Lok Sabha Question No. 2131 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-11
Subject: Clearance to Private TV Channels
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: VIJAY KUMAR S.R.

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2131 (TO BE ANSWERED ON 11-12-2015)

## CLEARANCE TO PRIVATE TV CHANNELS

## 2131.  SHRI S.R. VIJAYAKUMAR

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

- (a) whether a number of private TV channels in the country do not possess security clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs and other concerned departments;
- (b) If so, the details thereof;
- (c) Whether his Ministry is granting licence /renewing licences of these TV channels despite denial  of  security  clearance  from  other  concerned  Ministries/  Departments  to  these  TV channels, if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor; and
- (d) the corrective measures taken/ being taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## THE  MINISTER  OF  STATE  FOR  THE  MINISTRY  OF  INFORMATION  & BROADCASTING {COL RAJYA VARDHAN RATHORE(Retd.)}

(a) to (d): Private satellite TV channels are permitted by Ministry of I & B to uplink/ downlink in  this  country  only  after  obtaining  security  clearance  from  the  Ministry  of  Home  Affairs (MHA)  and  clearances  from  other  concerned  departments  as  required  under  the  extant uplinking/ downlinking guidelines.

Permission/ renewal of permission of Satellite TV Channels whose security clearance is denied by MHA are not granted. Such permission holder companies are issued Show Cause Notice (SCN) on the basis of legal advice obtained recently that gives them an opportunity to make their representation.

After  consideration  of  the  same,  their  permission  is  cancelled  with  the  approval  of competent authority on merits.  At present, there are 8 permission holder companies as per Annexure, to which MHA has denied security clearance.  Out of them 4 have been served SCN and 3 are under process.  Ministry will decide on these cases on the basis of their reply in  consultation  with  MHA.    One  permission  holder  company  which  also  held  FM  Radio license was denied security clearance on the same grounds for both activities and has gone to the Court.  Ministry will take further action after receiving the orders of Hon'ble Court.

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Annexure

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2131 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.12.2015

## CASES OF SECURITY CLEARANCE DENIAL/WITHDRAWAL BY MHA IN R/O PERMITTED TV CHANNELS/TELEPORTS AS ON 08.12.2015

|   S. No. | Name of Company                                                           | No. of TV Channels   | No. of Teleports   | Date of Security Denial/Withdrawn   | Action                                                                                                |
|----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------|--------------------|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | M/s. Mahuaa Media Pvt. Ltd.(earlier known as M/s. Pearls Media Pvt. Ltd.) | 5 Channels           | NIL                | MHAOMdated 06-04-2015               | SCN issued on 17.08.2015, company has submitted reply which is being forwarded to MHA.                |
|        2 | M/s. Sai Prakash Telecommunicatio n Ltd.                                  | One channel          | NIL                | MHAOMdated 11.08.2014               | SCN issued on 01.09.2015.No reply received from company. Further action is under process.             |
|        3 | M/s. Positive Television Pvt. Ltd.                                        | 6 Channels           | Two Teleports      | MHAOMdated 10.06.2015               | SCN issued on 27.07.2015. Letter forwarded to MHA on 17.10.2015 along with company's response to SCN. |
|        4 | M/s. Sun TV Network Pvt. Ltd.                                             | 33 Channels          | Two Teleports      | MHAOMdated 04-06-2015               | Case subjudice in Delhi and Madras High Court.                                                        |
|        5 | M/s Maa TV Network Pvt. Ltd                                               | 4 Channels           | NIL                | MHAOMdated 05-08-2015               | SCN issued on 12.08.2015. Letter forwarded to MHA on 07.12.2015 along with Company's response to SCN. |
|        6 | M/s STV Enterprises Ltd.                                                  | 4 Channels           | One Teleport       | MHAOMdated 17-11-2015               | SCN is in process for approval.                                                                       |
|        7 | M/s Indira Television Ltd.                                                | One Channel          | One teleport       | MHAOMdated 08-10-2015               | SCN is in process for approval.                                                                       |
|        8 | M/s Lemon Entertainment Ltd.                                              | 2 Channels           | NIL                | MHAOMdated 30-11-2015               | SCN is in process for approval.                                                                       |

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