News Broadcasting
Pay broadcasters given some more time to announce rates
NEW DELHI / MUMBAI: The government today offered a significant concession to the pay broadcasters on the issue of their channel pricing by giving them some more time to announce rates.
It may be recalled that I&B minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had earlier said that broadcasters should have their pay channel pricing mechanism in place by 10 June so as to facilitate the cable service providers announcing their rate cards by the 15 June deadline.
Information and broadcasting ministry secretary Pawan Chopra told journalists after a meeting with broadcasters today evening, “We have had a discussion with broadcasters and they have requested that they need two to three days more to discuss the issue with MSOs and their associates. Since we are trying to facilitate a decision making process, we have not set a deadline for them…but I have been assured they will announce their pricing as early as possible.”
Having been given that concession, current indications are that a few days on the other side of 15 June is the period that most broadcasters are now looking at to announce the prices of individual channels so that the MSOs can then publicise the prices for the consumers’ benefit.
Talking to indiantelevision.com, Star India COO Sameer Nair said, “We are aware of the 15 June deadline (on announcement of prices of pay channels) and we will publicise the prices soon.” Asked specifically when does Star expect to publicise the prices of individual channels, Nair replied, “By 16-17 June.”
SET India CEO Kunal Dasgupta had told indiantelevision.com prior to today’s meeting that the channel pricing details were being worked out and that he expected it to be ready around about the 15 June deadline.
Subhash Chandra’s Zee Telefilms has maintained that its bouquet would cost Rs 55 but has yet to publicise individual channel rates.
Nair also said that they have “several options” on pricing of channels, but would like to sit together with all stakeholders of the industry to discuss the issue. “There are several options (and) we need to sit down with fellow broadcasters and MSOs (to thrash out the pricing matter),” he explained, adding, “We are trying to come up with a plan that will benefit all.”
Zee Telefilms additional vice-chairman Jawahar Goel sounded more strindent when he said, “We took the lead on pricing in a post-CAS regime, but the others have not yet taken any step in that direction. Now, we will wait for others to announce their prices. Let them also come out with some figures.”
ESPN India’s country head Manu Sawhney, of course, saw no problems for broadcasters. “There are no problems that are worrying us (broadcasters),” he said in reply to a question as to what are the issues that are still bothering the broadcasters, or some of them at least.
However, according to some of those who attended today’s meeting, during the closed door meeting Chopra made it clear to representatives of all broadcasters in no uncertain terms that the government would tolerate no delays in implementation of CAS and that they should announce the prices of pay channels ASAP.
Still, experts pointed out that the government does not seem to have much options on the matter vis-a-vis the broadcasters and would find it difficult to make a broadcaster toe the CAS line if that particular company decided to play truant. That is why, the experts explained, the notifications issued by the government refer directly to cable operators and make them responsible for almost everything, while referring to broadcasters only indirectly.
Meanwhile, when Chopra was asked about the softening in stance of the government vis-a-vis broadcasters — despite I&B minister Ravi Shankar Prasad lashing out against critics and opponents of CAS — the secretary said, “The idea is to let everybody come out with a transitional plan that will be beneficial for the consumer.”
The meeting, which lasted almost two hours during which several rounds of tea were served, could not be termed a stormy one, but the waiting journalists outside Chopra’s office in Shastri Bhawan in Delhi did get glimpses of some glum faces.
Others who attended today’s meeting included additional secretary (broadcasting) I&B ministry Vijay Singh, Doordarshan director-general SY Quraishi, Sony Entertainment TV India’s distribution head Shantonu Aditya, Television Eighteen Ltd’s MD Raghav Bahl and TV-18’s CEO Haresh Chawla.
According to Chopra, the broadcasters also have no problem with the notification that disallows bundling of channels so that the consumer has the freedom to choose a channel of his choice without any pressure to get add-ons too.
STAR SEEKS CLARIFICATION ON ZEE’S HITS:
The Rupert Murdoch-controlled Star India has sought clarifications from the partner-turned-competitior Subhash Chandra’s ZeeTelefilms on the headend in the sky project before deciding whether Star channels would be offered on Zee’s HITS platform or not.
“They had written to us (on HITS) and we have sought some clarification from Zee on uplinking of channels and such issues, but have got no reply yet from them,” Nair responded, when asked by indiantelevision.com whether Star India is willing to join a HITS platform promoted by Zee.
According to Nair, the clarification was sought some one month back.
“Unless we get a clarification on such issues (HITS would entail re-uplinking channels from India after being encrypted at a master facility of the service provider), I cannot say whether Star would join a HITS platform or not,” Nair said.
News Broadcasting
Rising Bharat Summit 2026 spotlights India’s global ascent
PM Modi keynotes two-day event with ministers, diplomats and icons in New Delhi.
MUMBAI: India didn’t just host a summit, it threw a coming-out party for a nation ready to own the global stage. The News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2026, held on 27–28 February in New Delhi, emerged as a high-octane platform for ideas, vision and strategic dialogue, uniting national leadership, global policymakers, industry titans, defence strategists and cultural icons under the theme “Strength Within”.
Prime minister Narendra Modi set the tone with a keynote that framed India’s resurgence as a reclaiming of lost potential built over generations. “In previous industrial revolutions, India and the Global South were merely followers,” he said. “But in the era of Artificial Intelligence, India is a partner in decisions and shaping them.” He highlighted the country’s thriving AI startup ecosystem and the recent AI Impact Summit attended by over 100 nations.
Union minister Piyush Goyal (Commerce & Industry) stressed India’s readiness to scale exports and deepen manufacturing, while Ashwini Vaishnaw (Railways, I&B, Electronics & IT) positioned technology and infrastructure as twin engines of growth, especially in AI and digital trust. Jyotiraditya Scindia (Communications & North East Development) revealed India’s ambition to lead in 6G through the Bharat 6G Alliance and partnerships with over 30 countries.
Global voices added depth: former Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo called India’s development “self-sustaining” and strategically vital; ex-UK Chief of Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter asserted India deserves a seat at the great powers’ table; and former US Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez joined ambassadors from Norway, Germany and Sweden in discussions on geopolitical realignment, sustainability and defence preparedness.
Other speakers included veteran investor Ramesh Damani, World Gold Council CEO David Tait, Vianai Systems founder Dr Vishal Sikka, DeepTech Bharat Foundation co-founder Shashi Shekhar Vempati, defence experts Rajesh Kumar Singh, Sunil Ambekar, Patrick McGee, Tom Cooper and Adrian Fontanellaz, plus cultural and sporting icons Kangana Ranaut, Saina Nehwal, PR Sreejesh, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mithali Raj, Anil Kapoor and Yami Gautam.
The summit was supported by Jio Financial Services (Presenting Partner), Phonepe and DS Group (Co-Presenting Partners), Pernod Ricard India and Kia Seltos (Powered By & Driven By), state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand (State Partners), and associate partners including NSE, M3M Foundation and Reliance Industries.
Broadcast live across News18 Network, CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz, the event reinforced India’s image as a confident democracy and emerging global power proving that when strength comes from within, the world can’t help but watch.
