I&B Ministry
Govt. planning a law on downlinking
NEW DELHI: The Indian government is planning to bring in a legislation that would make it mandatory for all channels, foreign or domestic, being downlinked in the country to get registered in the country.
“There is no downlinking law in India at the moment.This is something that we have to think about,” a senior government official today said, pointing out that work in this regard is in progress in the information and broadcasting ministry.Pointing out that most Western countries, where TV broadcasting has evolved over several decades, have downlinking laws too, the official said in India the focus had been on uplinking, which needs to be rectified and balanced out.
Though the government is insisting that work on this piece of legislation has been in progress for quite sometime, it seems that a sense of urgency has been brought about with a telecast row erupting between Ten Sports and Indias pubcaster Doordarshan.
DD has been demanding that Ten share the signals of cricket matches between Pakistan and India, at present being played in Pakistan, be made available to it terrestrially — a move that has been resisted by Ten, which has also gone to the courts over this.
“Such issues could be addressed more effectively if we have a law pertaining to downlinking in place,” the official said.
A law on donwlinking of channels is being proposed as it is felt that in the coming days, cases similar to the present Ten-DD imbroglio may keep erupting leading to time consuming legal process.
The government official pointed out that even DD, which proposes to use various pay and other distribution platforms in places like the UK and the US, has to complete formalities relating to downlinking, which gives a handle to the country in which channels are being downlinked to regulate broadcasting.
However, no time frame has been given by the government to bring in the downlinking law for TV channels. At least for the next three months, it may not come through as it would have to wait till a new government is installed after the general election.
“There is no downlinking law in India at the moment.This is something that we have to think about,” a senior government official today said, pointing out that work in this regard is in progress in the information and broadcasting ministry.Pointing out that most Western countries, where TV broadcasting has evolved over several decades, have downlinking laws too, the official said in India the focus had been on uplinking, which needs to be rectified and balanced out.
Though the government is insisting that work on this piece of legislation has been in progress for quite sometime, it seems that a sense of urgency has been brought about with a telecast row erupting between Ten Sports and Indias pubcaster Doordarshan.
DD has been demanding that Ten share the signals of cricket matches between Pakistan and India, at present being played in Pakistan, be made available to it terrestrially — a move that has been resisted by Ten, which has also gone to the courts over this.
“Such issues could be addressed more effectively if we have a law pertaining to downlinking in place,” the official said.
A law on donwlinking of channels is being proposed as it is felt that in the coming days, cases similar to the present Ten-DD imbroglio may keep erupting leading to time consuming legal process.
The government official pointed out that even DD, which proposes to use various pay and other distribution platforms in places like the UK and the US, has to complete formalities relating to downlinking, which gives a handle to the country in which channels are being downlinked to regulate broadcasting.
However, no time frame has been given by the government to bring in the downlinking law for TV channels. At least for the next three months, it may not come through as it would have to wait till a new government is installed after the general election.
I&B Ministry
Prasar Bharati opens AIR to private content under new policy
NIPP introduces revenue share, sponsored and gratis models
MUMBAI: Radio may be the oldest voice in the room, but it’s learning some very modern tricks. In a bid to stay tuned to changing listener habits, Prasar Bharati has opened the doors of All India Radio to private players under a newly rolled-out content framework. The initiative, titled Notice Inviting Programme Proposals (NIPP), marks a significant shift in how the public broadcaster approaches programming moving from a largely in-house model to a more collaborative, market-aligned ecosystem. Issued by Akashvani’s Directorate General in April 2026, the policy invites private producers, content owners and aggregators to pitch programmes across formats, from radio dramas and documentaries to quiz shows, storytelling and music-led content.
At the heart of the framework lies a three-pronged participation model designed to balance creative freedom with commercial viability. The most prominent route is revenue sharing, where advertising and sponsorship income generated by a programme is split between the producer and the broadcaster. The structure tilts in favour of creators offering a 70:30 split when producers bring in advertising, and 65:35 when monetisation is handled by Prasar Bharati.
Alongside this sits the sponsored model, where producers fully fund and monetise their content, subject to compliance with advertising norms and the AIR Broadcast Code. For those less commercially inclined, a gratis route allows content to be submitted free of cost, with Prasar Bharati retaining all monetisation rights effectively turning the platform into a national distribution channel for diverse voices.
The move comes as legacy media grapples with intensifying competition from private FM networks, streaming platforms and digital audio ecosystems. By repositioning AIR as both a public service broadcaster and a content marketplace, Prasar Bharati appears to be recalibrating its role in a rapidly evolving media landscape.
Importantly, the framework does not dilute editorial control. All submissions must adhere to the AIR Broadcast Code, and proposals are evaluated through a layered process that weighs storytelling quality, production capability, audience appeal and revenue potential. Only proposals crossing a defined threshold move forward, signalling that while access has widened, the bar remains firmly in place.
Operational discipline is another cornerstone of the policy. Producers are required to maintain broadcast-ready content, deliver episode banks in advance and navigate a structured approval process. Crucially, all production costs are borne by the content provider, reinforcing Prasar Bharati’s positioning as a distribution and oversight platform rather than a commissioning entity.
What elevates the initiative further is its scale. The framework spans multiple clusters and stations across India, covering both metro and regional markets, with specific language mandates and submission channels. This not only expands the content pipeline but also deepens linguistic and cultural representation, an area where AIR has historically held an advantage.
In effect, NIPP signals a quiet but meaningful transformation. AIR is no longer just broadcasting to the nation, it is inviting the nation to broadcast with it, blending legacy reach with contemporary content economics in a bid to stay relevant in an increasingly fragmented audio universe.
