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ITV ownership rules not to change: Ofcom
MUMBAI: There will be no changes in the ownership rules affecting UK’s principal independent broadcaster ITV, UK broadcast sector regulator Ofcom said.
According to the prevalent rules a newspaper group with more than a fifth of national newspaper share cannot hold a Channel 3 licence or a stake in a Channel 3 licensee that is greater than 2 per cent. Also, certain persons are disqualified from holding broadcast licences generally while certain others are not allowed to hold certain kinds of broadcast licences. The rules also say that some persons may hold broadcast licences only if Ofcom has determined that it is appropriate for them to do so.
It is Ofcom’s resposibilty to ensure that regional Channel 3 licensees broadcast news programmes nationally which are able to compete effectively with other national television news, by requiring them to appoint a single news provider between them. Persons who would be disqualified from holding a Channel 3 licence are also disqualified from being the Channel 3 appointed news provider.
Ofcom also has a statutory duty to review the media ownership rules regularly and counsel for any change to the UK Secretary of State.
Ofcom said that the wider public policy debate about media ownership is ongoing and believes that any recommendations it makes will need to be considered in light of any changes to the legislative and policy framework. According to the regulatory body, it has neither observed any Parliamentary policy rationale nor any shift in the market context in which they operate for existing rules to be changed.
In a statement, the regulator said, “Our advice on measuring media plurality set out that it is for Parliament to decide if and when this rule should be modified or removed and that the conclusion of the first periodic review of plurality is likely to provide greater certainty than is currently available. As such, we do not recommend any changes to this rule in this review.”
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AI Impact Summit ’26: Adobe offers Firefly, Photoshop free to Indian students
Adobe to equip 15,000 schools, 500 colleges with free AI tools
NEW DELHI: Adobe has unveiled a major education-focused investment to expand access to its AI-powered creative and productivity tools for students in India, as the company deepens its alignment with the government’s skilling and creator-economy ambitions.
Announced at the India AI Impact Summit, the initiative will provide applications such as Firefly, Photoshop and Acrobat free of charge to students through accredited higher education institutions across the country. The package includes software access, structured curriculum, training modules and industry-recognised credentials.
The programme supports the government’s ‘Create in India’ vision and the Union Budget 2026 goal of generating two million jobs in the animation, visual effects, gaming and comics (AVGC) sector by 2030.
Working with the government, Adobe said it will make its AI tools and learning resources available at no cost to 15,000 schools and 500 colleges equipped with Content Creator Labs.
Shantanu Narayen, chair and ceo of Adobe, said the move would expand creative opportunity for millions of Indian students while accelerating the prime minister’s vision for a digitally skilled workforce.
Adobe said Firefly integrates creative AI models from partners including Google, OpenAI and Runway, enabling users to generate content using multiple models. Acrobat Pro will support productivity and collaboration tasks such as editing text and images.
Separately, Adobe India has partnered with NASSCOM FutureSkills Prime, a digital skilling initiative backed by the ministry of electronics and information technology, to offer free courses and certifications. The programmes are aimed at preparing students for roles across design, animation, gaming, marketing, media, e-commerce and technology.
