I&B Ministry
MIB inaugrates PIB’s Audio Visual Unit
MUMBAI: The Minister for Information & Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, PR Dasmunsi inaugurated the Audio Visual Unit of the Press Information Bureau(PIB).
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said it has become important to meet people’s growing needs for information through 24 hour TV channels. He asserted that the audio visual cell will satiate the hunger of large sections of people concerned with information on day to day developments of the Nation.
Describing this initiative as a “big jump” and “stage II revolution” in the efforts of PIB to cater to the requirements of electronic media, the Minister for I&B expressed hope that it would provide valuable feedback to the Government and meet the needs of TV channels who do not have necessary infrastructure.
In his address, I&B secretary, SK Arora, welcomed the launch of the audio visual cell by observing that mediapersons could access authentic and accurate information about government’s activities, initiatives and policy pronouncements by visiting PIB’s website.
He also announced that several lakh rare photographs of last 50 to 60 years available with the Photo Division in a digital form will be placed on the PIB’s website shortly. He expressed hope that this measure would further increase PIB’s popularity among the media.
In her welcome address, PIB director general, Deepak Sandhu stated that the advent of television channels, especially regional and local channels have brought a new challenge to PIB for meeting the demand for visual content of Government information. AV Unit which was started by PIB in response, will disseminate important information in the audio-visual format including special interviews with senior ministers.
The format which has been adopted to start with, is to web-stream the audio-visual content on the website in a preview format and downloadable format. The video clips will be confined to a maximum of two minutes so that there is no difficulty in downloading the contents. At a later stage, PIB hopes to distribute this audio-visual material in DVD format as well.
I&B Ministry
MIB cancels registrations of 114 MSOs in compliance crackdown
Total active MSOs now 756 after 1,159 exits since early 2025.
MUMBAI- MIB just pulled the plug on 114 more cable operators because when the regulator says “cut the cord,” it really means cut the cord. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has cancelled the registrations of 114 multi-system operators (MSOs) for non-compliance, denial of security clearance and suppression of critical information, continuing its year-long clean-up of India’s cable distribution ecosystem.
As of 28 February 2026, the total number of registered MSOs has fallen to 756 after 1,159 operators exited the market through cancellations, voluntary surrenders or lapsed licences. This follows a similar exercise in the previous year when, as of 31 March 2025, around 1,045 registrations had expired, been surrendered or cancelled, bringing the count down from higher levels to 845 before the latest round.
The sustained contraction signals a structural shift toward a more organised, compliant sector. Regulatory scrutiny has intensified on operational transparency, adherence to licensing norms and security clearances, effectively weeding out smaller or non-compliant players.
Industry observers view the moves as a deliberate push toward consolidation, where only operators meeting strict standards remain active. Additional rejections of over 14 applications last year on grounds such as non-payment of dues and suppression of information further underscore the ministry’s stricter stance.
In India’s cable TV landscape, where channels once multiplied faster than viewers could count them, MIB is quietly rewiring the entire grid, one cancellation at a time until only the cleanest signals survive.
