Lok Sabha Question No. 3154 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-08-07
Subject: Foreign TV Channels
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: KESHAV PRASAD MAURYA, VIRENDRA  KUMAR, VIJAY KUMAR S.R.

**GOVERNMENT OF INDIA**

**MINISTRY OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING**

**LOK SABHA**

**UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3154**

**TO BE ANSWERED ON 7-8-2015**

**FOREIGN TV CHANNELS**

**3154. SHRI KESHAV PRASAD MAURYA:**

**DR. VIRENDRA KUMAR:**

**SHRI S.R. VIJAYAKUMAR:**

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

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1. the total number of TV channels being broadcasted in the country along with names of industrial houses who are operating the said channels, channel-wise;

1. the details of foreign TV channels who have been given permission for the Foreign Direct Investment during each of the last three years, channel-wise;

1. whether any foreign TV channels have changed their share holding pattern after submission of application, and if so, the details thereof and reasons therefor;

1. the total revenue earned by the Government from these foreign TV channels during the last three years;

1. the number of foreign channels/ companies which have flouted the norms set for broadcasting, channel/companywise during each of the last three years along with the steps taken by the Government in this regard; and

1. the steps taken by the Government to secure our cultural identity from foreign TV channels?

# ANSWER

**THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, MINISTER OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS AND MINISTER OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING [SHRI ARUN JAITLEY]**

(a) Ministry has permitted 822 TV Channels as on 5.8.2015 under Uplinking/Downlinking Guidelines. The details are available on Ministry website [www.mib.nic.in](http://www.mib.nic.in/) .

(b) 3 Broadcasting Companies having permission of 17 Foreign TV channels have reported having obtained permission regarding Foreign Direct Investment during last three years and current year.

(c) As per Downlinking Guidelines, for channels Uplinked from abroad the companies are not required to report changes in Share Holding Pattern to this Ministry.

(d) During current year and last three years, an amount of **Rs. 48.05 crore** have been received from Foreign TV channels towards ‘Registration Fee’ and ‘Annual Renewal Fee’ of these TV Channels.

(e)&(f): Content telecast on private satellite TV channels is regulated in accordance with the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and the Rules framed thereunder. There is no provision of pre-censorship of the content telecast on such TV channels. However, all programmes and advertisements telecast on such TV channels are required to adhere to the Programme and Advertising Codes prescribed under the said Act and the rules framed there under. Action is taken whenever any violation of said codes is noticed or brought to the notice of the Ministry. The said codes contain a whole range of parameters to regulate programmes and advertisements on TV channels. The details of action taken against Foreign TV Channels for violation of Programme and Advertisement codes during the last three years and the current year are at **Annexure-I** .

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**Annexure-I**

**Annexure referred to in part (e) &(f) of the reply of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3154 for reply on 7.8.2015, asked by Shri Keshav Prasad Maurya, Dr. Virendra Kumar and Shri S.R. Vijayakumar regarding Foreign TV Channels.**

**Action Taken on violation of Programme and Advertisement code by Private TV channels in last three years and current year.**

**Year – 2012**

|   **Sl. No.** | **Name of the Channel**             | **Reason for Show Cause Notice**                                                                                                                                                                      | **Details of action taken**                                                                                                             |
|---------------|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|             1 | All channels                        | News programmes on movement of troops                                                                                                                                                                 | An Advisory dated 11.04.2012 issued to all channels, NBA, IBF, NBSA & BCCC .                                                            |
|             2 | FX channel                          | Telecast of programme 'Harper's Island', 'Crash', 'Mad Men Sutra', 'Frasier', 'Saving Grace' and 'Scoundrels' showing obscene visuals                                                                 | A Warning dated 18.04.2012 was issued to the channel.                                                                                   |
|             3 | Sony TV                             | Telecast of  Hindi feature film 'The Dirty Picture' during day-time                                                                                                                                   | A letter dated 20.04.2012 was issued to the channel directing it not to air the Hindi feature film 'The Dirty Picture' during day time. |
|             4 | Sony TV                             | Telecast of Hindi feature film 'The Dirty Picture' in view of Order of Allahabad High Court.                                                                                                          | A letter dated 21.04.2012 was issued to the channel directing it not to air the Hindi feature film 'The Dirty Picture' during day time. |
|             5 | Sony Pix                            | Telecast of some English feature films, containing  content   offending  good taste and decency.                                                                                                      | A Warning dated 16.05.2012 was issued to the channel.                                                                                   |
|             6 | All News & Current Affairs channels | Reference dated 13.07.12 from NCPCR for issue of directive w.r.t. protection of Identity of Children in need of care and Protection and Juveniles in conflict with law.                               | A Directive dated 08.08.2012 was  issued to the all News & Current Affairs channels.                                                    |
|             7 | All News & Current Affairs channels | Telecast of programmes as news items showing clippings from films not certified for unrestricted public exhibition                                                                                    | An Advisory dated 19.09.2012 was issued to the channel.                                                                                 |
|             8 | Zee Trendz                          | Telecast of programme 'Bikini Destination' containing obscene, indecent and vulgar visuals                                                                                                            | An Advisory dated 05.11.2012 was issued to the channel.                                                                                 |
|             9 | All News & Current Affairs channels | Direct Telecast of  the events  round the clock  relating to public demonstration likely to encourage violence and against maintenance of law and order and likely to promote anti National attitude. | An Advisory dated 23.12.2012 was issued to the channel.                                                                                 |
|            10 | All News & Current Affairs channels | Direct Telecast of  the events  round the clock  relating to public demonstration likely to encourage violence and against maintenance of law and order and likely to promote anti National attitude. | An Advisory dated 29.12.2012 was issued to the channel                                                                                  |

