I&B Ministry
MIB, TRAI to examine DAS Phase III interconnect issues
NEW DELHI: Multi-system operators and local cable operators were yesterday assured by senior officials of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) that contentious issues relating to interconnect agreements of Phase III of digitisation would be resolved.
In a meeting held under the chairmanship of MIB additional secretary Jayashree Mukherjee, the MSOs and LCOs presented problems being faced by them.
Primarily, the issues arise in the areas switching from analogue to digital addressable system and where the MSOs and LCOs have to sign fresh interconnect agreements with broadcasters.
In the last meeting of the DAS Task Force on 31 August 2016, it was stated that the broadcasters should request the MSOs with whom they have interconnect agreements but who have not applied for MSO registration whether they were interested to work as an MSO in DAS-notified area failing which they would not be able to act as an MSO after the cut-off date.
MIB was told that there are around 6,000 MSOs operating in the country, but only about 1,300 had applied for the MSO registration.
The Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) representative was requested to ensure that similar action is taken by all members of the organisation and also that a list of member-boradcasters with their e-mail addresses is sent so that MIB could also write to them.
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I&B Ministry
Government proposes scrapping film certification fast-track scheme
Priority route may be dropped to end queue-jumping and restore fairness
NEW DELHI: The government is set to press pause on the fast lane for film certification. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has proposed scrapping the Priority Scheme under the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024, a move that could end the practice of paying extra to move a film ahead in the queue.
In a public notice issued on 16 February, the ministry invited stakeholder comments on the proposal, with the consultation window open until 17 March.
The Priority Scheme, introduced in 2024, allowed filmmakers to request expedited certification by paying three times the standard examination fee. Under the rules, priority applications could be slotted ahead of regular submissions, effectively reshuffling the order of scrutiny.
What began as a provision for exceptional urgency, the ministry says, has gradually become business as usual. The result has been longer waits for films in the regular queue and concerns about fairness in what is meant to be a statutory, rule-based process.
Officials have flagged the risk of a two-tier system, where producers with deeper pockets could buy speed while smaller or independent filmmakers were left waiting their turn. The proposed amendment aims to remove that imbalance by restoring a single, orderly queue for all applicants.
If approved, the changes would remove the rule that permits priority screening upon payment of higher fees, as well as the provision that allows regional officers to alter the order of examination based on such requests. In effect, every film would move through certification strictly according to its place in line, unless a separate exceptional mechanism is introduced later.
For big-budget producers, the shift may mean factoring in longer lead times before release. Marketing campaigns, festival slots and box office calendars that once relied on a quick certification turnaround may need more careful planning.
Independent filmmakers, on the other hand, could find the playing field a little more level. Without a pay-to-fast-forward option, the queue may become slower for some, but fairer for all.
The government says the move is meant to restore equity, improve predictability and strengthen the integrity of the certification process. Whether removing the fast-track option reduces bottlenecks or simply redistributes the delays will depend on how efficiently the regular pipeline is managed in the months ahead.
