Lok Sabha Question No. 1020 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-02-08
Subject: Foreign Broadcasting/Telecasting in Border Areas
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: YOGI ADITYANATH, MANSHANKAR NINAMA, BHARAT SINGH

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1020

(TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.02.2017)

## FOREIGN BROADCASTING/TELECASTING IN BORDER AREAS

## 1020.  SHRI YOGI ADITYA NATH: SHRI MANSHANKAR NINAMA: SHRI BHARAT SINGH:

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

- (a) whether foreign broadcast/telecast including from Pakistan is being carried out in the majority of border areas of the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the said channels broadcast false information and try to mislead our youth and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the appropriate steps taken by the Government  to  stop  the  foreign broadcasting/telecasting in border areas of the country;
- (d) whether the Government proposes to set high power transmitters;
- (e) if so, the time by which it is likely to be done and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (f) the details of the schemes to promote Indian broadcasting/telecasting in the border areas?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

{COL RAJYAVARDHAN RATHORE (Retd.)}

- (a) & (b) Prasar Bharati has informed that there are some programmes signals from neighboring countries including Pakistan received at border regions of India.

All programmes and advertisements telecast on TV Channels are required to adhere  to  the  Programmes  and  Advertising  Codes  prescribed  under  the  Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and Rules therein.

Rules 6(6) of the Cable TV Rules specifies that ' no cable operator shall carry or include in his cable service any television broadcast or channel which has not been registered by the Central Government for being viewed within the territory of India'.  All authorized officers have also been advised to ensure that no TV channels, which are not permitted, are transmitted in their District by any cable operator, vide communication  dated  08 th   July  2016.    Ministry  of  Home  Affairs  has  also  been requested to direct their agencies to inform authorized officers whenever transmission of unpermitted channels are noticed for appropriate action.

Government has also set up an Electronic Media Monitoring Centre (EMMC) to monitor the content of private television channels with reference to the violation of Programmes and Advertising Codes.

(c) to (f) As far as Doordarshan is concerned, strengthening/expansion of TV coverage in border areas of the country to counter foreign TV signal in the border areas is a priority for Doordarshan. Special schemes for expansion and improvement of Doordarshan services in the border areas have been formulated from time to time. At present, 243 TV transmitters of varying power are functioning in border districts of the country. All the areas not covered by terrestrial transmission (including those in  border  areas)  along  with  rest  of  the  country,  have  been  provided  with  multichannel TV coverage through Doordarshan's free to air DTH service, ' DD Free Dish'. DTH signals can be received anywhere in the country including border areas with  the  help  of  small  sized  dish  receiver  units.  For  further  strengthening  of Doordarshan terrestrial TV coverage, projects to set up five new High Power TV transmitters in J&K have been approved.

As far as AIR is concerned, AIR has already set up High Power MW & FM transmitters at various locations across the country which are capable of broadcasting of AIR programmes  across  borders. In addition to terrestrial transmission, 31 channels of AIR are available on Doordarshan's DTH platform (DD Free Dish), which can be received by using set top Box throughout the country. Apart from  this,  13  popular  channels  of  All  India  Radio  can  also  be  received  through internet by browsing AIR's website <allindiaradio.gov.in> or by downloading suitable apps on iOS/ Android/ Windows based mobile phones.

For strengthening AIR programmes along the borders, new High Power FM transmitters  have  been  approved  for  installation  at  various  locations  across  the country as given in Annexure. The completion time to set up these stations cannot be  specified  at  this  stage  as  these  stations  are  presently  at  various  phases  of installation. However, AIR is taking all the necessary steps to set up these stations as early as possible.

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## ANNEXURE  AS  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (c)  to  (f)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1020 TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.02.2017

## List of  High  Power FM  Transmitters  approved to be setup  along  the border  areas

| S. NO.   | PLACE                            | STATE         | POWEROF THE PROPOSED TRANSMITTERS                       | NAMEOFBORDERCOVER                         |
|----------|----------------------------------|---------------|---------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|
| 1.       | DHUBRI                           | ASSAM         | 10KWFM ( AS A REPLACEMENT OF EXISTING6KWFM TRANSMITTER) | INDO-BANGLADESH BORDER                    |
| 2.       | GREEN RIDGE (URI SECTOR)         | JAMMU&KASHMIR | 10 KWFM                                                 | INDO- PAK BORDER                          |
| 3.       | HIMBOTINGLA (KARGIL)             | JAMMU&KASHMIR | 10 KWFM                                                 | INDO- PAK BORDER                          |
| 4.       | NAUSHERA                         | JAMMU&KASHMIR | 10 KWFM                                                 | INDO- PAK BORDER                          |
| 5.       | PATNITOP (UDHAMPUR)              | JAMMU&KASHMIR | 10 KWFM                                                 | INDO- PAK BORDER                          |
| 6.       | AMRITSAR                         | PUNJAB        | 20KWFM                                                  | INDO- PAK BORDER                          |
| 7.       | CHAUNTAN HILL                    | RAJASTHAN     | 20KWFM                                                  | INDO- PAK BORDER                          |
| 8.       | BELONIA                          | TRIPURA       | 10KWFM ( AS A REPLACEMENT OF EXISTING6KWFM TRANSMITTER) | INDO-BANGLADESH BORDER                    |
| 9.       | COOCHBEHAR                       | WEST BENGAL   | 10KWFM                                                  | INDO-BANGLADESH BORDER                    |
| 10.      | DARJEELING                       | WEST BENGAL   | 10KWFM                                                  | INDO-BANGLADESH BORDER INDO- NEPAL BORDER |
| 11.      | KRISHNANAGAR                     | WEST BENGAL   | 10KWFM                                                  | INDO-BANGLADESH BORDER                    |
| 12-17    | 6 LOCATIONS IN INDO-NEPAL BORDER | UK, UP &BIHAR | 10KWFM                                                  | INDO-NEPAL BORDER                         |