GECs
Govt turns down radio, TV license fee proposal
NEW DELHI: Finally the radio and TV licence fee issue has been laid to rest.
There is no proposal to re-impose licence fee on television and radio sets, minister of information and broadcasting Ravi Shankar Prasad told fellow parliamentarian D N R Wadiyar in Lok Sabha (India’s Lower House of Parliament) today.
To another question by Bhupendrasinh Solanki, the minister said that Prasar Bharati has no proposal to set up a channel related to spiritual programmes. As had been reported earlier by indiantelevision.com, though Prasar Bharati Corporation had petitioned the government to re-introduce the licence fee regime, in a bid to augment the Corporation’s revenue, the logistics did not favour such a move.
Moreover, the electronics goods manufacturers of the country were opposed to such a move as a licence fee levied at the point of sale of TV and radio sets would have given rise to excise problems as also raising the total cost of a TV or a radio set.
In a process that was stopped a few decades ago, the Indian government used to collect license fee for every radio set in the country through a mechanism wherein owners of radio sets deposited a designated amount in the nearest post office.
The whole process was closed down as it dawned on the policy makers that the cost of collection of the licence fee was much more than the revenue being generated through the fee, apart from other problems.
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.
