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
India tightens anti-piracy law, blocks sites and Telegram channels
New rules bring jail terms, fines and faster takedowns of illegal content
NEW DELHI: The Government of India has stepped up its fight against film piracy, invoking stricter provisions under the Cinematograph Amendment Act 2023 to crack down on unauthorised recording and distribution.
The law now imposes tougher penalties, including jail terms ranging from three months to three years and fines starting at Rs. 3 lakh, which can go up to 5 per cent of a film’s production cost. The provisions target both illegal recording in cinemas and unauthorised online transmission.
In a fresh enforcement push, authorities have notified the Telegram platform to act against piracy, leading to the identification of 3,142 channels allegedly distributing copyrighted content without permission. In parallel, access to around 800 piracy websites has been blocked through internet service providers.
The action has been taken under the Information Technology Act 2000, which empowers the government to direct intermediaries to remove unlawful content. The framework is further reinforced by the Information Technology Rules 2021, requiring platforms to act swiftly when notified of violations.
An institutional mechanism is also in place, allowing copyright holders and authorised representatives to file complaints through designated nodal officers. Once verified, these complaints trigger takedown notices to intermediaries for disabling access to infringing content.
The update was shared in Parliament by Government of India minister of state information and broadcasting l murugan in response to a query from Parimal Nathwani.
The government’s latest move signals a sharper, more coordinated approach to tackling piracy across both physical and digital channels. For the film industry, it is a step towards protecting revenues, while for viewers, it reinforces the shift towards legitimate content consumption.
