GECs
Government ready to issue DTH LoI to Sun
NEW DELHI: Sun TVs direct-to-home (DTH) service licence is on its way with the path being cleared for the issuance of a letter of intent (LoI).
According to the government, a communication has been sent to the Sun TV group asking them to complete some formalities that would lead to the issuance of a LoI soon.
Suns DTH LoI, a precursor to a licence to run a DTH televisions service in India, had not been issued along with that of Space TV on last month as a public interest litigation was being heard in a Chennai court against such a move.
We have asked the Sun group to pay up the bank guarantee of Rs. 100 million and give certain other undertakings before an LoI is issued to it for a DTH service soon, a senior information and broadcasting ministry official said here today.
According to the official, under normal circumstances, Suns LoI, kept ready since last month, would have been issued along with that of Space TV on 17 May, but the court case stopped them from taking further action on it. Space TV, 80:20 joint venture between the Tatas and Star group, was handed the LoI on 17 May.
Now that the court case has been dismissed, we would process the matter fast, the official added.
The PIL against issuance of a DTH licence to Sun group had argued that such a move would amount to monopoly of a single company, Sun, in distribution of TV content. The Madras high court, however, dismissed the case some days back saying there was hardly any merit in the petition.
The court said the petition did not satisfy any of the tests laid down by the Supreme Court to entertain PILs.
“When the licensing authority is still seized of the matter relating to the grant of licence to the Sun group, this court cannot outreach its jurisdiction and decide the manner in which the application for the grant of licence should be considered by the licensing authority. The prayer, as framed in the writ petition, cannot be granted,” a vacation bench, comprising Justices Prabha Sridevan and C. Nagappan had observed.
Dismissing the plea of P.G. Narayanan, the petitioner, the judges had said, “He is not speaking on behalf of the downtrodden people or people who cannot speak for themselves. No case of public injury has been made out and we do not see how the petitioner has the locus standi to raise this issue. Therefore, on the ground of maintainability alone, this writ petition deserves to be dismissed.”
The Sun group had applied for a DTH licence some six months back through Sun Direct TV Pvt Ltd.
In the DTH company, Kalanithi Maran — IT and communication minister Dayanidhi Maran’s brother — holds 96.67 per cent with a Rs 1,450-million investment in the paid-up equity, while his wife, Kaveri Maran, held 3.33 per cent with an investment of RS 50 million. Kalanithi Maran is also CMD of Sun TV Pvt Ltd, in which he holds 60 per cent, which manages the Sun bouquet of channels and cable networks in certain parts of the country.
GECs
Asianet Television Awards 2026 celebrates women power in Malayalam TV
“She is the Colour” theme honours icons as ceremony airs on March 14 and 15 at 7 PM.
MUMBAI: If television lights up living rooms, this year Asianet decided to let women provide the colour. The Asianet Television Awards 2026 turned the spotlight firmly on women empowerment with the theme “She is the Colour”, celebrating the strength, resilience and achievements of women who continue to shape society and the Malayalam entertainment industry.
The ceremony honoured several distinguished personalities whose journeys have left a lasting cultural imprint. Among them was legendary playback singer Vimala Varma, widely recognised as the first Malayalam playback singer. The evening also paid tribute to Padma Shri awardees Devaki Amma and Vimala Menon for their exceptional contributions in their respective fields.
Leading women from the Malayalam film industry were also recognised during the event, including actor Shweta Menon, who currently serves as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, and National Award winning actor Surabhi Lakshmi.
The awards ceremony brought together a glittering lineup of actors and industry figures, including Jayasurya, Vijay Babu, Asha Sarath, Lena, Esther Anil, Anumol, Akhila Bhargavan, Sarayu Mohan, Prajod Kalabhavan, Gayathri Suresh, Sabumon Abdusamad, Swasika, Tini Tom, Sijoy Varghese, Kailash, Veena Nandakumar, Sabareesh Varma, Ansiba Hassan and Dinesh Prabhakar. Kishan Kumar, executive vice president Malayalam at JioStar, was also present at the event.
Beyond individual recognitions, the awards celebrated excellence across Malayalam television, acknowledging artists and technicians whose work continues to drive the industry forward.
The evening also offered plenty of spectacle, with elaborate dance performances, stunt acts and comedy skits performed by popular television and film personalities, turning the ceremony into a full fledged entertainment showcase.
Viewers will get to watch the celebrations when the Asianet Television Awards 2026 air on Asianet on March 14 and 15, Saturday and Sunday, from 7 pm onwards, bringing the star studded tribute to homes across Kerala and beyond.
