I&B Ministry
Lack of cooperation among Prasar Bharati divisions led to avoidable complications: MIB audit
NEW DELHI: “The lack of co-operation among divisions of Prasar Bharati has led to several court cases and it is suggested that a centralised Cadre Controlling Authority may be set up to handle the service matters of the entire employees of Prasar Bharati.”
Making this observation, the Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor in the Information and Broadcasting Ministry said after a Test Audit/Check of Non-Plan expenditure under Salary and Salary-related heads against the Grants-in-Aid released by the Ministry, “Separate bank accounts may be opened for Non-Plan Grants-In-Aid (Salary) and other heads. A comprehensive audit of Prasar Bharati units may be conducted by Prasar Bharati itself to have a complete and fair picture of their accounts/ expenditures.”
The audit of amounts released for salary and salary-related expenses showed that while the grants-in-aid of Rs 5381.98 crore was given by the Ministry from 2012 to 2015, the expenditure incurred on Salary and Salary-related expenses was Rs 5694.92 crore and Rs 312.94 crore was from Prasar Bharati’s Internal and Budgetary Resources (IEBR).
In this, the grant-in-aid in 2014-15 was Rs 2001.98 crore while the money for salaries and salary-related expenses was Rs 2033.70 crore and Rs 31.72 crore came from IEBR.
The internal audit helped to save Rs 1188.14 crore under various heads including long-pending dues from other government departments.
In all, grants-in aid amounting to Rs 6640.48 crores was released in the last three years to Prasar Bharati, of which Rs 2437.98 crore was during the year 2014-15.
Of the total Rs 6640.48 crore given in the last three years, the aid in 2012-13 was Rx 2062.5 crore and in 2013-14 was Rs 2140 crore.
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.
