I&B Ministry
Cabinet approves MoU cooperation between Prasar Bharati and Radio Television Malaysia
Mumbai: The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi was apprised of the MoU/Agreement signed on 7 November, 2023 which has an immense potential to strengthen the cooperation in the field of broadcasting, exchange of news, and audio-visual programmes as well as significantly augment India’s friendly relations with the country. With this, the total number of MoUs signed by Prasar Bharati with different countries has increased to 46.
Prasar Bharati plays a crucial role in nation building and lays continuous focus on providing meaningful and accurate content to one and all, both within the country and abroad. These MoUs are going to be crucial in distribution of content in other countries, in developing partnerships with international broadcasters and exploring new strategies to address the demands of new technologies.
The major benefit arising out of signing of MoUs are exchange of programmes in the areas of Culture, Education, Science, Technology, Sports, News and other fields on gratis/non-gratis basis.
India’s Public Service Broadcaster, Prasar Bharati has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Radio Televisyen Malaysia, the Public Service Broadcaster of Malaysia in order to promote cooperation in public broadcasting in the field of radio and television.
I&B Ministry
AIDCF moves TDSAT over Waves plan to stream linear TV channels
Industry body flags regulatory gap as OTT push sparks broadcast turf war
NEW DELHI: The battle between traditional television distributors and digital platforms has found its way to the courts, with the All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF) moving the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) against Prasar Bharati’s latest OTT play.
At the heart of the dispute is Waves, Prasar Bharati’s OTT platform, which has invited applications to onboard linear satellite TV channels. Aidcf, which represents multi-system operators (msos), argues that this move sidesteps existing broadcasting rules and risks tilting the playing field in favour of digital platforms.
The federation’s petition hinges on a key provision in the Uplinking and Downlinking Guidelines, 2022. Clause 11(3)(f) allows broadcasters to downlink channels only if they provide signal decoders to recognised distribution platforms such as MSOS, DTH operators, hits operators and iptv platforms. OTT platforms, aidcf points out, do not feature on that list.
In simple terms, AIDCF’s argument is this: if OTT platforms are not officially recognised distributors, they should not be receiving broadcast signals in the first place. By inviting channels onto Waves, the federation claims, Prasar Bharati is opening a backdoor that lets broadcasters bypass long-standing rules.
The concern goes beyond legal interpretation. Aidcf says OTT platforms currently operate without a clear regulatory framework, allowing them to expand into traditional broadcasting territory without the compliance burden that cable and satellite operators must carry. That, it argues, creates an uneven contest.
There is also a warning for broadcasters. If they provide signal decoders to an OTT platform like Waves, they could risk breaching the very conditions under which their downlinking permissions were granted.
For its part, Prasar Bharati’s Waves initiative is positioned as a step towards wider access and digital reach, bringing linear television into the streaming era. But critics say the move blurs the line between regulated broadcasting and largely unregulated streaming.
The matter is expected to come up before tdsat next week. The outcome could do more than settle a single dispute. It may help define how India regulates the fast-merging worlds of television and OTT, where the lines are getting fuzzier by the day and the stakes, sharper than ever.
