GUIDELINES
FOR UPLINKING OF NEWS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS TV CHANNELS
FROM INDIA
PREAMBLE
The Union Government has revised the policy for uplinking
of TV channels from India, insofar it relates to the
News and Current Affairs channels. Accordingly, the
guidelines for permission/approval for uplinking of
News and Current Affairs TV channels from India, have
been framed for immediate compliance.
Channels
which do not have any news and current affairs content
will, however, continue to be eligible to uplink from
India, irrespective of ownership, equity structure
or management control.
The
use of all equipment/platforms for collection of footage/news
by channels uplinked from outside for specific programme(s)/event(s)
of temporary duration will be entertained on recommendation
from the PIB and permitted on a case to case basis,
in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs
and other Ministries/Departments concerned.
I.
APPLICABILITY
· These guidelines will apply to existing News
and Current Affairs TV channels uplinked from India
as well as to those proposing to uplink from India.
·
For the purposes of these guidelines (i) News &
Current Affairs channel means a channel which has
any element of news and current affairs in its programme
content; and (ii) an existing channel means any channel
which has been permitted by the Ministry of Information
& Broadcasting to uplink from India. Existing
channels will be required to conform to these guidelines
within a period of one year from the date of issue
of these guidelines.
II.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
An applicant company desirous of uplinking news and
current affairs TV channel(s) from India will be considered
eligible, if it fulfils the following criteria:-
It is registered/incorporated in India under the Companies
Act, 1956,
Foreign equity holding in the applicant company does
not exceed 26% of the total paid up capital,
Majority of its Board of Directors are Resident Indians,
CEO of the applicant company, known by any designation,
and/or Head of the channel is a Resident Indian,
News Editor(s) or authority(ies) exercising editorial
control over news and current affairs programme (s)
of the channel(s) are Resident Indians.
III.
PERIOD OF APPROVAL/PERMISSION
Ten (10) years.
IV.
BASIC CONDITIONS/OBLIGATIONS
· Permission for usage of facilities/infrastructure
for live news/footage collection and transmission,
irrespective of the technology used, will be given
to only those channels which are uplinked from India.
To ensure compliance of this policy in respect of
permissions/licences given/to be given for utilization
of VSAT/RTTS/Satellite Video Phone and similar other
infrastructure, which lends itself for use in uplinking/point
to point transfer of content for broadcast purposes,
separate guidelines will be issued by the Ministry
of Communications & Information Technology.
·
The channel/company will ensure that its news and
current affairs content provider(s), if any, are accredited
with the Press Information Bureau. Such accredited
content provider(s) only can use equipment/platform
for collection/transmission of news/footage.
·
The company/channel should ensure that it uses equipment
which is duly authorised and permitted by the competent
authority, or its content provider(s), if any, use
equipment duly authorised by the competent authority,
·
It will be obligatory on the part of the company to
take prior permission from the Ministry of Information
& Broadcasting, before effecting any alteration
in the foreign share holding pattern and/or in the
CEO/Board of Directors.
·
The company/channel will be liable to intimate to
the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting the
details of any foreigners/NRIs employed/engaged by
it for a period exceeding 60(sixty) days,
·
The company/channel shall undertake to comply with
the Programme & Advertising Codes, as laid down
in the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act,
1995 and the Rules framed thereunder,
·
It shall keep record of the content uplinked for a
period of 90 days and produce the same before any
agency of the Government, as and when required,
·
It shall furnish such information, as may be required
by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting,
from time to time,
·
The company/channel shall provide for the necessary
monitoring facility, at its own cost, for monitoring
of programmes or content by the representatives of
the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting or
any other Government agency as and when so required,
·
The applicant company should use transponder on a
satellite in C-Band only and the same should have
been co-ordinated with INSAT system.
·
The applicant company/channel shall comply with all
the terms and conditions of the permission/approval
prescribed by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
and failure to comply with any of the terms and conditions
will result in withdrawal of such permission/approval
and suspension/cancellation of the wireless operating
licence issued by the WPC.
V.
PROCEDURE
· The applicant company shall apply to the
Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
in triplicate in the prescribed proforma (Form 2.1)
along with affidavits in Form 2A and 2B and share
holding pattern of the company as per annexures (Table
I & II),
·
On receipt of the applications and the affidavit as
mentioned above, if the applicant company is found
eligible, its request will be sent for security clearance
to the Ministry of Home Affairs and for clearance
of usage of satellite to the Department of Space,
·
On receipt of these clearances, the applicant company
will be permitted by the Ministry of Information &
Broadcasting to uplink its channel(s) through an authorised
hub/teleport.
VI.
TRANSITORY ARRANGMENTS
· Content Providers/Channels who are currently
using VSAT/RTTS/Satellite Video Phone and similar
other infrastructure, which lends itself for use for
uplinking/ point-to-point transfer of content for
broadcast purposes, will be allowed a maximum period
of three months to come within the framework
of these guidelines.
*******
