I&B Ministry
Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2021 in the works to curb piracy
New Delhi: The media and entertainment industry is losing substantial revenue due to film, video, music and online piracy, Union information and broadcasting minister Prakash Javadekar has informed the Parliament. To curb this threat, the government is planning to introduce Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2021 soon.
Citing an industry report released by Ireto, which is a global solutions provider in digital platform security and media and entertainment, the minister said the Indian media and entertainment industry loses around Rs 2,100 crore of its annual revenue due to piracy. However, no definite data is available in this regard year-wise, he added.
The government had introduced the Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2019 in the Rajya Sabha in February, 2019 to impose strict penalties against unauthorised duplication of films in cinema halls. The draft Bill prohibited a person from using a recording device to make a copy of a film, without authorisation and made it punishable crime with an imprisonment of up to three years and a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh, or both.
Later, the standing committee on information technology (2019-20) presented its report on the Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2019 in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha on 16 March 2020.
Javadekar told the Parliament that the recommendations and observations contained in the report of the standing committee on IT have been examined for making necessary amendments to clauses in the Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2019 and for the subsequent introduction of the Cinematograph (Amendment), Bill, 2021.
He was responding to a query regarding the increasing loss in revenue faced by the media industry due to piracy.
I&B Ministry
Prasar Bharati sets EPG standards for DD Free Dish platform
New specs define 7-day guide, LCN mapping, and device compatibility.
MUMBAI: Your TV guide just got a backstage pass structured, scheduled, and far more in sync. Prasar Bharati has released detailed technical specifications for Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) services on DD Free Dish, laying down a standardised framework for how channels and programme information are organised and delivered. At the core of the update is a defined EPG data structure, covering genre-based categorisation, scheduling formats, and Logical Channel Numbering (LCN). The aim is simple: make navigation less guesswork and more guided experience across the platform’s over 40 million households.
The specifications also introduce a seven-day programme guide window for each channel, alongside clear rules for channel grouping and LCN mapping effectively deciding not just what you watch, but how easily you find it.
On the technical front, the document outlines requirements for Program Specific Information (PSI) and Service Information (SI), including descriptor usage across tables such as PAT, BAT and NIT. It further details service lists and network linkage parameters, giving OEMs and developers a clearer blueprint for integration.
Importantly, the framework is designed to work seamlessly with television sets equipped with in-built satellite tuners, enabling users to access DD Free Dish directly without additional hardware, an incremental but meaningful step towards simplifying access.
The platform will continue to operate on GSAT-15 transponders, using MPEG-4 compression and DVB-S2 transmission standards, ensuring continuity even as the interface evolves.
While largely technical, the move signals a broader push towards standardisation and user-friendly discovery in India’s free-to-air ecosystem because sometimes, the real upgrade isn’t what’s on screen, but how easily you get there.
