I&B Ministry
81 teleports permitted to uplink, downlink TV channels
MUMBAI: A total of 892 private satellite TV channels can downlink and/or uplink from 81 teleports in the country, apart from those of Doordarshan which are uplinked directly from Prasar Bharati transmitters.
The permission to the private channels has been according under the Uplink and Downlink of TV channels policy as last amended on 5 December 2011.
The Parliament was told recently that while no information regarding Free to Air teleports is available, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has said there are 281 pay channels as on 30 September 2016. A list of such pay channels is available on TRAI’s website under the link:www.trai.gov.in/WriteReadData/List-of-pay-chanel-03.03.2015.pdf.
It was also revealed that payment of annual permission fee 60 days before the due date will by itself be sufficient permission for continuation of a channel for a further period of one year from the due date and broadcasters which hold valid permission for uplinking and/or downlinking they would not require to obtain renewal permission from the ministry. All the TV channels and teleports are likely to benefit from this decision provided the validity of 10-year permission is available.
The list of permitted private satellite TV channels is available in this ministry’s website i.e.www.mib.nic.in. and the list of permitted teleports as on date is enclosed.
The channels which are not mentioned in the list may be considered as Free to Air (FTA) channels.
Questions were raised in the Lok Sabha about details of the channels and teleports functioning in the country; details of the free to air channels and teleports at present; whether the government has completely abolished the process of obtaining an Annual Renewal for TV channels in the current forms; and it were so, the details thereof, along with the aims and objective thereto; and the number of channels and teleports likely to be benefit from the said decision.
I&B Ministry
Prasar Bharati opens AIR to private content under new policy
NIPP introduces revenue share, sponsored and gratis models
MUMBAI: Radio may be the oldest voice in the room, but it’s learning some very modern tricks. In a bid to stay tuned to changing listener habits, Prasar Bharati has opened the doors of All India Radio to private players under a newly rolled-out content framework. The initiative, titled Notice Inviting Programme Proposals (NIPP), marks a significant shift in how the public broadcaster approaches programming moving from a largely in-house model to a more collaborative, market-aligned ecosystem. Issued by Akashvani’s Directorate General in April 2026, the policy invites private producers, content owners and aggregators to pitch programmes across formats, from radio dramas and documentaries to quiz shows, storytelling and music-led content.
At the heart of the framework lies a three-pronged participation model designed to balance creative freedom with commercial viability. The most prominent route is revenue sharing, where advertising and sponsorship income generated by a programme is split between the producer and the broadcaster. The structure tilts in favour of creators offering a 70:30 split when producers bring in advertising, and 65:35 when monetisation is handled by Prasar Bharati.
Alongside this sits the sponsored model, where producers fully fund and monetise their content, subject to compliance with advertising norms and the AIR Broadcast Code. For those less commercially inclined, a gratis route allows content to be submitted free of cost, with Prasar Bharati retaining all monetisation rights effectively turning the platform into a national distribution channel for diverse voices.
The move comes as legacy media grapples with intensifying competition from private FM networks, streaming platforms and digital audio ecosystems. By repositioning AIR as both a public service broadcaster and a content marketplace, Prasar Bharati appears to be recalibrating its role in a rapidly evolving media landscape.
Importantly, the framework does not dilute editorial control. All submissions must adhere to the AIR Broadcast Code, and proposals are evaluated through a layered process that weighs storytelling quality, production capability, audience appeal and revenue potential. Only proposals crossing a defined threshold move forward, signalling that while access has widened, the bar remains firmly in place.
Operational discipline is another cornerstone of the policy. Producers are required to maintain broadcast-ready content, deliver episode banks in advance and navigate a structured approval process. Crucially, all production costs are borne by the content provider, reinforcing Prasar Bharati’s positioning as a distribution and oversight platform rather than a commissioning entity.
What elevates the initiative further is its scale. The framework spans multiple clusters and stations across India, covering both metro and regional markets, with specific language mandates and submission channels. This not only expands the content pipeline but also deepens linguistic and cultural representation, an area where AIR has historically held an advantage.
In effect, NIPP signals a quiet but meaningful transformation. AIR is no longer just broadcasting to the nation, it is inviting the nation to broadcast with it, blending legacy reach with contemporary content economics in a bid to stay relevant in an increasingly fragmented audio universe.
