High Court
FM Phase III e-auctions commence, MHA to study judgment before deciding on appeal
NEW DELHI: The e-auction for the first batch of FM Phase III commenced today, even as the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry said that it will abide by the court’s order.
Director-General (Media and Communications) Frank Noronha said no decision had been taken. “But we will go according to the advice of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA),” he said. It is learnt that the MHA is consulting its legal team to examine if the Delhi and Madras High Court orders permitting FM channels of the Sun Group to participate in the auctions should be challenged.
Any decision would depend on receiving the detailed Delhi High Court judgment as the judges only read out the operative portion in their verdict yesterday (26 July).
Furthermore, any appeal in the Supreme Court will have to be filed by the I&B Ministry after getting full inputs from the Home Ministry.
The I&B Ministry had in fact written to the Home Ministry earlier this month wanting full details of the denial of security clearance to Sun Group for purpose of preparing their arguments.
Sun Group runs 45 radio channels across the country including those of Suryan FM and Red FM and had gone to Court in Delhi and Chennai when its name did not figure in the first list of 21 pre-qualified bidders for e-auction of the first batch of private FM radio Phase III channels.
Earlier, I&B sources had told Indiantelevision.com that the government hoped to earn around Rs 600 crore from the 135 frequencies in 69 channels being auctioned in the first stage out of the total expectation of at least Rs 2,500 crore from the total 839 FM channels in 294 cities.
High Court
Court defers Madison–CCI case to May 11
Interim relief continues as Centre seeks time to respond
NEW DELHI: The legal face-off between Madison Communications Pvt. Ltd. and the Competition Commission of India has been pushed to May 11, 2026, after the Union Government failed to file its response to the agency’s petition. The Delhi High Court granted the Centre a final two weeks to submit its affidavit, making it clear that any further delay could invite an adverse inference.
For now, the interim relief granted earlier will remain in place. This means the CCI cannot take any coercive steps against Madison or its senior executives until the matter is heard again, offering the agency temporary breathing room.
The dispute stems from a wide-ranging antitrust probe launched by the CCI into alleged cartelisation in the advertising industry. In March 2025, the regulator carried out raids on multiple agencies, including Madison, after receiving a leniency application from rival firm Dentsu. The watchdog suspects that agencies coordinated media rates and discounts through private groups, potentially breaching competition law.
Madison has challenged the investigation in court, questioning both its legality and procedure. The agency claims that its chairman Sam Balsara and executive director Vikram Sakhuja were questioned for nearly 20 hours without access to legal counsel and in the presence of armed personnel. It has also argued that the focus of the probe is misplaced, contending that the Indian Society of Advertisers’ Model Agency Agreement, rather than agency conduct, is what constrains competition by limiting margins.
Further, Madison alleges that the CCI did not provide a proper search memo or a detailed inventory of the digital data seized during the raids, raising concerns about due process.
With the interim protection extended, the spotlight now shifts to the Union Government. Its response over the next fortnight will determine whether the investigation regains momentum or faces deeper judicial scrutiny.
