ITV

Tag: Uplinking and downlinking guidelines

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Automatic renewal of TV channels subject to fee and ten-year validity

    NEW DELHI: The Government, which had said that payment of annual permission fee sixty days before the due date will by itself be sufficient permission for continuation of a channel for a further period of one year, has clarified that all the TV channels and Teleports are likely to benefit from this decision provided the validity of 10-year permission is available.

    Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore said that broadcasters which hold valid permission for uplinking and/or downlinking will not be required to obtain annual Renewal Permission from the Ministry in conformity with the policy guidelines for uplinking and downlinking of TV channels.

    He told Parliament that the Ministry had taken initiatives to promote the ease of doing business in view of commitment to the vision of the Government and Prime Minister:

    The Government had also done away with the restrictions imposed under clauses 2.1.4 and 3.1.15 of the Uplinking Guidelines dated 5 December 2011 and clause 1.10 of the Downlinking Guidelines dated 5 December 2011 regarding appointment at top management position with minimum 3 years of prior experience in a media company (media companies) operating News/Non-News and Current Affairs TV Channels. .

    It has also been decided that in view of the exemption mentioned in Master Circular of RBI dated 1 July 2014, regarding the Exchange Earner’s Foreign Currency (EEFC) account holders, the broadcasters and Teleport Operators who have EEFC account, may now make payment in foreign exchange towards availing transponder services on foreign satellite for uplinking of TV channels/Teleports/DSNG Vans, to the Satellite service providers without approval of the Ministry.

  • Report details of TV channels by Mar-end or face action, teleports warned

    NEW DELHI: Teleports which fail to give full information of TV channels uplinked or downlinked by them within 15 days will be considered as lapsed and action initiated to cancel permission.

    The Information and Broadcasting Ministry said in a note put on its website but dated 17 March that all teleports have to report within fifteen days according to the formula attached to the notice on mib.nic.in.

    The Ministry had on 7 January 20I3 directed all the teleport operators having permission for up-linking and down-linking of TV channels to furnish the detailed list of TV Channels being uplinked from their teleport every month.

    The note said: “It has come to the notice of this Ministry that some of the teleport operators are still not furnishing the above monthly report and those who are furnishing the report, the data do not match with the permissions issued by this Ministry for uplinking/downlinking of TV channels from their respective teleports.

    The Ministry had decided that all the teleport operators having permission for up-linking and down-linking of TV channels shall immediately furnish details of the permissions issued by Ministry till date for uplinking/downlinking of TV channels from their teleports in the fixed proforma.

    Teleports who do not give such information will be presumed to be non-functional and action will be initiated for cancellation of the teleport permission.

    “Furnishing this information is mandatory and non-compliance will be construed as violation of the uplinking guidelines”, the Ministry said.