Lok Sabha Question No. 2265 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-15
Subject: Community Radio Stations
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: KAPIL MORESHWAR PATIL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2265

(TO BE ANSWERED ON 15.03.2017)

## COMMUNITY RADIO STATIONS

## 2265.   SHRI KAPIL MORESHWAR PATIL:

Will the Minister of INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING be pleased to state:

- a) whether the Government has granted permission for 519 community radio stations to operate in the country and if so, the details thereof; and
2. (b)  whether the Government has granted private FM channels and community radio stations to broadcast news and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefore ?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING [COL RAJYAVARDHAN RATHORE (Retd.)]

(a)  Government  has  issued  554  Letters  of  Intent  (LOIs),  out  of  which  265  Grant  of Permission Agreements (GOPAs) have been signed for setting up of Community Radio Stations across the country. State wise numbers of LOIs issued and GOPAs signed are at Annexure.

(b)  Under  the  extant  to    FM  Radio  Phase-III  policy  guidelines,  Private  FM  radio permission  holders  are  permitted  to  carry  the  news  bulletins  of  All  India  Radio  in exactly same format, on such terms and conditions as may be mutually agreed with Prasar Bharati. No other news and current affairs programmes are permitted under the FM Radio Phase-III policy

Also, as per policy guidelines for setting up of community radio stations in India, the community radio permission holder shall not broadcast any programmes, which relate to news and current affairs and are otherwise political in nature . However, Community Radio Stations can  broadcast  news and current  affairs  contents  sourced exclusively from  AIR  in  its  original  form  or  translated  into  the  local  language/dialect.  AIR  shall source its news to community radio stations without any charges.

The broadcast pertaining to the following categories will be treated as non-news and current affairs broadcast and will therefore be permissible on community radio stations and private FM channels.

- a) Information pertaining to sporting events excluding live coverage. However live commentaries of sporting events of local nature may be permissible.

- b) Information pertaining to Traffic and Weather;
- c) Information pertaining to and coverage of cultural events, festivals;
- d) Coverage  of  topics  pertaining  to  examinations,  results,  admissions,  career counseling;
- e) Availability of employment opportunities;
- f) Public announcements pertaining to civic amenities like electricity, water supply, natural calamities, health alerts etc., as provided by the local administration;
- g) Such  other  categories  not  permitted  at  present  that  may  subsequently  be specifically permitted by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting from time to time.

In a PIL filed by Common Cause vs UOI, Hon'ble Supreme Court has asked the Government to consider permitting Community Radio Stations and Private FM stations to  broadcast  news  and  current  affairs  programmes.  The  matter  is  sub-judice  in  the Hon'ble Supreme Court.

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## ANNEXURE AS REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF THE LSUQ NO. 2265 TO BE ANSWERED ON 15.03.2017

State/UT wise numbers of Letters of Intent and Grant of Permission Agreements signed to operate Community Radio Stations in India.

| Sr. No.           | State/UT                    | No. of Letters of Intent issued   | No. of GOPAs Signed   |
|-------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------|
| 1                 | Andhra Pradesh              | 15                                | 6                     |
| 2                 | Arunachal Pradesh           | 4                                 | Nil                   |
| 3                 | Assam                       | 14                                | 4                     |
| 4                 | Bihar                       | 28                                | 8                     |
| 5                 | Chhattisgarh                | 19                                | 6                     |
| 6                 | Goa                         | 1                                 | 1                     |
| 7                 | Gujarat                     | 16                                | 8                     |
| 8                 | Haryana                     | 23                                | 14                    |
| 9                 | Himachal Pradesh            | 8                                 | 3                     |
| 10                | Jammu and Kashmir           | 4                                 | 1                     |
| 11                | Jharkhand                   | 7                                 | 2                     |
| 12                | Karnataka                   | 34                                | 19                    |
| 13                | Kerala                      | 16                                | 12                    |
| 14                | Madhya Pradesh              | 39                                | 20                    |
| 15                | Maharashtra                 | 49                                | 27                    |
| 16                | Manipur                     | 8                                 | 2                     |
| 17                | Meghalaya                   | Nil                               | Nil                   |
| 18                | Mizoram                     | Nil                               | Nil                   |
| 19                | Nagaland                    | 3                                 | Nil                   |
| 20                | Orissa                      | 41                                | 13                    |
| 21                | Punjab                      | 13                                | 8                     |
| 22                | Rajasthan                   | 31                                | 11                    |
| 23                | Sikkim                      | 3                                 | Nil                   |
| 24                | Tamil Nadu                  | 59                                | 35                    |
| 25                | Telangana                   | 15                                | 9                     |
| 26                | Tripura                     | 3                                 | 2                     |
| 27                | Uttarakhand                 | 13                                | 9                     |
| 28                | Uttar Pradesh               | 50                                | 26                    |
| 29                | West Bengal                 | 21                                | 6                     |
| Union Territories | Union Territories           |                                   |                       |
| 30                | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 1                                 | Nil                   |
| 31                | Chandigarh                  | 3                                 | 3                     |
| 32                | NCT of Delhi                | 9                                 | 6                     |
| 33                | Dadra and Nagar Haveli      | Nil                               | Nil                   |
| 34                | Daman and Diu               | Nil                               | Nil                   |
| 35                | Lakshadweep                 | Nil                               | Nil                   |
| 36                | Puducherry                  | 4                                 | 4                     |
| GRAND TOTAL       | GRAND TOTAL                 | 554                               | 265                   |