I&B Ministry
MIB clears TV channel applications; Rathore calls for stakeholder meets
NEW DELHI: Within days of Rajyavardhan Rathore given independent charge of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) by the PM Modi-led government after removal of his senior Smriti Irani, the organisation has been galvanised into action. What’s more, important issues are being discussed, including clearances of three new TV channel applications and meetings being called with broadcast industry stakeholders to debate matters like use of foreign satellites versus Indian ones.
The three TV channels that have been reportedly given initial government go-ahead — further processes like bank guarantees, etc need to be completed — include Aastha Kannad, Aastha Tamil and Aastha Telugu. All these channels are Indian language off-shoots of the religious product Aastha network that at present broadcasts in Hindi.
Though critics may say the government has given the nod to three TV channels in South Indian languages belonging to Vedic Broadcasting Ltd (VBL), which is controlled by Yoga guru`Patanjali’ Ramdev’s close associate Acharya Balkrishna and considered close to the present BJP-led government in New Delhi, independent observers feel at least MIB has started taking a stand on applications, a process that was halted for the last nine months or so for various reasons.
Media industry sources indicated that over 100 applications for TV channels are pending at MIB. And, such applications include ones from big and small broadcast companies.
VBL is controlled by majority shareholder Balkrishna, who, along with Ramdev, bought it in 2011 from the people who had started a religious TV channel few years back airing yoga shows, religious sermons and some cultural programmes.
When VBL is searched on Google, one is taken to www.acharyabalkrishna.com where it is indirectly stated that Balkrishna is the managing director. It is further stated: “Vedic Broadcasting Limited is also part of his vision. It [’s a] pioneer & leading socio-cultural network in India. Astha & Astha Bhajan Channel is propagating Indian culture and heritage, Health, Ayurveda, Education, Yoga, Values and Morals, Devotional songs, Spiritual meetings, talks, etc. The channels are available globally covering the continents of Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe and North America (USA & Canada), thus, enabling global organisations an opportunity to reach followers and other viewers worldwide.”
Meanwhile, both government and industry sources indicated that MIB, under Rathore, is attempting to be a breath of fresh air, if not completely turn over decisions taken earlier under Irani. One such step in that direction was to start convening meetings with TV channels and their holding companies in an attempt to try to address some of the concerns.
In one such meeting held this week, the representatives from the broadcasting company owning and operating over 30 TV channels in India were asked about their concerns. Also present were government officials from Department of Space and Indian space agency ISRO.
When the issue of migration to an Indian satellite from foreign ones was brought up by the TV channel reps in the meeting, it was conveyed to them politely that it would be in the national interest to do so, though those having existing contracts could be allowed, in all probability, to go through with contractual obligations.
One of the concerns relating to leasing space on foreign satellites is that ISRO, according to industry sources, was unwilling to come forth with data on disaster and backup management in case an Indian satellite, through which a TV channel is beaming, for example, sputtered or developed some snag.
The sources said that more such meetings are in the pipeline with other broadcasting companies.
MUMBAI: When the numbers go silent, the noise on screen gets a little harder to measure. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has extended the suspension of television rating data for news channels, directing Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) to withhold TRPs for another four weeks. The latest order, issued on March 31, 2026, builds on an earlier directive from March 6 that had paused ratings for a month. The ministry has clarified that the blackout will continue for four weeks or until further instructions are issued whichever comes earlier keeping the industry in a prolonged state of data drought.
The reasoning, officials suggest, lies far beyond domestic screens. With geopolitical tensions in West Asia continuing to escalate, the government has flagged concerns over how such developments could influence news consumption and presentation. The move is aimed at curbing excessive sensationalism and speculative coverage during what it describes as a sensitive global moment.
For the broadcast ecosystem, the absence of Television Rating Points (TRPs) is more than symbolic, it removes the industry’s primary scorecard. Ratings dictate advertising flows, shape editorial strategies and fuel the competitive pecking order among news channels. Without them, broadcasters are effectively operating without a public performance benchmark.
The timing only adds to the complexity. Amid a high-intensity global news cycle, channels must now navigate audience engagement without the weekly feedback loop that typically drives programming decisions. Advertisers, too, are left recalibrating, leaning on proxies such as brand strength, reach and distribution instead of hard viewership data.
While framed as a temporary regulatory intervention tied to maintaining public order, the extended suspension underscores a broader unease about the tone and direction of news coverage. For now, the ratings race is on pause but the battle for attention continues, just without a scoreboard.
