TV channels should broadcast 30 minutes of ‘nationwide curiosity’ content material each day: Govt’s new rule

The Centre’s new pointers make it necessary for tv channels, particularly leisure channels, to broadcast content material of nationwide curiosity and public significance for half-hour. The rules for uplinking and downlinking have been introduced in mild of the federal government’s intention to make India an uplinking hub. It additionally introduced leisure in compliance for TV channels. Issued in 2005 for the primary time, the rules have been final revised in 2011. 

TV channels must broadcast half-hour of public curiosity content material on a regular basis, together with themes of nationwide curiosity equivalent to schooling, literacy, agriculture and rural improvement, well being and household welfare, science and expertise, ladies welfare, welfare of weaker sections of the society, environmental safety, cultural heritage and nationwide integration. 

The federal government is not going to present the content material for the channels. TV channels are free to create and broadcast their very own content material, I&B Secretary Apurva Chandra stated.

In the meantime, the ‘Pointers for Uplinking and Downlinking of Tv Channels in India, 2022′, accepted by the Cupboard, enable restricted legal responsibility partnerships and firms to permit uplinking of international channels from Indian teleports. 

The transfer is predicted to permit TV channels from Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal to uplink from India as a substitute of Singapore, the popular uplinking hub for channels within the subcontinent. Solely 30 channels are uplinked from India out of the 897 registered channels. 

Sanjiv Shankar, Joint Secretary (Broadcasting) stated that the requirement of searching for permission for dwell telecast of occasions has been accomplished away with. Now solely prior registration of occasions shall be required to be telecast dwell. Furthermore, no prior permission for altering of language or conversion mode of transmission from Customary Definition (SD) to Excessive Definition (HD) or vice versa shall be required. 

The rules additionally grant permission for a information company for a five-year interval towards one 12 months at current. It additionally acknowledged that information gathering gear aside from Digital Satellite tv for pc Information Gathering (DSNG), equivalent to optic fibre, again pack, cellular, would require no separate permission.

(With PTI inputs)

Additionally learn: As an alternative of crimson tape, govt created crimson carpet for buyers: PM Modi