I&B Ministry
Successful bidders can start FM channels: I and B Ministry
NEW DELHI: Operators who have recently won bids successfully for FM Radio stations have been asked to operationalize their channels as early as possible since “time is money and spectrum sold is still unutilized.”
Information and Broadcasting ministry joint secretary (B-II) Mihir Kumar Singh said this will benefit all stakeholders including the ministry as annual fee realization will also start early.
However addressing a meeting of the FM operators, Singh said the ministry was agreeable to allowing interim set-up subject to the interim stations being in the same premises from where regular CTI is operating; and payments to Prasar Bharati and Broadcasting Engineering Consultants (India) Ltd is made in full according to mutual consent.
The meeting on 27 April was at the instance of four FM Radio operators viz. ENIL, HTML, RBNL and MBL for being allowed to operationalise their fresh FM radio channels from interim set-up till the CTI facility is prepared by BECIL. The ten private FM representatives present also included representatives of Mathrubhumi and DB Corp.
The representatives of the companies were informed that the ministry was cautious in the matter as the operators at Chennai who were earlier given interim set up permission are yet to shift to the CTI facility at Avadi.
Upon enquiry about BECIL’s timelines to complete the CTI facilities, BECIL CMD George Kuruvila said though the target dates for all the cities is September 2016, BECIL would be able to complete CTI facilities for new FM channels in some cities in July-August.
It also agreed to provide city-wise timelines which was done.
All India Radio Resoirces GM (Commercial) AN Sharma said only single dipole, 7/8 inch cable with 3kw transmitter can be allowed for interim set-up. The range of transmission will be 15-20 km.
The operators should arrange for their power supply as Prasar Bharati will not be able to provide additional power required for interim set-up. The operation of interim set-up should not pose any hurdle for the regular CTI facilities being created for new FM channels.
Prasar Bharati was requested to give details of tower aperture, land space and rentals that
it would be willing to share and the pubcaster would so so within two days.
Kuruvila said since the interim set-up will be in the same premises for which SACFA clearance is available, BECIL will inform the WPC on the interim set-up on behalf of the operators.
All the operators sought a week’s time for giving their views and so the next meeting is fixed for 6 May.
I&B Ministry
IT Rules tweaks are clarificatory, not expansion of powers: MeitY
Govt signals flexibility as platforms push for clarity on user content rules
NEW DELHI: The Centre has sought to dial down concerns over its proposed amendments to the IT Rules, with Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology secretary S Krishnan asserting that the changes are intended as clarifications rather than an expansion of regulatory powers.
Pushing back against criticism from platforms and civil society, S Krishnan said the amendments “do not in any way actually give us wider powers” and are meant to remove ambiguity in how existing provisions are applied. He added that the trigger came largely from within the ecosystem, with intermediaries themselves seeking clearer guidance on compliance, takedowns and record preservation.
At the heart of the debate is the growing friction between platforms and policymakers over responsibility for user-generated content. Intermediaries have argued that they should not be treated on par with publishers, particularly when content is created and uploaded by users. Krishnan acknowledged this concern, noting that “a sharper distinction” between user content and publisher content is needed and is currently under examination.
The issue becomes more complex in enforcement scenarios. While registered publishers can be directly asked to modify or remove content, intermediaries often lack control over the original creator. “In such cases, the intermediary cannot direct those changes,” Krishnan explained, underlining the need for procedural nuance.
Another key proposal under discussion is to bring user-generated news and current affairs content within a more unified regulatory ambit, potentially under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The move follows suggestions that a single authority should handle such content, regardless of whether it originates from a publisher or an individual user.
Even as the government frames the amendments as a tidy-up exercise, fault lines remain. Industry players have flagged concerns over compliance burdens, especially for smaller businesses, and questioned whether advisories could effectively become binding without explicit legislative backing. Krishnan said the government is mindful of these risks and is exploring ways to ease obligations, including possible relaxations under certain provisions.
The ministry is also considering consolidating multiple advisories and guidelines into a more structured framework, a step widely seen as addressing long-standing confusion over what platforms are expected to follow.
On takedowns, the government has reiterated that due process will remain unchanged. Krishnan stressed that actions will continue to be governed by established procedures, with reasons recorded and review mechanisms in place. He also pointed to the surge in deepfakes and synthetic media as a factor behind rising content disputes, calling it a “scale challenge” for regulators.
Interestingly, Krishnan also framed social media platforms as commercial entities rather than pure vehicles of free expression, hinting at a broader shift in regulatory thinking as platform economics come into sharper focus.
With stakeholders seeking more time and, in some cases, a rollback of the proposals, the government has kept the consultation process open-ended. Krishnan said further revisions remain on the table, signalling a willingness to adapt the draft based on feedback.
For now, the message from MeitY is clear: the rules may not be tightening in intent, but the effort to define them more clearly is well underway.
