I&B Ministry
India’s second radio operator MBL seeks to list
MUMBAI: Music Broadcast Ltd (MBL), the FM radio unit of the media house Jagran Prakashan backed by the private equity giant Blackstone, on Monday, filed draft documents with the capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India for an initial public offering.
ICICI Securities is the sole financial adviser for the issue. The IPO will comprise of a fresh issue aggregating upto Rs. 4,000 million (Rs 400 crore) and an offer for sale of up to 2,658,518 equity shares by certain existing shareholders of MBL. JPL is not selling any of its shareholding in MBL under the offer for sale portion.
MBL will be the second radio operator to list on BSE after Times Group’s Entertainment Network India Ltd, which runs Radio Mirchi, India’s top FM radio business label.
Jagran entered the radio segment with the acquisition of Music Broadcast Pvt Ltd in December 2014 from Rupert Murdoch-controlled 21st Century Fox’s Star Group and the private equity company India Value Fund Advisors.
The company plans to use the proceeds to redeem non-convertible debentures, repay inter-corporate deposits as well as for general corporate purposes.
MBL has a presence in 29 cities. Its radio stations include eight Radio Mantra stations. The company says its radio stations reached out to 49.60 million listeners in 23 cities covered by AZ Research as on 31 March 2016.
I&B Ministry
MIB blocks MoodXVIP, Koyal Playpro and three other OTT platforms over obscene, sexually explicit content
Platforms streamed material violating IT Act provisions
NATIONAL: India’s Information and Broadcasting Ministry blocked five over-the-top streaming platforms for allegedly hosting obscene and sexually explicit content, marking a fresh escalation in regulatory action against digital services operating outside the country’s content rules, as per media reports.
The platforms, MoodXVIP, Koyal Playpro, Digi Movieplex, Feel and Jugnu, were found to be streaming material that prima facie violates provisions of the Information Technology Act and rules governing online publishers.
Blocking orders were issued under statutory powers that allow the government to restrict access to online content in the interest of public order and decency. Internet service providers have been directed to disable access to the websites and mobile applications linked to the platforms.
The move forms part of a wider surveillance drive by the ministry targeting lesser-known and unregulated streaming services that allegedly evade self-regulatory obligations applicable to OTT platforms. Officials said the action followed repeated advisories urging compliance with Indian laws, including age-based classification, grievance redressal mechanisms and restrictions on explicit material.
Government sources described the content hosted by the blocked platforms as “highly explicit”, adding that it crossed legal thresholds permitted under Indian law. While large OTT players operate within a three-tier grievance redressal framework introduced in 2021, smaller apps have increasingly drawn scrutiny for distributing adult content without oversight.
The latest action also reflects heightened enforcement against platforms operating through mirror websites, offshore hosting arrangements or opaque ownership structures. Authorities have in recent years stepped up monitoring of online curated content amid concerns around obscenity, misleading promotions and unlawful distribution.
Officials declined to say whether further steps, including probes into operators, payment gateways or production entities, were being considered. However, sources indicated that additional platforms could face similar action if found in breach of the law.
