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DELHI: The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has asked the states of Jammu
and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra to immediately check television channels
being downlinked illegally in these states in ‘flagrant violation’ of
the Downlinking Guidelines issued by it in November 2005.
While
reiterating that it had not banned any such channel, a press
note from the I&B Ministry said some cable operators in
J&K had refused to take off some unauthorized channels.
Downlinking and distributing unauthorized channels is an offence
under Rule 6(6) of the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994.
I&B
secretary Asha Swarup today held a meeting with Cable Operators
Federation of India President Roop Sharma to explain the legal
position and to urge her to ensure that cable operators should
restore legitimate cable services immediately so that consumers
are not inconvenienced in any way.
She
said that under the policy guidelines for downlinking of television channels,
all TV channels which were downlinking in India at the time were required to apply
within six months for permission to downlink as per the terms and conditions of
the policy guidelines for downlinking of television channels.
She said it was brought to the notice of the Ministry that
several channels which have neither applied for nor received
permission for downlinking under the policy guidelines for
downlinking of TV channels are being received and distributed
by cable television networks in certain States. The advisories
issued to authorities in J&K, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra
were in pursuance of this.
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