ITV

Tag: uplink

  • No new channels added in December 2017

    No new channels added in December 2017

    BENGALURU: Since 31 October 2017, the number of licences issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has remained the same. According to an MIB status report, permitted private satellite TV channels having valid permission in India stood at 877 as on 31 December 2017. No new licences were issued in November and December 2017.

    The government had issued licences to 45 channels in 2017 as compared to 75 in the previous calendar year. In all, permission has been granted to 1,099 channels. Permission was cancelled for 222 channels, with 66 in 2017 alone. 44.4 percent or 389 of the permitted channels were news and current affairs channels; 488 channels were non-news and current affairs channels.

    Of the 877 channels, 778 channels were permitted to both uplink from and downlink into India. Of these, 369 or 47.4 percent were news channels and 409 were non-news channels. Sixteen channels, of which 5 (31.25 percent) were news channels and 11 were non-news that have been permitted for uplink from, but not downlink into, India. Sixty-eight channels have been permitted only to downlink into India and not to uplink from the country. Of these 68 channels, 15 (22.1 percent) were news channels.

    Nine new channels (one news channel and 8 non-news channels) were allowed between 1 August and 31 August 2017. In September 2017, two licences and just one licence in October 2017 were granted.

  • MIB, DoS nudge TV channel to use Indian satellites

    MIB, DoS nudge TV channel to use Indian satellites

    MUMBAI: In what could be interpreted as unease of doing business instead of ease of it, the Indian government is nudging TV channels to deal with Indian entities if they employ the services of foreign satellites. And, till that happens, permissions are being withheld or delayed.

    A letter, dated mid January 2018, from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) to a Madhya Pradesh-based company owning and operating a TV channel suggested that as the Department of Space (DoS) was refusing to entertain the company’s application for a name change since it was uplinking to a foreign satellite, a strategy review could be considered.

    Pointing out that DoS was “not considering” the application for changes as the broadcaster stated in its application it would be using a foreign satellite—in this case, an ITU co-ordinated IS-17—MIB’s letter stated that DoS had also asked it to advise the applicant to “make effort to use” either an Indian satellite or teleports operating on domestic satellites.

    The applicant broadcaster has been given 15 days’ time by the MIB to respond with an update on plans for usage of an Indian satellite instead of a foreign satellite.

    The company in question had made an application for a name and logo change of the TV channel twice in November and December last year. In its present avatar, the channel is uplinked to IS-17 satellite and its license, according to the MIB letter, is valid till June 2018.

    These developments are taking place even as broadcast carriage regulator TRAI is in the process of holding consultations with stakeholders on the issue of ease of doing business in the broadcasting sector and its final recommendations are awaited. Towards the fag end of 2017, the regulator also separately floated a consultation paper on the various issues related to uplink and downlink of TV channels in India and industry submissions are still to flow in as the deadline was extended by the TRAI.

    Over the last 10 days, TRAI has had two separate meetings—one a closed-door meeting with broadcast, cable and radio sectors’ senior representatives and the other an open house discussion on National Telecom Policy 2018 in New Delhi—with the industry, wherein various regulatory irritants were, reportedly, highlighted, including the fact that use of foreign satellites could very well give an additional fillip to PM Modi’s dream of taking broadband services to every nook and corner of India.    

    The regulator, in its recent recommendations on providing broadband and voice call services aboard airplanes in Indian airspace, had suggested that domestic and foreign satellites both be allowed to provide in-flight connectivity subject to certain security concerns being addressed. It is still to be seen whether the telecom ministry and the DoS-ISRO combine give their assent to the usage of non-Indian satellites, too.

    Also Read :

    2017 was a regulatory roller coaster and the ride continues

    MIB reverts to earlier norms of seeking nod from ISRO on uplink/downlink of TV channels

    ISRO stresses on indigenization; TRAI for Open Sky policy

    MIB, TRAI allay industry fears on sat capacity leasing & content regulations
     

  • Govt warned 55 violators of programme & ad codes in 3 yrs, says Rathore

    NEW DELHI: The government issued 55 advisories or warnings since 2014 to various channels for violation of the Programme or Advertising Codes, the Parliament has been told.

    These include four advisories to all channels of which two were issued this year, one relating to telecast of Republic Day events with accompaniment of sign language.

    There were nineteen cases in 2014, 17 in 2015, 16 last year and three this year, the minister of state for information and broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore said.

    In most cases, channels have been issued warnings or advisories and in some cases to run apology scrolls.

    Permission to uplink and downlink private satellite TV channel is granted in accordance with the extant Policy Guidelines of Uplinking and downlinking of TV channels in India. Such permission holder companies, are required to abide by all the rules and regulations mentioned in the Policy Guidelines.

    Whenever any information/complaints about alleged irregularities in the functioning of any TV channel or their allied companies comes to the notice of this ministry, action is taken on case to case basis, under the provisions of the Policy Guidelines.

    In addition, all permitted broadcasters are required to ensure that all programmes and advertisements telecast on private satellite TV channels and transmitted/retransmitted through the Cable TV Network are required to adhere to the Programme and Advertisements Codes prescribed under the Cable Television Networks (Regulations) Act, 1995 and Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994 framed thereunder.

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    Govt rules out TV channel categorisation (updated)

     

  • 786 licensed Indian channels as on 31 January

    786 licensed Indian channels as on 31 January

    MUMBAI: The MIB has released the list of permitted private satellite TV channels in India as on 31 January, 2014.

    According to a report published by the Information & Broadcasting Ministry (I&B Ministry), as of 31 January, 2014, the number of permitted private satellite TV channels in the country stands at 786; out of which 389 are news and current affairs channels, while the remaining 397 are non-news and current affairs ones.

    An earlier report published by the I&B Ministry pegged the number of permitted private satellite TV channels in India as on 2 December, 2013 at 784, with 395 of these being non-news and current affairs channels, implying two non-news and current affairs channels have been added to the list between 2 December, 2013 and 31 January, 2014.

    Out of the 786 channels, 664 TV channels have been permitted for uplink as well as downlink from India. 31 TV channels permitted for uplink but not downlink in India and 91 channels have been permitted only to downlink into India (uplinked from aboard).

     

    Of the 786 permitted private satellite TV channels in the country, 369 news channels and 295 non-news channels have both up-linking and down-linking permission, four news and 27 non-news channels have permission only to uplink, while 16 news and 75 non-news channels have permission just to down-link

    Sometime ago, indiantelevision.com had reported how the I&B Ministry – already under the scanner for being too liberal in issuing licenses to broadcasters – was exercising restraint in a damage control exercise of sorts.

    It doesn’t come as a surprise that the Ministry official list released on 20 December, 2012 had 848 permitted private satellite TV channels which has gone down to 786 in the latest list.