I&B Ministry
I&B ministry looks at decriminalising minor offences under Cable TV act
KOLKATA: The ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) is looking at decriminalising minor offences under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995. As part of the ongoing exercise to reform governance, MIB has taken a decision to delete the entire provision of Section 16, Section 17 and Section 18 under the act. It has also sought comments of the general public and all the concerned stakeholders by 24 July.
Section 16 under chapter IV of the act lays down jail term up to five years for contravention of provisions of the act which includes proper registration of a cable TV network, transmission of programmes through addressable systems, use of standard equipment, not interfering with any telecommunication system. The act also includes programme code and advertising code. Hence, deletion of section 16 will bring an end to unnecessary jail terms, legal challenges for operators.
Under the proposed amendment, the punishment will limit to seizing the equipment of the operator if the fault is at the level of cable operators. Any contravention of program code and advertising code will lead to cancellation of channel permission, forcible run of apology scroll. Treatment of Violations under Section 5 (Programme Code) and Section 6
(Advertisement Code) under Section 16 shall now be shifted to under Section 11 as its sub-Section (1).
The ministry is proposing deletion of Section 17 and Section 18 completely. It comes under the broad exercise of the current central government which has planned to undertake a wide-ranging review of existing laws and decriminalize many” minor” offences. Earlier in June, the finance ministry on Wednesday proposed to decriminalise minor offences.
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.
