of India, citing security reasons. The government has not been forthcoming with the details.”

    It added “MediaOne is taking urgent legal steps for the restoration of the channel and hope to get back to the viewers as soon as we can. For the time being, we are suspending our telecast confident that justice will prevail.”

    According to media reports, the company has moved to the Kerala high court to secure a stay order. This is the second time that the channel has been barred from airing. In March 2020, Asianet News and MediaOne TV had been barred for 48 hours by MIB citing security concerns.

  • Government to once again make MHA clearance compulsory for MSOs?

    Government to once again make MHA clearance compulsory for MSOs?

    MUMBAI: Are there more regulatory controls coming on the cable TV industry? If reports emerging in the media (The Asian Age) are to be believed, then they probably are. According to the newspaper, every multisystem operator (MSO) which is licensed with the ministry of information & broadcasting (MIB), will now have to also seek the ministry of home affairs’ security (MHA’s) clearance. A notification to this effect is being planned and passed by the Narendra Modi government.

     Hitherto, broadcasters and satellite service providers had to go through this procedure. MSOs could just get a licence from the post office to operate in the country, following which they had to get a digital licence from the MIB. The security clearance from the MHA requirement was discontinued a couple of years ago to speed up the  pace of cable TV digitalisation.

     The newspaper says the government was forced to take such a step for MSOs as well because the MIB had received complaints that several cable TV operators are continuing to retransmit channels which showed content that was potentially harmful to the nation’s security and was deemed as objectionable.

     The government is seeking to make it compulsory for MSOs to get annually vetted by the central intelligence and government security agencies to prevent this from occurring.

     No confirmation, from the MIB or government sources, was available at the time of writing this report.

  • MIB flags issue of anti-national content on cable channels, seeks industry advisory

    NEW DELHI: Ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) is seeking an advisory from the Indian media and entertainment industry on a number of issues, including ways to track and stop so-called anti-national content being aired on some local cable TV channels, which do not need to register with any government body.

    In a meeting held in MIB’s headquarters in the Capital’s Shastri Bhawan yesterday, senior officials put forth their concerns to the industry representatives and sought their help in resolving the issues, which have been flagged in various sections of the government, including the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) responsible for internal security.

    Government sources indicated that  the MHA has requested MIB to look into the issue of cable channels being run by some LCOs in states like Tamil Nadu, Jammu & Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh where `objectionable’ content  aimed at flaring sectarian passions were being telecast. Some such cable channels are also said to be illegally downloading unencrypted content from foreign TV channels for rebroadcast in various parts of India.

    As cable channels run by LCOs or MSOs or similar channels on a DTH platform as part of value-added services or VAS are not yet required to register with the government, officials find it difficult to zero down on cable channels especially. As LCOs are required to register with the local post offices, a common database of such Indian LCOs is also not there for effective tracking, as admitted by a government official, who hastily added that work on creating a LCO database is underway.

    As part of its many set of recommendations to streamline the carriage part of the cable and broadcast business, regulator TRAI had suggested  that the government tweak relevant regulations to specify that all cable channels run by LCOs too would have to get government license like satellite or cable-delivered  TV channels. However, because of effective lobbying by LCO organizations, MIB is yet to act on the regulator’s suggestions on cable channels.

    Government sources indicated that more such meetings may be held with industry reps to understand and find solutions to issues linked to country’s national interest.

    ALSO READ:

     

    Peace TV saga & absence of rule of law

     

    Indian govt warns against re-transmission of Peace TV illegally

  • 53 TV channels, six teleports’ licences up for renewal in ’17

    53 TV channels, six teleports’ licences up for renewal in ’17

    NEW DELHI: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has conveyed to all TV channels and teleports that licenses for uplink and/or downlink expiring in 2017 should be renewed six months prior to the expiry date.

    The MIB communication to TV channel and teleports, dated December 16, 2016 and posted on the ministry website on December 20, 2016 stated, “Permission-holding companies, whose initial period of permission for uplinking and/or downlinking of TV channels and setting up of teleports is going to expire during 2017 and which are willing to get the permission renewed beyond its initial period are required to apply for the same six months prior to the date of expiry of the permission period.”

    The government also clarified that TV channels who have not applied six months prior to the date of expiry of the permission period, the December MIB note may be “treated as 21 days notice” and the government would take it that the permission-holder was not interested in further extension after which the government was free to take “further necessary action”.

    MIB has put out a list of 53 TV channels and six teleports whose licenses expire at various times during 2017.

