Regulations Updated for Daily 30-Minute Programs on "National Interest": Changes for Broadcasting Channels
The Union Cabinet has accepted the latest revision of the 'Guidelines for Uplinking and Downlinking of Television Channels in India, 2022', marking a significant shift in the broadcasting landscape. Originally released in 2005 and revised in 2011, this current update comes after an 11-year gap, taking into account the technical advancements during that period.
One of the key changes in the new guidelines is the relaxation for television networks. This relaxation allows limited liability collaborations and businesses to uplink foreign networks from Indian teleports. The step is anticipated to enable networks of Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal to uplink from India instead of Singapore.
Entertainment channels now have a mandatory 30-minute daily public interest broadcast. However, the guidelines do not specify any particular topics for public interest content, allowing channels to create their own content according to the guidelines.
The need for seeking permission for real-time newscast of events has been eliminated. Prior registration of events to be telecast live would be necessary, but no prior authorization is required.
In terms of security, TV Channels uplinking in frequency band besides C-band must encrypt their signals. Television channels can use information celebration equipment other than Digital Satellite News Gathering (DSNG), such as optic fiber, backpack, mobile, without needing separate authorization.
The guidelines also address the issue of emergency situations. For a company/LLP with just two Directors/Partners, changes can be done subject to security clearance message such as a visit, to enable business decision making.
It's worth noting that the new guidelines do not repeat or alter any of the earlier bullet points. The I&B Secretary, Apurva Chandra, has stated that the government will not be providing any programs for public interest content transmission. Instead, channels are free to create their own content according to the guidelines.
Lastly, the consent for a news firm has been extended from one year to a five-year period. Currently, only 30 networks are uplinked from India out of the total 897 registered with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. With these new relaxations, we can expect to see more networks operating from India in the future. The specific channels permitted to uplink from India are not detailed in the available search results, but the potential for increased collaboration and diversity in television broadcasting is clear.
