Private TV channels told to show 30 minutes of ‘socially relevant’ programmes everyday

The data & broadcasting ministry has directed all non-public TV channels to indicate half-hour of programmes every day on problems with “nationwide significance” and “social relevance”. The mandate is a part of the brand new uplinking and downlinking pointers for TV channels launched by the ministry in New Delhi on Wednesday.

It has recognized eight key areas on which these reveals could be based mostly: well being, training, unfold of literacy, empowerment of individuals from weaker sections of the society, atmosphere, nationwide integration, cultural heritage and science & know-how.

The ministry, after deliberations with non-public TV channels and specialists, might be issuing a separate advisory on what sort of reveals could be made, data & broadcasting secretary Apurva Chandra stated. “The content material might be of the channels, not the federal government’s, and we are going to solely see if they’re being telecast. These reveals need to be in public curiosity,” Chandra stated, including that the foundations have been launched after the approval of the Union Cupboard.

Underneath the brand new pointers, TV channels uplinking in frequency bands apart from the C-band might be compulsorily required to encrypt their alerts.

The transfer is aimed in the direction of stopping unauthorised entry of TV channels on Free Dish, the Prasar Bharati-owned free-to-air platform, as a consequence of co-location on satellite tv for pc. Prior to now, a number of broadcasters had filed complaints towards one broadcaster for allegedly flouting guidelines and importing channels in an unencrypted format.

“It will be certain that no channel could be out there on Free Dish with out paying the slot charge,” stated one broadcaster, welcoming the transfer.

The federal government has for the primary time launched a penalty for misuse of permission by subletting, and likewise introduced that curiosity at 1% might be charged on late cost of the annual permission charge.

The safety deposit has been elevated to twice the annual permission charge as many channels do not pay the charge, officers stated.

For the reside telecast of occasions, whereas solely prior registration of the occasions can be essential from now, non-news channels would nonetheless need to pay a charge for non permanent uplinking of reside occasions.

The brand new guidelines allow Indian teleports for use by international channels for downlinking overseas, which the federal government believes will assist earn international alternate. Earlier guidelines didn’t allow international channels to uplink content material from India for downlinking overseas.

The sooner pointers have been issued in 2011, and plenty of adjustments have been made to make the method of clearances quicker, Chandra stated.

The consolidated pointers are geared toward easing the difficulty of permissions to corporations registered in India for uplinking and downlinking of TV channels, organising of teleports and teleport hubs, use of digital satellite tv for pc information gathering / satellite tv for pc information gathering / digital information gathering methods, uplinking by Indian information companies and non permanent uplinking of reside occasions.

The brand new pointers have eliminated sure restrictions for the switch of a channel from one entity to a different and likewise eliminated the requirement of clearance for change of language and from SD to HD conversion. These would now want solely to be intimated to the federal government and wouldn’t require any permission.

Chandra stated ease of compliance for a permission holder has been the main focus of the brand new pointers and therefore particular timelines have been proposed for the grant of permission. Underneath new guidelines, a channel could be uplinked by utilizing amenities of a couple of teleport or satellite tv for pc.