Page 3 - Information And Broadcasting Ministry

Cable cos seek autonomy in pricing; IB ministry forwards request to Trai

According to Trai's new tariff order (NTO) regime, distributors can not break broadcaster bouquets and must offer them to customers without making any changes

Mini-India to come alive at G20 International Media Centre: I&B min on G20

A mini-India will come alive at the massive International Media Centre set up in the Bharat Mandapam complex here which will host the G20 Leaders' Summit later this week. Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Tuesday reviewed the preparations at the media site which will be the nerve centre for broadcasting the proceedings of the G20 meetings to the world. The media centre will host all domestic and international media delegates who will be in the national capital for coverage of the G20 Summit. "The domestic and international media will have a range of facilities here, be it broadband connectivity, media lounges, kiosks, among others," Thakur told PTI. The media centre can house over 3,000 media delegates and also has facilities such as small media booths for conducting one-on-one interviews, media briefing rooms with different capacities such as 50, 100 and 300 people. The live stand-up positions with Bharat Mandapam as the backdrop will also be available for me

Centre issues advisory for media against betting platform advertisements

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) said that advertisements of gambling/betting platforms pose financial and socio-economic risk for the consumers, especially children and youth

Trai issues consultation paper on regulatory framework for broadcast sector

DTH players and local cable operators had pushed back on Trai's last directions for the sector

Govt mulling increasing filming incentives for global production: I&B secy

India is mulling increasing the incentives offered to international production houses for filming in the country and also grant one-off perks for big-ticket films. Last year, the government unveiled an incentive scheme for audio-visual co-production where the Indian co-producer can claim a cash reimbursement of up to 30 per cent on qualifying expenditure in India, subject to a maximum of Rs 2 crore. Information and Broadcasting Secretary Apurva Chandra on Tuesday said the government is considering increasing the quantum of incentives as it realised that other countries are offering more attractive perks for filming. "We will reveal the quantum of increase shortly, the proposal is under consultation within the government," Chandra said at the CII Summit FX4th Global AVGC and Immersive Media Summit here. He said the government received six to seven applications from producers to film in the country under the incentive scheme but expressed displeasure that the initiative was not known

Centre planning more filming incentives for global production: IB secretary

India is mulling increasing the incentives offered to international production houses for filming in the country and also grant one-off perks for big-ticket films. Last year, the government unveiled an Incentive Scheme for Audio Visual Co-production where the Indian co-producer can claim a cash reimbursement of up to 30 per cent on qualifying expenditure in India, subject to a maximum of Rs 2 crore. Information and Broadcasting Secretary Apurva Chandra on Tuesday said the government is considering increasing the quantum of incentives as it realised that other countries are offering more attractive perks for filming. "We will reveal the quantum of increase shortly, the proposal is under consultation within the government," Chandra said at the 4th Global AVGC and Immersive Media Summit here. He said the government received six-seven applications from producers to film in the country under the incentive schemes but expressed displeasure that the initiative was not known to those in th

Online gaming content, advertising under purview of IB Min: Notification

Online gaming content and advertising have been brought under the purview of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, according to a government notification issued on Monday. In an amendment to the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, the subjects Films and Audio-Visual programmes/content made available by online content providers/publishers and online advertisements have been allocated to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry. "This will lead to coverage of online gaming content and online advertising. This covers all online advertising. We can amend the Information Technology Rules now," an official said.

E-auction of 808 FM radio stations soon, says IB minister Anurag Thakur

The government will soon conduct an e-auction of 808 FM radio stations across 284 cities to further increase the footprint of radio communication, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said on Sunday. Addressing the Regional Community Radio Sammelan (North) here, Thakur said the government has also eased the processes for getting a license to operate radio stations, particularly community radio, by reducing the number of compliances. He said India currently has 388 FM radio stations in 113 cities across 26 states and five Union Territories. "Government is now planning a third batch of e-auction of 808 channels across 284 cities soon to further expand radio services," Thakur said.

Best web series award added to Int'l Film Festival of India: Anurag Thakur

Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur has announced the addition of a new award category to the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) that will be presented to a show for its "artistic merit, storytelling excellence, technical prowess and overall impact". The Best Web Series Award will be given to an original web series on an OTT platform, originally shot and available in an Indian language, Thakur said on Twitter on Tuesday evening. "Delighted to announce the BEST WEB SERIES AWARD @IFFIGoa to be presented to an exceptional web series for its artistic merit, storytelling excellence, technical prowess and overall impact. "India is filled with exceptional talent; I encourage you to tell the story of a rising and aspirational New India - ready to lead the world, with a billion dreams and a billion untold stories," the Union minister tweeted. Thakur also said the award aims to "incentivise and create investment opportunities in India's OTT sector, encourage content

I&B Secretary Apurva mulls hosting an animation film festival in India

Information and Broadcasting Secretary Apurva Chandra on Thursday met Annecy Festival Director Michael Marin to explore the possibility of hosting an animation film festival in India. Chandra led the Indian delegation at the Annecy International Animation Festival in France to showcase India's prowess in creating animation and VFX (visual effects) content for global audiences. "The Animation, Gaming, Visual Effects and Comics (AVGC) Sector in India is making progress with the adoption of world-class techniques and innovative technologies, coupled with a pool of immensely talented professionals," Chandra said. He said India was among the few countries that provided cash incentives to foreign companies for making AVGC content in the country. "The incentives are the same as for shooting films in India. This is a huge opportunity for companies to benefit from this. As a country, we are committed to providing incentives to the industry, as well as supporting pre and post-production ...

