I&B Ministry
MSM gets licence for two new HD TV channels
NEW DELHI: AXN HD and SET HD, both from the Multi Screen Media (MSM) bouquet, are the only two private television channels permitted for downlinking into the country during 2014.
All the other nine channels which got permissions in the first four months of 2014 are to be uplinked from within the country. These include the news channels NSN News, VIP News (earlier known as Prabhatam NSB), Satlon News and Prabhatam Lifeline.
The general entertainment channels are: Daati Ahsaas, Satkar, Hastey Raho, the Bengali channel Fatafati and Maha Movie.
With this, the total number of private channels uplinking from or downlinking into the country has gone up to 795.
According to the statistics revealed by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry today, the number of news and current affairs channels is 393 while the number of non-news (general entertainment channels) is 402.
Of the total, 669 TV channels including 372 news channels have been given permission to uplink and downlink from within the country.
The Ministry also placed on its website the names of the companies which own these channels, the language, and the date when permission was granted.
I&B Ministry
MIB halts news TRPs for four weeks over sensational US-Iran conflict coverage
Government flags panic-mongering in television war coverage
NEW DELHI: India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting directed the Broadcast Audience Research Council India (BARC) to suspend television ratings for news channels for four weeks amid concerns over sensational coverage of the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Iran.
According to media reports, the move intends to curb excessive dramatisation in television reporting that could trigger unnecessary public anxiety.
Officials have observed that several news broadcasters are amplifying developments in the conflict in ways that may fuel panic among viewers. By temporarily halting the publication of viewership data, the ministry hopes to ease the competitive pressure on channels to chase ratings through sensational content.
The suspension will remain in effect for one month for now. During this period, television news channels will continue to broadcast as usual, but their audience measurement figures will neither be counted nor released.
Authorities will monitor both the evolving geopolitical situation and the tone of television coverage during the pause. The four-week suspension could be extended if the government believes the risk of panic-mongering or sensational reporting persists.
