Lok Sabha Question No. 2016 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-02-12
Subject: Amendment to Sports Broadcasting Signals (Mandatory Sharing with Prasar Bharti) Act 2007
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: Jagdambika Pal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2016 (TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.02.2021)

## AMENDMENT TO SPORTS BROADCASTING SIGNALS (MANDATORY SHARING WITH PRASAR BHARTI) ACT 2007.

## 2016. SHRI JAGDAMBIKA PAL:

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

- (a)  whether  the  objective  of  the  Sports  Broadcasting  Signals  (Mandatory Sharing  With  Prasar  Bharti)  Act  2007  is  being  achieved,  if  so,  the  details thereof;
- (b)  whether the Government has any plans to amend the said Act, especially in light of the Supreme Court Judgement in Civil Appeal No. (S) 10732-10733 of 2017 delivered on August 22, 2017 and if so, the details thereof;

(c)  whether  the  Government  has  undertaken  any  consultation  process  for amending the said Act, if so, progress and details thereof; (d)  whether  the  Government  has  re-evaluated  the  need  of  the  Sports Broadcasting Signals (Mandatory Sharing With Prasar Bharti) Act 2007 in light of  the  transformation  of  the  public  consumption  of  content  over  mobile  and internet and if so, details thereof; and (e)  whether the Government has framed any policy or guidelines for notifying

- matches of national importance under the Act and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE; MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING; AND MINISTER OF HEAVY INDUSTRIES AND PUBLIC ENTERPRISES (SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)

(a): Yes, Sir.  The Sports Broadcasting Signals (Mandatory Sharing with  Prasar  Bharati)  Act,  2007  was  enacted  to  provide  access  to the largest number of listeners and viewers, on a free to air basis, of sporting events of  national  importance  through  mandatory sharing of sports broadcasting signals with Prasar Bharati and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.  Keeping in view the enabling provisions of the Act, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has been notifying national or international sporting events,  held  in  India  or  abroad,  as  'sporting  events  of  national importance'  for  the  purpose  of  sharing  of  the  live  broadcasting signal,  without  its  advertisements,  of  these  sporting  events  with Prasar  Bharati  by  the  content  rights  owner  or  holder.    Thus,  the content is available to largest number of listeners and viewers, on a free to air basis through Prasar Bharati.

(b),  (c)  &  (d):  The  Ministry  of  Information  and  Broadcasting  had initiated a proposal to amend Section 3(1) of the Sports Broadcasting Signals (Mandatory Sharing with Prasar Bharati) Act, 2007  in  consultation  with  various  stakeholders  so  as  to  enable

Prasar Bharati to retransmit the live broadcasting signals on its own terrestrial  network and Direct-to-Home network and on other television distribution platforms / networks where it is mandatory to broadcast  mandatory  channels  notified  by  the  Union  Government under Section 8 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995. A Writ Petition challenging provisions of the Act is pending before Hon'ble  High  Court  of Delhi. The  Ministry of  Information  and Broadcasting has decided to maintain status-quo in the matter. (e):  Yes,  Sir.  The  Ministry  of  Information  and  Broadcasting,  under the  Sports  Broadcasting  Signals  (Mandatory  Sharing  with  Prasar Bharati)  Act,  2007,  has  been  notifying  national  or  international matches, as 'sporting events of national importance' from time to time in consultation with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and  the  Prasar  Bharati. Further,  in  exercise  of  the  powers conferred by section 7 of the Sports Broadcasting Signals (Mandatory  Sharing  with  Prasar  Bharati)  Act,  2007,  the  Central Government has notified the Sports Broadcast Signals (Mandatory Sharing with Prasar Bharati) Rules, 2007.

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