I&B Ministry
MIB awaits note on Sun security clearance denial from Home Ministry before moving SC
NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) is still awaiting detailed instructions from the Ministry of Home Affairs on rejection of security clearance to the Sun TV group, even as the Government appears to have made up its mind to file a special leave petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court challenging orders of the Delhi and Madras High Courts with regard to the Sun TV group participating in FM Phase III e-auctions.
An MIB official told Indiantelevision.com that the Home Ministry had been asked earlier and also later reminded to send a detailed note on its reasons for rejection of security clearance. The official added that it is the MIB, which will file the SLP being the Ministry dealing with FM Radio and therefore it needed to be clear on the reasons for rejection of security clearance.
Meanwhile, it is learnt that top officials of the Home Ministry are taking legal opinion on the issue of framing an SLP to challenge the 26 July order by the Delhi High Court and that of the Madras High Court earlier.
The Delhi High Court had allowed Red FM, which is owned by Sun TV, to participate in Phase III of the first FM e-auction, which commenced on 27 July.
It is expected that the government will take the ground that the two courts had not taken into consideration: the pending criminal charges against Sun Group promoters including Kalanithi Maran, who is one of the Directors of Red FM, and the implication it has on national and economic security.
Justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Sanjeev Sachdeva of the Delhi High Court had said Clause 3.8 of the Notice Inviting Applications for the auction had reference only to the company and its directors and there is no mention of its shareholders. Both Dayanidhi Maran and Kalanithi Maran are shareholders and therefore the Clause does not apply to them.
The Court had said Digital Radio (Delhi) Broadcasting Ltd and Digital Radio (Mumbai) Broadcasting Ltd, which run Red FM in these two cities have not been alleged to be vehicles of any transgression of law and have been functioning since 2002-2003 without there being any allegation regarding their functioning resulting in any security concerns.
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.
