News Broadcasting
Govt admits pay channel fees are market driven
NEW DELHI: It may sound contradictory, but the government has admitted in Parliament that “market forces” guide the subscription fee of pay channels and at present the government has “no role to play” in the fixing of money which is payable by cable operators to broadcasters for pay channels.
This admission is in sharp contrast to what the information and broadcasting ministry has been maintaining while trying to push through the implementation of conditional access system (CAS) which, the government has been saying, will help it to come to the cable viewing public’s help.
In reply to a question on cable operators’ huge earnings which is a bone of contention between cable ops and broadcasters, Swaraj told the Indian Parliament’s Upper House (Rajya Sabha) earlier this week, “There are no legal provisions in the CATV regulation Act 1995 or the Rules framed thereunder to regulate the subscription charges levied by the pay channels/cable operators or the charges payable by the cable operators to TV broadcasting companies.”
The minister went on to reiterate that these are purely “contractual affairs between the broadcasting companies, cable operators and the subscribers and are market driven.”
Even while stating that subscription fees of pay channels are “market driven, the government hinted in Parliament that introduction of CAS would solve many of the problems.
To a part of the question (‘what are the actions proposed to be taken to help subscribers having rights to view channels paid for without any harassment from cable ops?’), Swaraj pointed out that CAS is the cure for all such ills.
“The government has introduced the CATV Networks (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2002 with a view to mandating an addressable system for pay channels through cable networks. The system, when mandated, will allow the consumer to choose and pay for the channel(s) he wishes to watch,” she added.
However, some of the MPs are not buying this argument. A senior CPM member of Rajya Sabha told indiantelevision.com that indirectly the government is trying to have a control over what people can and should watch on television through CAS.
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
