Private channels to have 30-min slot for 'public interest' programmes

Part of new uplinking-downlinking rules prescribed by I&B ministry

For the first time ever, private television (TV) channels available in India have been mandated to run 30-minute daily programmes of national importance and social relevance as part of their new service obligation. The guideline has been stipulated in the new uplinking-downlinking rules prescribed by the information & broadcasting (I&B) ministry on Wednesday.

The guidelines, which have come after a gap of 11 years, while aiming to ease issues regarding permissions to companies for uplinking and downlinking of TV channels, has stumped broadcasters pertaining to the new service obligation.

The obligation is expected to cut into the commercial programming time of channels, leading to a likely loss of Rs 100 crore per month, according to industry sources.

Channels uplinked from India, as well as from foreign soil, will have to comply with the new service obligation, broadcasters that Business Standard spoke to said.

Industry sources say that the I&B ministry had accepted a recommendation made by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) way back in 2008 with regard to the new service obligation. However, the Trai recommendation for compensating broadcasters for discharging this obligation has not been included in the new set of guidelines.

“The move will affect all genres since it is a uniform service obligation that all channels available in India have to follow. The loss to the broadcast sector could be to the tune of Rs 100 crore per month because a minimum of 30 minutes every day will have to be set aside for this obligation, which will affect commercial programming time of channels,” said a top official at a national broadcast company. He declined to be named owing to the sensitivity of the matter.

But I&B Secretary Apurva Chandra, while addressing the media on Wednesday, said the ministry would consult broadcasters with regard to the implementation of the service obligation.

“We will issue a general advisory shortly after speaking to stakeholders regarding the modalities to fulfil the obligation to offer a 30-minute slot for content related to national and public interest,” said Chandra.

He added that the eight areas of national importance and social relevance had been identified for discharging the service obligation.

These include education and the spread of literacy, agriculture and rural development, health and family welfare, science and technology, welfare of women, welfare of the weaker sections of society, protection of the environment and of cultural heritage, and national integration.

Some of the other guidelines as stipulated by the government include setting up of teleports and teleport hubs, use of digital satellite news gathering (SNG) and SNG systems, as well as uplinking by Indian news agencies and temporary uplinking of a live event by channels.

The government has also asked broadcasters uplinking TV channels in a frequency band other than the C brand to do so by encrypting their TV signals.

According to the new guidelines, no prior permission for live telecast of events would be needed; only prior registration of events to be telecast live would be necessary.

Also, a channel can be uplinked by using facilities of more than one teleport or satellite, against the use of only one teleport or satellite at present.