I&B Ministry
2014-15: MIB earns Rs 836.52 crore from DTH; revenue from FM drops to Rs 80.3 crore
MUMBAI: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) earned revenue of Rs 836.52 crore from the direct-to-home (DTH) sector for the year 2014-15. This was a considerable increase from the Rs 395.43 crore that the MIB earned from the sector in the previous year (2013-14). For the year 2012-13, the revenue from the sector stood at Rs 308.66 crore.
Apart from Doordarshan’s free-to- air DD Direct Plus, there are six private DTH players in India namely Dish TV, Tata Sky, Sun Direct TV, Reliance Big TV, Airtel Digital TV and Videocon d2h.
On the other hand, the revenue that the MIB earned from the auction of FM Radio dropped considerably in 2014-15 to Rs 80.30 crore from Rs 102.21 crore in 2013-14. In 2012-13, the revenue from the sector stood at Rs 61.27 crore.
The FM Phase-I Policy, which was approved by the Government in July, 1999, met with the limited success and saw a total number of 21 channels are operational in 12 cities under this scheme.
On the other hand, the improved FM Phase-II Policy was notified in July, 2005 after considering the recommendations of Dr.Amit Mitra Committee and Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). FM Policy Phase-II has been well received by all stake holders. It has resulted in huge growth in FM radio industry. However, many cities still remained uncovered by the private FM radio broadcasting.
With the huge success of Phase II, FM Phase III Policy extended FM radio services to about 227 new cities, in addition to the present 86 cities, with a total of 839 new FM radio channels in 294 cities, Phase-III policy will result in coverage of all cities with a population of one lakh and above with private FM radio channels. The government has earned revenue by auction of FM channels to the private service providers.
I&B Ministry
Press Sewa Portal digitises 1.5 lakh records, streamlines periodical registrations: MIB
Online system spans 780 districts; Rs 5.6 crore penalties, 88,315 titles cancelled
NEW DELHI: India’s print media registry has quietly moved from dusty files to digital dashboards. The government has digitised more than 1.5 lakh historical records of newspapers and periodicals and shifted registrations fully online through the Press Sewa Portal.
Introduced under the Press and Registration of Periodicals (PRP) Act, 2023, the portal now handles all applications for registering periodicals, replacing the earlier paper-heavy system created under the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867, which has since been repealed.
The digital shift brings a wide range of services onto a single platform. Publishers can now register new periodicals, revise registrations, transfer ownership, file annual statements, pay penalties online and apply for circulation verification without navigating government offices.
As part of the rollout, specified authorities in 780 districts across India have been onboarded onto the platform. Since 1 March 2024, the portal has processed 11,081 applications and issued certificates across different categories.
The transition has also brought stronger compliance. According to government data, Rs 5.63 crore in penalties has been collected through the portal so far. States such as Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh account for some of the largest penalty collections.
At the same time, the authorities have carried out a major clean-up of inactive or non-compliant publications. A total of 88,315 periodicals have been cancelled nationwide, with Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi among the states reporting the highest number of cancellations.
The government says the system will continue to evolve based on feedback from users. The Press Registrar General of India (PRGI) regularly reviews suggestions to improve services and make compliance easier for publishers.
The full list of registered newspapers and periodicals is available on the PRGI website under the Registered Titles section.
The information was shared in a written reply in the Lok Sabha by minister of state for information and broadcasting and parliamentary affairs L Murugan, responding to a question from Damodar Agrawal.
