Govt pulled up for going slow on cable digitisation

Nearly 25 unauthorised foreign TV channels transmitted near borders

A parliamentary committee has strongly pulled up the government for not expediting digitisation of satellite television networks in border areas, where it could have helped in checking illegal transmission of channels airing anti-national contents.

In 2009, Intelligence Bureau in its report had identified as many as 25 unauthorised foreign TV channels, down-linked and transmitted by cable operators in different areas close to borders. The report informed the government that contents of these channels were not conducive to the security environment in the country.

Under the existing cable law, there were “sufficient” provisions to take action against the cable operators who were alleged to be downlinking illegal channels and transmitting the same to show anti-national contents.

 “No action could be taken pursuant to Intelligence Bureau feedback about 25 channels… the ministry has never bothered to monitor the implementation of the Cable Act,” the panel, headed by Congress MP Rao Inderjit Singh, said in its report tabled in Parliament recently. Moreover, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Ministry sought to enhance the punishment for carriage of such channels by proposing an amendment to the Cable law, “which may become redundant” after the complete digitisation of cable network.

“Even when the digitisation of cable network can provide solution to address the issue of showing illegal or unregistered channels through the cable network as acknowledged by the secretary (I&B Ministry) as well as Chairman, Trai, during the course of evidence, the ministry could not foresee the linkages between the two during the process of consultations,” the panel noted.

Justifying the ministry's amendment bill, its secretary told the committee that there had been reluctance on the part of local administration to act against such cable operators. In some cases, where the local administration took action, it raised such a socio-political crisis in such areas that post-haste such actions had to be withdrawn.

The committee, however, wondered how the amending legislation would address the issue of carriage of illegal channels in such scenario and act as a deterrent, when it had not been possible to take action against the cable operator indulging in such action under the exiting provisions in the Cable Act.