<p>The Information and Broadcasting Ministry is now exploring ways to bringing in place a framework to regulate transmission of local television channels, mostly operated at the level of cable operations across the country.<br /><br /></p>.<p>It has asked the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) to suggest measures, if needed, to put in place a “comprehensive” set of provisions for such channels, including that for their registration, fee, eligibility requirements, their area of operation and other terms and conditions.<br /><br />It has also sought the telecom regulator’s views on whether there was a case for putting a cap on the total number of ground-based channels operated by a cable operator or multi-system operator.<br /><br />“Trai has also been requested to examine whether there was a need to prescribe separate eligibility criteria for cable operators transmitting local news and current affairs channels at their level. <br /><br />Specific recommendations have been sought with regard to eligibility criteria, terms and conditions including foreign investment levels, net-worth criteria and requirement of security clearance for such channels,” a Ministry official said.<br /><br />The need for putting in place a regulatory framework for local channels has been engaging attention of the ministry for “quite some time.”<br /><br />“Such channels are presently not subject to a regulatory framework unlike private satellite TV channels permitted under the uplinking and downlinking guidelines of the Ministry. As a result, local channels continue to mushroom all over the country without having registration or licence,” the official said.<br /><br />Violence of law<br /><br />The intent of allowing cable operators to generate and transmit local programme was to keep the local people informed of relevant local issues.<br /><br /> However, instances have been brought to the notice of the Ministry that some cable operators are also venturing into transmission of local channels over wider geographical area which includes inter-state and intra-state transmission by sharing the same content with others on their network.<br /><br />Besides this, the need bring in places a regulatory framework for local channels also assumes significance in view of the digitisation of cable TV sector being implemented in the entire country in a phased time bound manner, the official added.<br /><br />Trai in its recommendations in 2008 recommended that local channel operators (LCOs) shall be permitted to transmit their ground-based channels.<br /></p>
<p>The Information and Broadcasting Ministry is now exploring ways to bringing in place a framework to regulate transmission of local television channels, mostly operated at the level of cable operations across the country.<br /><br /></p>.<p>It has asked the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) to suggest measures, if needed, to put in place a “comprehensive” set of provisions for such channels, including that for their registration, fee, eligibility requirements, their area of operation and other terms and conditions.<br /><br />It has also sought the telecom regulator’s views on whether there was a case for putting a cap on the total number of ground-based channels operated by a cable operator or multi-system operator.<br /><br />“Trai has also been requested to examine whether there was a need to prescribe separate eligibility criteria for cable operators transmitting local news and current affairs channels at their level. <br /><br />Specific recommendations have been sought with regard to eligibility criteria, terms and conditions including foreign investment levels, net-worth criteria and requirement of security clearance for such channels,” a Ministry official said.<br /><br />The need for putting in place a regulatory framework for local channels has been engaging attention of the ministry for “quite some time.”<br /><br />“Such channels are presently not subject to a regulatory framework unlike private satellite TV channels permitted under the uplinking and downlinking guidelines of the Ministry. As a result, local channels continue to mushroom all over the country without having registration or licence,” the official said.<br /><br />Violence of law<br /><br />The intent of allowing cable operators to generate and transmit local programme was to keep the local people informed of relevant local issues.<br /><br /> However, instances have been brought to the notice of the Ministry that some cable operators are also venturing into transmission of local channels over wider geographical area which includes inter-state and intra-state transmission by sharing the same content with others on their network.<br /><br />Besides this, the need bring in places a regulatory framework for local channels also assumes significance in view of the digitisation of cable TV sector being implemented in the entire country in a phased time bound manner, the official added.<br /><br />Trai in its recommendations in 2008 recommended that local channel operators (LCOs) shall be permitted to transmit their ground-based channels.<br /></p>
