Lok Sabha Question No. 3117 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-19
Subject: Mergers and Acquisitions in the Media Sector
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: Shri Manickam Tagore B, Shri Vijayakumar Alias Vijay Vasanth

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3117 (TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.03.2025)

## MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS IN THE MEDIA SECTOR

## 3117.  SHRI VIJAYAKUMAR ALIAS VIJAY VASANTH: SHRI MANICKAM TAGORE B:

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

- (a) the number of mergers and acquisitions in the media sector during the last five years specifically highlighting acquisitions by large conglomerates like big players and their impact on media diversity and competition;
- (b) the current market share of major media conglomerates in India in both traditional and digital media and the ways in which this has changed during the last five years;
- (c) the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  during  the  last  five  years  to  ensure  that  media consolidation particularly in the ownership of news channels and OTT platforms does not affect media plurality and the representation of diverse viewpoints; and
- (d) the number of news and entertainment channels acquired by large media corporations during the last five years and  the extent to which  this has affected editorial independence and diversity of content?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING; AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS [DR. L. MURUGAN]

(a)  to  (d):  The  Competition  Commission  of  India  (CCI)  has  approved  seven  mergers  and acquisitions  (Combinations)  notices  in  the  media  sector  during  the  last  five  years.  With  a view to promote and sustain competition in markets, CCI approves mergers and acquisitions with suitable remedies on a case-to-case basis.

As  per  the  provisions  of  Policy  Guidelines  for  Uplinking  and  Downlinking  of Television Channels 2022, 109 private satellite TV channels have been transferred during the last  five  years.  The  relevant  orders  including  those  from  National  Company  Law  Tribunal (NCLT) and the Competition Commission of India (CCI) are taken into consideration while processing the applications for transfer, merger, acquisitions etc. To  address  issues  relating  to  content,  the  Cable  Television  Networks  (Regulation) Act, 1995 and Cable Television Network (Amendment) Rules 2021 inter-alia provides that and transmitted/re-transmitted  through  the  Cable  TV  network  are  required  to  adhere  to  the Programme  Code  and  Advertising  Code  prescribed  under  the  Act  and  the  Rules  framed all programmes and advertisements telecast on private satellite TV channels thereunder.

For Print Media, the newspapers have to adhere to 'Norms of Journalistic Conduct' brought  out  by  the  Press  Council  of  India  (PCI)  which,  inter  alia,  restrains  publication  of fake/  defamatory/  misleading  news.  The  Council  holds  inquiry  into  alleged  violations  of Norms,  as  per  section  14  of  the  Act,  and  may  warn,  admonish  or  censure  the  newspaper, editors, journalists, etc. as the case may be.

With regard to Digital news publishers, the Government has notified the Information Technology  (Intermediary  Guidelines  and  Digital  Media  Ethics  Code)  Rules,  2021  ("IT Rules,  2021")  on  25.02.2021  under  the  Information  Technology  Act,  2000.  These  Rules provide for a code of ethics for the publishers of news and current affairs on digital media, which, inter alia, requires adherence to the Norms of Journalistic Conduct brought out by PCI and the Programme Code under Cable Television Network Regulation Act, 1995.

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