Lok Sabha Question No. 1600 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-04
Subject: Mandatory DD Channels
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: DEVAJIBHAI GOVINDBHAI FATEPARA, BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB, SANJAY SHAMRAO DHOTRE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1600 (TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.03.2016)

## MANDATORY DD CHANNELS

1600.  SHRI DEVAJIBHAI G. FATEPARA : SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB: SHRI SANJAY DHOTRE:

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

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  made  any  changes  in  the  list  of  mandatory  Doordarshan channels required to be telecast by Multi System Operators (MSO)/Cable Operators in the country,  if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  existing  list  of  mandatory  Doordarshan channels;
- (b)  whether the Government has received complaints against Cable Operators for violation of mandatory regulations with respect of airing mandatory Doordarshan channels in the country during each of the last three years and the current year, if so, the details thereof, State/UTwise along with the action taken/being taken by the Government on such complaints so far;
- (c)  whether  the  cases  of  violation  of  Cable  Television  Networks  (Regulation)  Act,  1995  have come  to  the  notice  of  the  Government  during  the  said  period,  if  so,  the  details  thereof, State/UT-wise and Operator-wise along with the action taken/being taken by the Government against such violators;
- (d)  whether  the  Government  proposes  any  changes  in  the  said  Act  to  curb  the  increasing number of complaints against Cable Operators in the country; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

- (a):   Yes Madam. As per notification of 6.9.2013, it was mandated to carry 24 channels of Doordarshan including Lok Sabha channel, Rajya Sabha channel and Gyan Darshan channel in DAS (Digital Addressable System) areas and 9 channels in non-DAS areas. On the launch of Kisan channel the number of mandatory channels were increased to 25 in DAS and 10 in non-DAS areas vide notification dated 25.5.2015.

Details of the existing mandatory channels are given in Annexure.

(b)& (c): As per Clause 2(a) of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995, District Magistrate,  or  a  Sub-divisional  Magistrate,  or  a  Commisioner  of  Police  are  the  authorized officer within their local limits of jurisdiction and as per the Act, the authorized officers have the powers to take action against the violations of the provisions of the Cable Act including non-carriage of mandatory channels.  Ministry does not keep data of action taken by State Governments.  However, on receipt of a complaint in February 2014 that some Multi System Operators  (MSOs)  were  not  carrying  some  of  the  mandatory  channels,  an  advisory  was issued to  the  concerned  MSOs.  Another advisory  was also issued to defaulting MSOs on 12.06.2015.  11 (Eleven) workshops held in different places in the country were conducted for the  Nodal  Officers  of  States  and  Union  Territories  for  implementation  of  Phase-III  of Digitalization wherein it was also emphasized that State/UT Governments should ensure that MSOs/LCOs carry all the mandatory channels and to take action against the defaulters by the authorized officers at the time of issue of MSOs registrations for DAS notified areas. All MSO applicants are required to certify that they are carrying mandatory channels and are advised to carry these mandatorily, if not so.

(d)& (e): The provisions of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 are adequate to deal with the complaints against Cable Operators in the country.

## 1)  In DAS Areas

|   S.No | Name of Channel                | Genre                            |
|--------|--------------------------------|----------------------------------|
|      1 | DD National                    | General Entertainment (Hindi)    |
|      2 | DD News                        | News and Current Affairs         |
|      3 | DD Bharti                      | Infotainment                     |
|      4 | DD Urdu                        | Infotainment                     |
|      5 | DD Sports                      | Sports                           |
|      6 | DD India                       | Infotainment                     |
|      7 | DD Kashir                      | General Entertainment (Regional) |
|      8 | DD Punjabi                     | General Entertainment (Regional) |
|      9 | DD Girnar                      | General Entertainment (Regional) |
|     10 | DD Sahyadri                    | General Entertainment (Regional) |
|     11 | DD Saptagiri                   | General Entertainment (Regional) |
|     12 | DD Malayalam                   | General Entertainment (Regional) |
|     13 | DD Podhigai                    | General Entertainment (Regional) |
|     14 | DD Chandana                    | General Entertainment (Regional) |
|     15 | DD Bangla                      | General Entertainment (Regional) |
|     16 | DD North East                  | General Entertainment (Regional) |
|     17 | DD Bihar                       | General Entertainment (Hindi)    |
|     18 | DD Uttar Pradesh               | General Entertainment (Hindi)    |
|     19 | DD Rajasthan                   | General Entertainment (Hindi)    |
|     20 | DD Madhya Pradesh              | General Entertainment (Hindi)    |
|     21 | DD Oriya                       | General Entertainment (Regional) |
|     22 | Gyan Darshan Channel           | Infotainment                     |
|     23 | Lok Sabha Television channel   | News and Current Affairs         |
|     24 | Rajya Sabha Television Channel | News and Current Affairs         |
|     25 | Kisan Channel                  | Infotainment (Hindi)             |

## Existing List of Mandatory Channels

- 2)  In non-DAS areas

|   S.No | Name of Channel                                                                                     | Placement of channel   |
|--------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------|
|      1 | DD1 (National Channel)                                                                              | Prime band             |
|      2 | DD News Channel                                                                                     | Prime band             |
|      3 | One regional channel of Doordarshan of the State in which cable operator is located as per schedule | Prime band             |
|      4 | Lok Sabha Television Channel                                                                        | Prime band             |
|      5 | Rajya Sabha Television Channel                                                                      | Prime band             |
|      6 | DD Sports channel                                                                                   | Non prime band         |
|      7 | Gyan Darshan channel                                                                                | Non prime band         |
|      8 | DD Urdu channel                                                                                     | Non prime band         |
|      9 | DD Bharati                                                                                          | Non prime band         |
|     10 | Kisan Channel                                                                                       | Prime band             |