News Broadcasting
NK Singh panel for FDI in news programming
NEW DELHI: The NK Singh committee on foreign direct investment (FDI), which presented its report yesterday to the Prime Minister, has recommended that FDI should also be encouraged in the category of news and current affairs and news programmes but with riders.
In its report, the Sing panel has said: “Thus FDI equity limits in terms of individual companies in this field could eventually be replaced by limits of the aggregate market share – 25 per cent to 49 per cent – that can accrue to foreign controlled news and current affair companies taken together.”
A copy of the media-specific suggestions is available with indiantelevision.com.
Dwelling on this subject, along with suggesting that the media cap of 20 per cent in a Ku-band DTH venture should be hiked to 49 per cent, the panel has said some element of restriction can also be applied to foreign entrants in the field of current affairs and news programmes. “Reporting of international affairs is strongly influenced by nationality, as demonstrated by reporting of the war in Afghanistan and related issues of Pakistani involvement in terrorism in South Asian region,” the panel has observed.
Taking a line that was adopted by the Cabinet while approving inflow of FDI in the print medium – hitherto a restricted area fro foreign companies – the Singh panel has said editorial control (in the electronic medium), in the sense of control over editorial policy and content must vest with Indian nationals. “The business managers and those who control commercial decision can, however, be foreigners. Over a time a more liberal policy that can focus on controlling dominance in terms of share of market for news and current affairs is desirable,” the panel has pointed out.
However, sounding a word of caution, the panel has said that in the name of globalisation, “globalisation of media cannot merely mean that all the existing cultural (for example soap operas) and nationalistic (for example war news) content created in democratic USA or the UK and other English-speaking countries is merely transferred to India.”
In the same vein it has also been pointed out that India’s experience with the opening of TV media has demonstrated “the strength of Indian culture” in that most foreign companies have been forced by the market to increase content based on Indian cultural and entertainment traditions and reduce transplanted foreign culture sensitive programmes.
In an observation, the Singh panel seems to suggest that terrestrial TV should also be opened to private participation.
The panel has noted that the experience of opening of terrestrial TV (a fact that can be debated as the government is yet to allow private sector involvement in terrestrial TV, though in FM radio broadcasting it has been allowed) has demonstrated that private domestic and foreign entry is beneficial for citizens in terms of both information access and consumer choice.
“DTH broadcasting competes with terrestrial TV transmissions and is a competitive service with high capital costs and risks,” the Singh panel has observed, adding, “Given the current 20 per cent foreign equity limit (in a KU band venture) foreign companies have little or no interest in entering this sector. This limit should be raised to 49 per cent (KU band, etc) so that foreign companies with the capital, technical competence and risk appetite can enter the country.”
News Broadcasting
News18 hosts Tamil Nadu town hall ahead of 2026 polls
MK Stalin headlines ‘Next Big Leap’ event from 10am on 23 February in Chennai with leaders and icons.
MUMBAI: Tamil Nadu’s political pot is simmering and News18’s town hall is stirring it up just in time for the 2026 assembly elections boilover. Set for 23 February from 10am onwards in Chennai, the News18 Network Town Hall gathers heavyweights under the banner ‘The Next Big Leap for Tamil Nadu’ to dissect the state’s political pulse, economic edge, and cultural clout. With the 234-seat assembly contest looming as a fiercely competitive showdown, the event spotlights how Tamil Nadu’s identity-driven politics and engaged voters continue to ripple across national debates.
Chief minister MK Stalin leads the charge with a keynote on the theme, sketching his government’s blueprint for governance, development, and staying power pre-polls. Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin chimes in on ‘Voices, Vision & Way Forward’, unpacking generational shifts and fresh narratives. From the opposition corner, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami tackles ‘Baton Change at the Ballot?’, floating alternatives to the status quo.
Economic vibes get a nudge from industries minister TRB Rajaa on ‘Investment Story Intact?’, probing the state’s draw for big bucks. BJP’s K Annamalai dives into ‘People, Trust & Political Ideology’, positioning his party in the Dravidian-dominated turf. IT Minister Palanivel ThiagaRajan explores ‘Code, Capacity & Citizenship’, on tech’s role in citizen-focused services. TVK’s KG Arunraj questions if ‘Winds of Change are Possible’ in this pattern-prone state.
A panel on innovation features IIT Madras director Prof V Kamakoti, M&M’s Velusamy R, and Electronic Industries Association’s Dr Sasikumar Gendham, musing how AI and knowledge hubs are remaking opportunities. Culture gets its due with composer Anirudh Ravichander on ‘Tamil Music for the World’.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar noted, “The News18 Network Tamil Nadu Town Hall… reflects our core editorial focus, to capture the political mood of the state and spotlight the ideas that will shape the next phase of governance and growth.”
Network18, CEO of English & business news Smriti Mehra added, “As Tamil Nadu moves closer to a defining electoral moment… we see it as our responsibility to drive informed and meaningful conversations.”
Network18 managing editor for South, Vivek Narayan said, “The News18 Network Townhall in Tamil Nadu is designed as a platform where policy, politics and public interest intersect.”
Backed by associate partners Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles and Reliance Industries, the live event streams on CNN-News18, News18 Tamil, CTV, and Youtube from 10am on 23 February perfect for catching the sparks, even if you’re not knee-deep in Dravidian drama.
