I&B Ministry
MIB cancels permission of 126 TV channels; total permitted channels touch 857
NEW DELHI: While the total number of satellite television channels uplinking from or downlinking into India has risen to 857, the permission to as many as 126 channels have been cancelled.
Thus, the government had given permission to a total of 983 channels, which included those whose permissions were cancelled later. Of the 29 channel permitted after 30 November, 19 were cleared in December 2015 and 1o in January 2016.
Of the permitted channels, 399 are news and current affairs channels, while 458 are general entertainment channels (GECs).
Twenty channels including seven news channels have been permitted to uplink from India but not downlink within the country, as on 31 January, 2016.
A total of 749 channels including 372 GECs are allowed to uplink and downlink in the country while 88 including 73 GECs are uplinked from overseas but allowed to downlink into TV homes in the country.
The largest gainer after the last list of 30 November, 2015 was Star India, which launched 10 channels, while Viacom 18 launched seven. Sony and the Times Group launched four each, Zee launched two channels, and one channel each was launched by Travel XP Celebrities Management and Vijay TV.
While Star India and Zee (Ten Sports) launched sports channels (which fall in the category of GECs), some others launched High Definition channels.
I&B Ministry
AIDCF moves TDSAT over Waves plan to stream linear TV channels
Industry body flags regulatory gap as OTT push sparks broadcast turf war
NEW DELHI: The battle between traditional television distributors and digital platforms has found its way to the courts, with the All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF) moving the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) against Prasar Bharati’s latest OTT play.
At the heart of the dispute is Waves, Prasar Bharati’s OTT platform, which has invited applications to onboard linear satellite TV channels. Aidcf, which represents multi-system operators (msos), argues that this move sidesteps existing broadcasting rules and risks tilting the playing field in favour of digital platforms.
The federation’s petition hinges on a key provision in the Uplinking and Downlinking Guidelines, 2022. Clause 11(3)(f) allows broadcasters to downlink channels only if they provide signal decoders to recognised distribution platforms such as MSOS, DTH operators, hits operators and iptv platforms. OTT platforms, aidcf points out, do not feature on that list.
In simple terms, AIDCF’s argument is this: if OTT platforms are not officially recognised distributors, they should not be receiving broadcast signals in the first place. By inviting channels onto Waves, the federation claims, Prasar Bharati is opening a backdoor that lets broadcasters bypass long-standing rules.
The concern goes beyond legal interpretation. Aidcf says OTT platforms currently operate without a clear regulatory framework, allowing them to expand into traditional broadcasting territory without the compliance burden that cable and satellite operators must carry. That, it argues, creates an uneven contest.
There is also a warning for broadcasters. If they provide signal decoders to an OTT platform like Waves, they could risk breaching the very conditions under which their downlinking permissions were granted.
For its part, Prasar Bharati’s Waves initiative is positioned as a step towards wider access and digital reach, bringing linear television into the streaming era. But critics say the move blurs the line between regulated broadcasting and largely unregulated streaming.
The matter is expected to come up before tdsat next week. The outcome could do more than settle a single dispute. It may help define how India regulates the fast-merging worlds of television and OTT, where the lines are getting fuzzier by the day and the stakes, sharper than ever.
