I&B Ministry
Surrogate TV ads set to go up in smoke after I&B order
NEW DELHI: No more fun times with Kingfisher. McDowell soda water will remain uncorked and Cavender’s adventure gear will have to take a backseat, as the government has finally cracked the whip leaving no scope for ambiguities.
In a circular, the information and broadcasting ministry has said brand extension advertising related to liquor and tobacco companies will not be allowed on TV in any form.
What is surprising is that while the electronic medium has been told to follow the government diktat, the print medium has been spared any such rigours leaving the option open for liquor companies to channelise their media spend heavily towards print products.
The government circular, issued today to the relevant section of the broadcast industry, clarifies that under the Cable TV (Network) Regulation Act 1995, liquor and tobacco advertising is not allowed on TV, which would also include from now on surrogate or brand extension advertising.
This also means that the TV channels would have to take a collective hit of between Rs 1300 to 1500 million in advertising revenue that was spent by liquor and tobacco companies annually in advertising brands not directly related to liquor or tobacco products.
When the government had first frowned on liquor
advertisements on TV channels in the mid-1990s, such companies had taken the surrogate advertising route, claiming it was part of brand extension.
So, you had Kingfisher soda water, Bacardi Blast music collections, 8 PM apple juice and even Wills rare moments photo collections, apart from a slew of other such products that were not readily available in the market.
The latest government circular also puts a question mark on media campaigns of yet-to-be-launched airlines services such as Kingfisher Airlines (promoted by liquor baron and MP Vijay Mallya) and the existing chain of casual wear from the ITC group, which is marketed under the Wills brand name.
Similarly, it also raises doubts over sponsorship of sporting events like Signature golf tournament and similar events that are also televised. TV companies were not immediately available for comment, but broadcast industry sources said this move may be challenged over why print has been spared the brand extension advertising ban.
I&B Ministry
Press Sewa Portal digitises 1.5 lakh records, streamlines periodical registrations: MIB
Online system spans 780 districts; Rs 5.6 crore penalties, 88,315 titles cancelled
NEW DELHI: India’s print media registry has quietly moved from dusty files to digital dashboards. The government has digitised more than 1.5 lakh historical records of newspapers and periodicals and shifted registrations fully online through the Press Sewa Portal.
Introduced under the Press and Registration of Periodicals (PRP) Act, 2023, the portal now handles all applications for registering periodicals, replacing the earlier paper-heavy system created under the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867, which has since been repealed.
The digital shift brings a wide range of services onto a single platform. Publishers can now register new periodicals, revise registrations, transfer ownership, file annual statements, pay penalties online and apply for circulation verification without navigating government offices.
As part of the rollout, specified authorities in 780 districts across India have been onboarded onto the platform. Since 1 March 2024, the portal has processed 11,081 applications and issued certificates across different categories.
The transition has also brought stronger compliance. According to government data, Rs 5.63 crore in penalties has been collected through the portal so far. States such as Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh account for some of the largest penalty collections.
At the same time, the authorities have carried out a major clean-up of inactive or non-compliant publications. A total of 88,315 periodicals have been cancelled nationwide, with Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi among the states reporting the highest number of cancellations.
The government says the system will continue to evolve based on feedback from users. The Press Registrar General of India (PRGI) regularly reviews suggestions to improve services and make compliance easier for publishers.
The full list of registered newspapers and periodicals is available on the PRGI website under the Registered Titles section.
The information was shared in a written reply in the Lok Sabha by minister of state for information and broadcasting and parliamentary affairs L Murugan, responding to a question from Damodar Agrawal.