**Year – 2013**

|   **Sl. No.** | **Name of the Channel**             | **Reason for Show Cause Notice**                                                                                                                                                                                    | **Details of action taken**                                                                                   |
|---------------|-------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|             1 | FTV                                 | Telecast of an advertisement of Vodka on 2.3.2011 in a programme Fashion TV Launch Party                                                                                                                            | An Advisory dated 17.01.2013 was  issued to the channel.                                                      |
|             2 | FTV                                 | Telecast of programme "Desigers in High Definition" on 11.9.11, "Chantellie Lingrie, Paris" on 12.09.11 & "Lingerie" on 15.09.11 and "15th Anniversary-Top Designers" showing obscene and women denigrating content | An Order dated 28.03.2013 was issued to the channel prohibiting the transmission of the channel for 10 days   |
|             3 | AXN                                 | Telecast of Hindi feature film 'Darkness Falls' -  'A' certified film.                                                                                                                                              | An order dated 25.04.2013 was issued to the channel  prohibiting the transmission of the channel for one day. |
|             4 | All channels                        | Telecast of  a programme which showing superstition and blind belief.                                                                                                                                               | An Advisory dated 07.06.2013 issued to all channels.                                                          |
|             5 | All News & Current Affairs channels | Telecast of  inflammatory and provocative news/programmes in a sensational manner.                                                                                                                                  | An Advisory dated  20.09.2013 was issued to the channel.                                                      |
|             6 | All channels                        | Guidelines for media reporting on children (NCPCR)                                                                                                                                                                  | An Advisory dated 17.10.2013 to all channels.                                                                 |
|             7 | All News & Current Affairs channels | Comparison of speech of the  Prime Minister  with the speech of other political leaders on Independence Day                                                                                                         | An Advisory dated 21.10.2013 was issued to the all News & Current Affairs channels.                           |

**Year – 2014**

|   **Sl. No.** | **Name of the Channel**             | **Reason for Show Cause Notice**                                                                                                                                                    | **Details of action taken**                                                                                                                                                                                              |
|---------------|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|             1 | WB                                  | Telecast of a  "V/UA" certified film "It's a Boy Girl Thing" showing obscene and women denigrating content                                                                          | Order dated 16.01.2014 was issued  for taking the channel off air for one day.                                                                                                                                           |
|             2 | All News & Current Affairs channels | Telecast of  Republic Day Parade with commentary, advised to carry the signals of DD with sign language interpretation                                                              | An Advisory dated 23.01.2014 was  issued to all news channels.                                                                                                                                                           |
|             3 | Sony TV                             | Telecast of objectionable Comedy Show 'Kahani Comedy Circus Ki'.                                                                                                                    | A Directive dated 20.05.2014 issued to Sony TV for compliance directions of the Court of the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities as also the provisions contained in the programme and advertisement codes. |
|             4 | All TV Channel                      | Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has raised concerns on depiction of rash, negligent and dangerous driving in Various programmes, serials, news features, etc. on TV channels. | A Advisory dated 23.05.2014 was issued to All TV Channels.                                                                                                                                                               |
|             5 | All TV Channel                      | Telecast of Advertisement on " Zaitoon Tara Edible Oil" The advertisement claims that edible oil prevents cancer.                                                                   | A Advisory dated 26.06.2014 was issued to All TV Channels.                                                                                                                                                               |
|             6 | All channels                        | TV Channels continue Telecast Films without displaying CBFC Certificates.                                                                                                           | A Advisory dated 29.05.2014 was issued to All TV Channels.                                                                                                                                                               |
|             7 | All TV Channel                      | Telecast objectionable advertisements which is upheld by CCC.                                                                                                                       | An Advisory dated 21/08/2014 was issued to all channel                                                                                                                                                                   |

**Year – 2015**

|   **Sl. No.** | **Name of the Channel**   | **Reason for Show Cause Notice**                                                             | **Details of action taken**                                                                                                  |
|---------------|---------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|             1 | All News Channels         | Telecast a programme of Republic Day Parade with sign language commentary on 26th Jan., 2015 | An Advisory dated 19.01.2015 was issued to the all News channels                                                             |
|             2 | All News Channels         | Telecast of documentary programme India's Daughter                                           | An Advisory dated 03.03.2015 was issued to the all News channels restraining not to telecast the said documentary programme. |
|             3 | All TV Channel            | Telecast of live coverage of counter-terrorism operations.                                   | An Advisory dated 20.03.2015 was issued to all TV channels.                                                                  |
|             4 | Aljazeera TV              | Telecast of News report carried wrong graphical map of India repeatedly.                     | An order was issued on 10.04.2015 to the channel to prohibit the transmission or re-transmission of  channel for 5 day.      |
|             5 | Russia Today TV           | Telecast of obscene programme 'Crazy Alert'                                                  | An Advisory dated 06.07.2015 was issued the channel.                                                                         |

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