Lok Sabha Question No. 941 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-04
Subject: Foreign TV Channels
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: PRATHAP SIMHA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 941 (TO BE ANSWERED ON 04-12-2015)

## FOREIGN TV CHANNELS

## 941. SHRI PRATHAP SIMHA:

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

- (a) the number of private satellite TV channels which are uplinked from outside India and have been granted permission to downlink in India under the policy guidelines for Downlinking of Television Channels;
- (b) whether  the  security  agencies  have  identified  certain  private  satellite  TV  channels,  the contents of which is not conducive to the security environment of the country and has posed a potential security hazard;
- (c) if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the  concrete    steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  address  the  problem  of  showings  of illegal/unregistered channels on the cable networks and also to discourage cable operators for transmitting such private satellite TV channels?

## ANSWER

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

(a): As on date Ministry has permitted 87 TV channels which are uplinked from outside India and have been granted permission to downlink in India under the policy guidelines for Downlinking of  Television  Channels.  The  list  of  permitted  channels  is  available  on  Ministry's  website  i.e. www.mib.nic.in.

(b) & (c):   IB  (MHA)  has  forwarded  a  list  of  unauthorized  foreign  TV  Channels  which  are being down-linked and transmitted by Cable operators in different places. The list of these channels is  at Annexure .  IB  had  also  informed  that  the  contents  of  some  of  these  channels  may  not  be conducive  to  the  security  environment  and  they  suggested  that  appropriate  measures  may  be initiated  to  curb  the  re-transmission  of  all  non-approved TV  channels being shown by Cable TV operators across the country.

(d): The Ministry of I & B has taken various measures within the ambit of the extant law to stop the  carriage  of  these  illegal  channels.    Besides  repeatedly  taking  up  the  matter  with  the  State Governments,  advisories  have  been  issued  to  associations  of  Multi  System  Operators  as  well  as Cable Operators asking them to transmit only those channels that are registered with Ministry of

I&B.    The  provision  preventing  cable  operators  to  carry  unregistered  channels  is  part  of  the Programme Code prescribed in Rule 6 of the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994.  According to the said Rule, no cable operator shall carry in his cable service any channel, which has not been registered  with  the  Ministry  of  I&B.    The  requirement  to  comply  with  the  Programme  Code  is contained in Section 5 of the Cable Television Network Regulation Act, 1995 which provides that no  person  shall  transmit  or  re-transmit  through  a  cable  service  any  programme  unless  such programme is in conformity with the prescribed Programme Code. If any  Cable operator violates Section 5 i.e. Programme Code, the Authorized Officers have the power to seize the equipment of the cable operator for a period of 10 days beyond which they are required to seek approval of the concerned  District  Judge  to  continue  with  the  seizure.    With  a  view  to  facilitate  the  Authorized Officers  in  enforcing  the  Act,  particularly  in  curbing  illegal  channels,  the  Ministry  of  I&B  has formulated a detailed guideline for setting up of State and District level Monitoring Committees to monitor the content transmitted by the cable operators. These Committees, comprising various cross sections of the society, are intended to aid and advise the Authorized Officers to ensure compliance of  the  provisions  of  the  Act  and  the  Rules  thereunder.    This  Ministry  has  proposed  certain amendments in the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995 to address the problem of illegal  Telecast  of  foreign  channels.    The  Cable  Television  Networks  (Regulation)  Second Amendment Bill, 2011 containing these amendments was introduced in the Lok Sabha on the 15 th of  December,  2011  and  was  referred  to  the  Standing  Committee  on  IT  for  examination.    The Committee  opined  that  the  proposed  amendment  to  the  Act  would  be  redundant  in  view  of  the proposed complete Digitalization of the Cable Network.  The Bill was introduced in the 15 th Lok Sabha, therefore, with the dissolution of 15 th Lok Sabha, the Bill stood lapsed.

*********

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (b) AND (c) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 941 FOR ANSWER ON 04-12-2015.

- (i) QTV(Pakistan),

(ii) Peace TV (Dubai),

(iii) Madni TV (Pakistan),

(iv) Saudi TV,

(v) TV Maldives,

(vi) ARY TV,

(vii) PTV,

(viii) PTV Home,

(ix) PTV World,

(x) Geo TV (Pakistan),

(xi) Dawn(Pakistan),

(xii) Express (Pakistan),

(xiii) Waqat (Pakistan),

(xiv) Noor TV (Pakistan),

(xv) Hadi TV (Pakistan),

(xvi) Aaj (Pakistan),

(xvii) NTV (Bangladesh),

(xviii) XYZ TV,

(xix) Nepal,

(xx) Filmax (Pakistan),

(xxi) STV (Pakistan),

(xxii) Kantipur (Nepal),

(xxiii) Ahmedia Channel (U.K. Based) &

(xxiv) Bhutan Broadcasting Service.

*****