I&B Ministry
Court directs ministry to investigate Baba’s shows for ‘spreading superstition’
MUMBAI: The Allahabad High Court has directed the information and broadcasting ministry to probe allegations that the television shows of godman Nirmal Baba were spreading superstition.
A bench of Justice Sanjai Harkauli and Justice AP Sahi passed the fiat on a public interest litigation (PIL) moved in 2012 by K.Saran, a Lucknow-based lawyer, PTI reported.
If the allegations against Nirmal Baba’s show were found to be true, the high court directive stated, the ministry must take action.
The petitioner had sought action against the television channels broadcasting the programmes of Nirmal Baba under the Rule 6 of the Cable Television Network Rules 1994. The petitioner had alleged that the baba’s shows were encouraging blind faith and superstition.
The petitioner had pleaded that the provisions of relevant law and Rules 1994 specifically provide that if such channels do not stop showing contents with superstition and blind faith, the government could revoke the permission granted for running the channel.
In a separate case earlier, an FIR was registered against the chief managing director (CMD) and editor-in-chief of Sudarshan news channel for allegedly instigating enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion. Sudarshan TV is among the list of channels which has applied to the ministry of information and broadcasting for approval of two more channels.
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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.
