I&B Ministry
I&B Ministry grants registration to 15 MSOs in Jan 2020
MUMBAI: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has published a document listing all the registered multi system operators (MSO) in the country. As per the document, there are 1630 registered MSOs in India as on 31 January 2020.
Fifteen MSOs were granted registration in the month of January 2020. A total of 150 MSOs were granted registration in the year 2019. Surprisingly, just one MSO, Sharma Cable Network, was granted registration in the entire of 2018 as per the document.
All the granted registrations are valid for a period of 10 years. The name of the companies that were added in the registration list in January includes Latiyal TV Club, Vijayendra Cable, Seven Star Digital; Maxnet Communication, AG Digital Communication, Jai Maa Vaishnavi Jai Mata Di Star Cable, Digimedia Cable, Cable Operator Association of Yamunagar N Jagadhari, Siddhi Cable Center, Barale Cable Network, Aryabhatt Digital Network Pvt Ltd, The Nandhyal Communications, Tiranga Networks and DNA Cables.
The ministry has also cancelled the registration of Skyway Digital on 27 january 2020. The total number of MSO registrations cancelled by MIB is 74 till 31 January 2020.
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.