Prasar Bharti issues directive to rename All India Radio as Akashvani

CEO of Prasar Bharati, Gaurav Dwivedi said that this decision was made long ago but was not operationalised

Trai recommends IB ministry to grant infra status to telcos, broadcasters

To ensure compliance, Trai suggested that the ministry may consider mandating a standard undertaking which would be required to be submitted by each service provider on an annual basis

Union Cabinet clears bill to change film certification, curb piracy

The bill is likely to primarily target film piracy and limit the release of pirated versions of movies, which cause financial damage to the film industry

Experts caution overlap in DIB legislation, fear regulatory overreach

In order to remove any confusion, industry experts want the government to step in and create a sync between various legislations

I&B ministry, Amazon sign pact to promote India's creative economy

Amazon India and the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry on Wednesday announced they signed a pact to boost India's creative economy. As part of the letter of engagement (LoE), Amazon and the ministry will help build pathways to promote creative talent in India, create capacity across eminent film and TV institutes, and globally showcase Made in India creative content. The LoE was signed at The National Media Centre here in presence of I&B Minister Anurag Thakur; Chetan Krishnaswamy, Vice President, Public Policy at Amazon India; and Gaurav Gandhi, Vice President, Asia Pacific, Prime Video. According to a press release issued by the company, Prime Video and miniTV will both work towards providing internships, and scholarships to students at Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) and Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTII). To further the 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' initiative, content from National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC), national

Will take action to stop vulgarity on OTT in the name of creativity: Thakur

Taking a tough stand on complaints against content on OTT platforms, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Sunday said vulgarity and abusive language was not acceptable in the name of creativity. Addressing a press conference here, Thakur said the government had taken a serious view on complaints of vulgarity and abusive language in content on OTT platforms and will not hesitate to take tough action to stop this trend. "These platforms were given freedom for creativity and not for obscenity and when one crosses the limit, then hurling abuses in the name of creativity cannot be accepted at all," Thakur said. "If there is a need to change the rules, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will not hesitate. It will take tough action to stop vulgarity and abusive language," the minister said. In January, Thakur had batted for creative autonomy and said adequate safeguards were in place to monitor content on OTT platforms. "Creativity should not be reined in, it

New Telecom Bill: National security, consumer safety to be priority

The Department of Telecom (DoT) has resolved issues regarding the possible dilution of the powers of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai)

Efforts afoot to have built-in satellite tuners in TV sets: Anurag Thakur

Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Monday said efforts are afoot to have a built-in satellite tuner in television sets to offer access to over 200 channels, a move that could make set-top boxes redundant. He said there has been a humongous expansion of general entertainment channels on Free Dish, which has helped attract crores of viewers. "I have made a new beginning in my department. If your television has a built-in satellite tuner, then there will be no need to have a separate set-top box. One can have access to more than 200 channels at the click of the remote," he told reporters. The minister, however, made it clear that the decision in this matter is yet to be taken. In December last year, Thakur had written to Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to issue directions to television manufacturers to adopt the standards issued by the Bureau of Industrial Standards for built-in satellite tuners. Television sets with built-in satel

Budget allocates Rs 4,692 cr for Ministry of Information and Broadcasting

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday announced a Rs 4,692-crore outlay for the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for 2023-24 as against Rs 4,182 crore in the revised estimates for the last fiscal. The allocation to the government's autonomous body, Prasar Bharati, has been increased to Rs 2,808.36 crore from Rs 2,764.51 crore allotted to it in the last fiscal. Sitharaman has allocated Rs 600 crore to the Broadcasting and Infrastructure Network Development scheme, which seeks to augment the broadcasting infrastructure, particularly in remote areas. The Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune, an autonomous body under the ministry, has received Rs 64.75 crore in the budget as against Rs 68.53 crore in the revised estimates last fiscal. The Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) in Kolkata has received Rs 95.13 crore in the budget as against Rs 60.1 crore in the previous fiscal. The National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) has ..

Creative autonomy necessary, but with safeguards: Anurag Thakur

Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Sunday made a strong pitch for creative autonomy and said there were adequate safeguards in place for monitoring content on OTT platforms. Creativity should not be reined in, it should have autonomy. But it should not be too much that anything can be shown. We have kept adequate provisions and till date they are working fine, Thakur said, participating in the 75th anniversary celebrations of 'Panchajanya' weekly, the RSS mouthpiece. Thakur said creative autonomy was necessary with adequate safeguards to ensure that it was not misused. He said the ministry does receive complaints about content on over-the-top (OTT) platforms, but almost 95 per cent grievances are settled at the level of producers, while others get resolved at the second stage of the association of publishers of the content. The minister said only one per cent complaints reach the inter-departmental committee and it is ensured that strict action is taken in such