I&B Ministry
Radio FM cos. push for quick policy change
NEW DELHI: A delegation of private FM radio players met information and broadcasting minister Jaipal Reddy, today, to exhort him to expedite work on the recommendations for expansion of the second phase of FM radio in the country. But, they only got a patient hearing from the minister sans any assurances on any subject.
Though there were several issues involved, but, as The India Today Group promoter Aroon Purie told indiantelevision.com, the main one was that of payment of the licence fee that became first payable on 30 April. The second deadline is 12 June, which has been set by a dispute redressal tribunal.
“There is no question of not paying the licence fee (for four months). We will,” Purie said, adding, “But the main issue is to take forward the second phase of FM radio expansion for which the government has to give us certain directions.”
An ITG company, Radio Today Network, runs FM radio stations in several cities.
The private FM radio players had been lobbying for waiver of the licence fee till the government took a final view on recommendations made by an expert panel on FM radio policy, which included issues like revenue sharing, foreign investment in the sector and allowing of news and current affairs programming on private stations.
Failing to get some assurances from the previous government because of the announcement of election dates (when no policy decision of consequence could be taken), the FM radio companies had moved the court and subsequently TDSAT, a dispute redressal tribunal under the sector regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. The tribunal had ruled that the companies would have to pay up four months licence fee as an interim measure.
Pointing out that it was too early for Reddy to give assurances, Entertainment Network (India) Ltd. MD AP Parigi, said, “We apprised the minister of the issues involved and requested him to see that the ministry takes a final view on the expert panel’s recommendation soon.” The company manages Radio Mirchi.
The delegation also included Bennett, Coleman & Co. MD Vineet Jain, Mid-day group’s Tariq Ansari and representatives from Radio City and Sun group.
Asked about the losses that the private FM radio players would be incurring, Purie said that the combine losses of the players concerned would be “between Rs. 1,500- Rs. 2,000 million.” Added Jain, “Individual losses would look huge if the subsidies extended by the respective parent companies are withdrawn.”
By subsidies, Jain means the in-house group advertising that is made available to most FM radio stations. For example, technically, a Star Plus ad on Radio City or a Times of India ad on Radio Mirchi cannot really be termed as revenue as they have been extended by parent companies.
A government official later said that some of the FM radio companies have paid up the licence fee as per the tribunal ruling.
I&B Ministry
Prasar Bharati extends Waves OTT channel onboarding deadline to 31 March 2026
Broadcasters gain extra time for applications on revenue-sharing streaming platform.
MUMBAI: Riding the Waves of digital delay, Prasar Bharati has thrown broadcasters a lifeline by pushing back the deadline for hopping aboard its OTT platform because who doesn’t love a bit more time to stream their dreams? India’s public service broadcaster, on 19 February 2026, announced an extension to the original cut-off from 1 December 2025, giving eager satellite TV channels until 31 March 2026 to submit their bids for a spot on Waves. This follows the initial call-out dated 17 November 2025 under notice No. OTT/2(02)/2024/Platform/529, inviting licensed linear channels to join the streaming party for a one-year stint starting from their onboard date.
Only channels permitted by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) for downlinking and distribution in India qualify, and applications must come straight from the companies holding those golden tickets no third-party proxies allowed. Broadcasters need to supply an SCTE-35 marker-enabled feed to signal ad breaks, ensuring the stream flows smoothly without awkward pauses.
Here’s where the money tune plays, Successful channels get carried on a revenue-sharing basis, splitting the net spoils 65:35, that’s 65 per cent to the channel and 35 per cent to Prasar Bharati after deducting costs like transcoding, CDN bandwidth, and ad agency commissions. Prasar Bharati handles ad insertions at marker points, and if slots go unfilled, they’ll plug in promos for themselves or the channels, keeping the vibe promotional yet practical.
No room for fuzzy details applicants must provide crystal-clear proof of their channel’s genre (think GEC, movies, music, news & current affairs, sports, devotional, kids, or others) and language, backed by evidence from MSO/DTH placements, regulatory nods like TRAI or MIB, DAVP docs, or even BARC ratings. Ambiguity? That’s a swift rejection slip.
Channels get ranked by their DAVP rate card prowess, with the highest bidders in each category snagging the streaming slots, it’s like a broadcast beauty contest judged on ad rates across time bands. The application drill? Fill out the prescribed form in Annexure-1, bundle it with docs from Annexure-2 (including permissions, logos, PAN, GST, undertakings, and authority letters), and email the lot to ddfreedish@prasarbharati.gov.in by 5:00 PM on 31 March 2026.
Interim submissions aren’t left in the lurch, they’ll be considered too. Winners receive a ‘Letter of Allotment’, followed by a must-sign agreement in two originals within 15 days, plus tech details for seamless integration. For the full playbook, dip into clause 11.2 of Prasar Bharati’s Content Sourcing Policy 2024 on their website.
In a world where streaming wars rage on, this extension might just be the breather broadcasters need to tune up their pitches after all, better late than never in the OTT ocean.
