I&B Ministry
Content share: I&B refuses to commit on a review
NEW DELHI: The government today said that no decision has been taken yet to review any provision in the uplink and downlink policies as a report on the issue of content share is awaited.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a Zee Sports press conference here today, information and broadcasting minister Priya Ranjan Das Munshi diplomatically said, “The I&B secretary will submit a report on content share next week after concluding discussions with the industry. We’ll see then.”
Asked whether the government is likely to bring about some dilution in media norms, described stringent by broadcasters, Das Munshi said the bridge will be crossed when it comes.
A recent government norm stipulates that all sporting events of national importance be shared with pubcaster Prasar Bharati on a mandatory basis.
However, holding out a ray of hope to broadcasters, Das Munshi added that as a politician and a sports administrator — he’s the chief of the Indian football federation — it’s his job to safeguard the interest of the public and the industry as well.
Keeping up his ambivalent stand on media issues, Das Munshi also evaded answering whether the I&B ministry would back health ministry-proposed ban on smoking in films and TV serials.
“It’s the health ministry’s job to look after the health of the nation and the I&B ministry’s job to see that smoking is not glamourised,” the minister amplified his ministry’s reluctance to support the health ministry in a round about fashion.
The ban was supposed to have come in effect from 1 January 2006, but has now been postponed till March. A case in Delhi high court, filed by a film-maker, too is pending a final verdict.
Das Munshi’s ambivalence on the smoking-ban issue, which has the film and TV world up in arms, was in sharp contrast to health ministry’s belligerence and latest developments wherein an anti-tobacco group of Goa has served a legal notice on actor Amitabh Bachchan for allegedly violating government norms and glamourising smoking in his new film, Family.
The notice on Bachchan has been served by a little known organization going by the name of National Organization for Tobacco Eradication.
I&B Ministry
Digital radio, D2M tech set to reshape broadcasting and public messaging
Govt pushes next-gen delivery while TRAI tightens grip on spam ecosystem
NEW DELHI: India’s broadcasting and telecom landscape is undergoing a quiet but significant upgrade, with digital radio and Direct-to-Mobile (D2M) technologies emerging as powerful tools for mass communication, while regulators step up efforts to tackle spam calls.
According to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, digital radio and D2M are poised to transform how content reaches audiences by making more efficient use of spectrum. In simple terms, multiple channels can now be delivered over a single frequency, opening the door to a wider range of free-to-air content.
D2M technology takes this a step further by enabling video, audio and data to be broadcast directly to mobile handsets without relying on SIM cards or mobile data. The result is a resilient and cost-effective data pipe that can deliver everything from entertainment and education to critical emergency alerts, even in low-connectivity scenarios.
At the same time, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is tightening its grip on unsolicited commercial communication, better known as spam calls. The regulator has deployed a distributed ledger technology platform to bring transparency and accountability into the system.
Through this blockchain-based setup, consumers can register their preferences on receiving promotional messages, while businesses and telemarketers must also sign up and operate within defined rules. The platform also includes a complaint mechanism that allows users to report spam, with complaints shared across telecom operators for coordinated action.
The government’s broader push is being supported by infrastructure upgrades under the Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network Development scheme. Implemented through Prasar Bharati, the initiative focuses on modernising networks such as Akashvani and Doordarshan, including digitisation and adoption of next-generation broadcast equipment.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting minister of state for information and broadcasting L. Murugan said these steps are part of a larger effort to promote emerging technologies and strengthen the country’s broadcasting backbone. The response came to a query raised by member of Parliament Rao Rajendra Singh.
Together, these developments point to a dual-track strategy: expanding access to reliable, low-cost content while cleaning up the communication ecosystem. As digital pipes get smarter and spam filters sharper, India’s airwaves may soon feel a lot less noisy and far more useful.