    The companies are required to apply for renewal of license along with relevant documents, including details of the company, shareholding patterns and foreign investments, for various government organizations like MIB and Ministry of Home Affairs to scrutinize the documents for renewal of licenses. Renewal will also depend on companies concerned agreeing to and updated guidelines relating to uplink and downlink.

  • 53 TV channels, six teleports’ licences up for renewal in ’17

    53 TV channels, six teleports’ licences up for renewal in ’17

    NEW DELHI: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has conveyed to all TV channels and teleports that licenses for uplink and/or downlink expiring in 2017 should be renewed six months prior to the expiry date.

    The MIB communication to TV channel and teleports, dated December 16, 2016 and posted on the ministry website on December 20, 2016 stated, “Permission-holding companies, whose initial period of permission for uplinking and/or downlinking of TV channels and setting up of teleports is going to expire during 2017 and which are willing to get the permission renewed beyond its initial period are required to apply for the same six months prior to the date of expiry of the permission period.”

    The government also clarified that TV channels who have not applied six months prior to the date of expiry of the permission period, the December MIB note may be “treated as 21 days notice” and the government would take it that the permission-holder was not interested in further extension after which the government was free to take “further necessary action”.

    MIB has put out a list of 53 TV channels and six teleports whose licenses expire at various times during 2017.

    The companies are required to apply for renewal of license along with relevant documents, including details of the company, shareholding patterns and foreign investments, for various government organizations like MIB and Ministry of Home Affairs to scrutinize the documents for renewal of licenses. Renewal will also depend on companies concerned agreeing to and updated guidelines relating to uplink and downlink.

  • Slow pace of court cases, MSO registration may delay DAS deadline

    Slow pace of court cases, MSO registration may delay DAS deadline

    NEW DELHI: Between the analog sunset and a digital morning are court cases and cumbersome and slow MSO registration processes. And, the deadline of 31 December 2016 appears to be becoming a distant possibility despite assertions to the contrary in the stakeholder-government meetings.

    A mere 26 MSOs got provisional registration in November 2016, taking the total to 1,059 and the number of permanent MSOs (with ten-year licences) remaining static at 229.

    With the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) directive about doing away with security clearances for MSOs not being communicated in writing to the MIB, confusion prevails slowing down the registration processes of MSOs for delivering services in DAS areas.

    Junior minister in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) Rajyavardhan Rathore had admitted in response to a question in Parliament recently that legal cases, filed mostly by cable operators relating to some phases of digital rollout, may delay the year-end sunset date for analog services in the country.

    Though MIB officials and regulator TRAI in public insist that final digitisation deadline won’t be extended, in private government officials do admit that in Phase IV areas, comprising approximately 100,000 villages, small towns and hamlets, seeding of STBs is far from the desired level. An MIB official pointed out after the last DAS Task Force Meeting late last month that cash crunch due to demonetisation of high-value currency notes has only added to the problem on the ground slowing down the entire digital rollout process.

    Further impeding STB seeding is the slowing registration of MSOs who’d actually do the work on the ground.

    MIB List of Cancelled Registrations

    Meanwhile, MIB yesterday released a list of 44 MSOs whose registrations have been cancelled or their proposal for licences closed – as against 42 in October and 29 at the end of September 2016.These cancellations exclude four cases – Kal Cables of Chennai, Godfather Communication Pvt. Ltd of Amritsar, Digi Cable Network (India) Pvt Ltd of Mumbai, and Intermedia Cable Communication Pvt. Ltd of Delhi — in which provisional or permanent registrations were issued after high courts stayed the cancellation orders in petitions filed by these MSOs.

    Most of the other cases in the list of cancelled registrations had failed to get security clearance from the MHA. However, there are cases of many MSOs holding provisional licences not completing certain formalities relating to shareholders and so on.

    According to the latest list up to 30 November 2016, the areas of operation of two MSOs (one each in the permanent and provisional lists) have been revised or corrected after 31 October 2016.Of the new licensees, three (UCS Broadband Private Limited of Lucknow, Elxire IT Services Pvt. Ltd of Haryana and Microsense Wireless Pvt. Ltd of Chennai) have got pan-India licences. Maury Diginet Pvt. Ltd of Bihar has got pan-India licence for Phase II, III and IV.

    The other new registrations after October 2016 include state-wide licences or for specific districts in Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Rajasthan, Telengana, Andhra Pradesh, Manipur, Odisha, Punjab, Delhi and Tripura.In one of the meetings of stakeholders at MIB it was revealed that though there were a reported 6,000 MSOs in the country, but only a handful of them had come forward to register.

    ALSO READ:
    MIB’s digital deadline dilemma: to relax or not

    30 MSOs got provisional licences in Oct, taking total to 1033