I&B Ministry
169 MSOs get 10-year licenses under DAS
NEW DELHI: With the addition of eleven more multi-system operators (MSOs) after 25 March, the number of MSOs who have been granted permanent registration for ten years to operate the digital addressable system (DAS) has gone up to 169, even as the Home Ministry has been forwarded the names of 82 MSOs who have been awaiting security clearance for a long time.
Most of these MSOs had been given provisional permission earlier. The new list is as on 10 April.
The MSOs who have received permission after 25 March are: M C Transmission of Bhatinda for Punjab; Skyvision Master Channel for In Yanam and East Godavari District; Arohon Cable TV Network of West Bengal for 24 paraganas (south) which includes Amtala, Bishnupur, Daulatabad, Gabberia, Julpia, baruipur, Mruogranut, Srichanda, Bhasa, Bibirhut, Pailan, Roypur, Fatehpur, Sirakol, Sibanipur, Falta etc. and District of Howrah in the state of west Bengal under Phase III and IV; Machillipatnam Communication for entire Andhra Pradesh under Phase III & IV; Uday Infosys of Dhansura for Aravalli, Kheda and Sabarkantha districts; United Cable Communications of New Delhi for pan India; Radiant Digitek Network of Kota for Phase II, III, IV of entire Rajasthan; N T Broadcasting of Perambdur for Perambalur, Cuddalore, Salem, Villupuram, Trichy and Ariyalur districts in Tamil Nadu; SR Digital of Madhya Pradesh in the State including cities/towns/villages under Phase ll, lll and lV; Mahathi Warangal Communications & Cable TV Network for Warangal and Karimnagar Districts; and Yelamanchil Cable Network Pvt. Ltd of Vishakapatnam for Phase III in the State of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
With the rejection of an application by Digi Navi Mumbai Network of Andheri (East), the list of MSOs who have been refused permission as on 10 April has gone up to 28. Some of those in the cancelled list applied as early as March 2013.
I&B Ministry
MIB halts news TRPs for four weeks over sensational US-Iran conflict coverage
Government flags panic-mongering in television war coverage
NEW DELHI: India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting directed the Broadcast Audience Research Council India (BARC) to suspend television ratings for news channels for four weeks amid concerns over sensational coverage of the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Iran.
According to media reports, the move intends to curb excessive dramatisation in television reporting that could trigger unnecessary public anxiety.
Officials have observed that several news broadcasters are amplifying developments in the conflict in ways that may fuel panic among viewers. By temporarily halting the publication of viewership data, the ministry hopes to ease the competitive pressure on channels to chase ratings through sensational content.
The suspension will remain in effect for one month for now. During this period, television news channels will continue to broadcast as usual, but their audience measurement figures will neither be counted nor released.
Authorities will monitor both the evolving geopolitical situation and the tone of television coverage during the pause. The four-week suspension could be extended if the government believes the risk of panic-mongering or sensational reporting persists.
