I&B Ministry
I&B ministry imposes additional penalties for violation of programme code
Mumbai: The minister of information and broadcasting, Anurag Thakur has informed the Rajya Sabha that there have been 37 instances between March 2005 and June 2021 where broadcasters were prohibited the transmission and re-transmission of a channel for a specified time period, or permission to downlink the channel was cancelled, due to violation of the programme code.
The information and broadcasting minister was asked to give the status of Cable TV Networks Amendment (Regulation) Bill, 2020 which proposed to increase the penalties for violation of the Programme Code. He was also asked whether the government had imposed a monetary penalty or prohibited the transmission of a channel under the relevant provisions of the Cable TV Networks Amendment (Regulation) Act for violation of the Programme Code.
“No monetary penalty has been imposed for the violation of Programme Code,” noted Thakur.
The programme code comes under the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994 contains broad guidelines related to content broadcast on private television channels.
The matter of violation of the programme code and advertising code has been addressed by amending the rules vide government gazette notification number G.S.R. 416(E) on 17 June so as to include a complaint redressal mechanism by the broadcaster which prescribes the specific actions that can be taken by the central government for such violations.
As per the amendments, if the government is satisfied that the programme of any channel is not in conformity with the programme code, it may, after giving an opportunity of hearing to the cable operator, and by an order in writing, prohibit the transmission or re-transmission of any such channel or programme in accordance with the provisions of section 20 of the Act.
The rules provide for a three-tiered complaint redressal mechanism; Level I self-regulation by the broadcaster, level II self-regulation by self-regulating bodies of the broadcasters, and level III oversight mechanism by the central government.
The I&B minister had previously informed the Parliament on Friday that the government took action against 126 violations of the programme code between 2018 and 2021.
I&B Ministry
Prasar Bharati extends Waves OTT channel onboarding deadline to 31 March 2026
Broadcasters gain extra time for applications on revenue-sharing streaming platform.
MUMBAI: Riding the Waves of digital delay, Prasar Bharati has thrown broadcasters a lifeline by pushing back the deadline for hopping aboard its OTT platform because who doesn’t love a bit more time to stream their dreams? India’s public service broadcaster, on 19 February 2026, announced an extension to the original cut-off from 1 December 2025, giving eager satellite TV channels until 31 March 2026 to submit their bids for a spot on Waves. This follows the initial call-out dated 17 November 2025 under notice No. OTT/2(02)/2024/Platform/529, inviting licensed linear channels to join the streaming party for a one-year stint starting from their onboard date.
Only channels permitted by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) for downlinking and distribution in India qualify, and applications must come straight from the companies holding those golden tickets no third-party proxies allowed. Broadcasters need to supply an SCTE-35 marker-enabled feed to signal ad breaks, ensuring the stream flows smoothly without awkward pauses.
Here’s where the money tune plays, Successful channels get carried on a revenue-sharing basis, splitting the net spoils 65:35, that’s 65 per cent to the channel and 35 per cent to Prasar Bharati after deducting costs like transcoding, CDN bandwidth, and ad agency commissions. Prasar Bharati handles ad insertions at marker points, and if slots go unfilled, they’ll plug in promos for themselves or the channels, keeping the vibe promotional yet practical.
No room for fuzzy details applicants must provide crystal-clear proof of their channel’s genre (think GEC, movies, music, news & current affairs, sports, devotional, kids, or others) and language, backed by evidence from MSO/DTH placements, regulatory nods like TRAI or MIB, DAVP docs, or even BARC ratings. Ambiguity? That’s a swift rejection slip.
Channels get ranked by their DAVP rate card prowess, with the highest bidders in each category snagging the streaming slots, it’s like a broadcast beauty contest judged on ad rates across time bands. The application drill? Fill out the prescribed form in Annexure-1, bundle it with docs from Annexure-2 (including permissions, logos, PAN, GST, undertakings, and authority letters), and email the lot to ddfreedish@prasarbharati.gov.in by 5:00 PM on 31 March 2026.
Interim submissions aren’t left in the lurch, they’ll be considered too. Winners receive a ‘Letter of Allotment’, followed by a must-sign agreement in two originals within 15 days, plus tech details for seamless integration. For the full playbook, dip into clause 11.2 of Prasar Bharati’s Content Sourcing Policy 2024 on their website.
In a world where streaming wars rage on, this extension might just be the breather broadcasters need to tune up their pitches after all, better late than never in the OTT ocean.
