The Government of India issued newly approved guidelines for uplinking and downlinking of TV channels in India on Wednesday. After approximately 11 years, the new guidelines were released. “We have released the new guidelines after around 11 years. We’ve taken the approval of the Union Cabinet, as per the improvement we have considered over the years… we have made multiple improvements in terms of ease of doing business’, ANI quoted Apurva Chandra, Secretary, Ministry of I&B, as saying.
“We have kept a provision that a 30-min slot should be given for things of national importance or national interest; 7-8 themes given for the same – women empowerment, agriculture, and teaching. We have tried to bring everyone on a level-playing field”, Chandra added.
The guidelines were lastly updated in 2011.
According to the new guidelines, prior permission for live telecasting of events is no longer required, only prior registration of the events to be telecast is required. Furthermore, no prior permission is required for a change of language or conversion of transmission mode from Standard Definition (SD) to High Definition (HD) or vice versa, only prior notification is required.
As for ease of doing business, the guidelines state that specific timelines have been proposed for a grant for permission and Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) entities can also seek permission. Moreover, LLPs / companies would be allowed to uplink foreign channels from Indian teleports which would create employment opportunities and make India a teleport-hub for other countries, it stated.