I&B Ministry
Prasar Bharati ready for talks with MEN on issue of making DD Sports FTA
NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati is willing to start negotiations with KK Modi company, Modi Entertainment Network (MEN), on the issue of converting national broadcaster Doordarshan’s DD Sports channel into a free to air channel from the existing pay mode.
According to sources in Prasar Bharati, talks have to be held with MEN on the issue as the latter has gone to court over reported remarks on DD Sports to be converted into a FTA channel and got a stay on any such thing happening.
MEN got an ad-interim injunction from the Delhi High Court ordering Prasar Bharati to maintain status quo with respect to its distribution agreement with MEN. As per the suit filed by MEN, it has sought an order restraining Doordarshan from interfering with the distribution of DD Sports channel in digital and encrypted format till 2005 (the period for which the existing contract runs) exclusively within India and neighbouring countries.
The next hearing of this case has been set for 3 December.
MEN’s actions followed recent comments by Prasar Bharati chief executive KS Sarma made to the media in Chennai that the pubcaster was thinking of converting DD Sports into a free to air channel.
Contacted today by indiantelevision.com, MEN chairman Lalit Modi, while admitting that the company has gone to the court, said: “We are open to any negotiations, but no formal communication has come yet from DD or Prasar Bharati.”
MEN has an agreement with Prasar Bharati for the distribution activities relating to DD Sports. Modi added that it was unethical on Prasar Bharati’s part to take a decision to convert DD Sports into a FTA channel without first consulting MEN as the company has invested a sizeable amount of money in the distribution process of the channel, including set top boxes.
Modi also maintained that DD Sports’ viewership is fairly large and no efforts have been spared to increase its penetration through the cable operators who initially were not much in favour of the channel on the prime band.
If DD decides to opt out of the agreement with MEN and goes ahead with its plans on DD Sports, then it may have to pay a hefty amount for exiting the agreement, industry sources said.
Still, Prasar Bharati officials maintained that even while the corporation would abide by the current court ruling, the rationale behind the proposal to make DD Sports FTA channel was that in the pay mode it was not getting enough viewership.
“Considering that DD is a public broadcaster, its role is to spread the messages far and wide. DD Sports in the pay mode was not being accessed in the remote areas and promotion of sports, including the indigenous ones, could not be taken in a proper manner. Hence the broad proposal to convert it into a FTA channel,” a senior official of Prasar Bharati told indiantelevision.com.
Moreover, with DD having bagged the terrestrial telecast rights of ICC cricket, including the next World Cup in South Africa, it ideally needs a channel where the cricket matches could be shown without displacing its existing programmes which would be necessitated if the cricket matches are telecast on DD National or even DD Metro.
I&B Ministry
CBFC speeds up film certification; average approval time cut to 22 days
Over 71,900 films cleared in five years as digital system shortens approval timelines
MUMBAI:Â The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has significantly reduced the time taken to certify films, with the average approval timeline now down to 22 working days for feature films and just three days for short films.
Operating under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the statutory body certifies films for public exhibition in line with the Cinematograph Act, 1952 and the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024. The rules prescribe a maximum certification period of 48 working days, though the adoption of the Online Certification System has sharply accelerated the process.
Over the past five years, from 2020-21 to 2024-25, the board certified a total of 71,963 films across formats. Of these, the majority fell under the U category with 41,817 titles, followed by UA with 28,268 films and A with 1,878 films. No films were certified under the S category during the period.
Film approvals have also steadily risen in recent years. The CBFC cleared 8,299 films in 2020-21, a figure that peaked at 18,070 in 2022-23 before settling at 15,444 films in 2024-25. During the same period, 11,064 films were certified with cuts or modifications.
Despite the high volume of certifications, outright refusals remain rare. Only three films were denied certification over the last five years, with one refusal recorded in 2022-23 and two in 2024-25.
The board may recommend cuts or modifications if a film violates statutory parameters relating to the sovereignty and integrity of India, security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, decency or morality, defamation, contempt of court or incitement to an offence.
Filmmakers can challenge CBFC decisions in court. Data shows that such disputes remain limited but have seen some fluctuation. Between 2021 and 2025, a total of 21 certification decisions were challenged before High Courts, with the number rising to 10 cases in 2025.
Responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha, minister of state for information and broadcasting L. Murugan shared the data. The question was raised by Mallikarjun Kharge.
With faster timelines and a largely digital workflow, the certification process appears to be moving at a far brisker pace, signalling a shift towards quicker clearances for India’s growing film output.
