It obligated all private channels to run at least 30 minutes programs daily on issues of national importance and social relevance.
From January 1, 2023, it will be mandatory for all Indian channels to air content pertaining to “national and public interest” for at least 30 minutes every day, according to the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B).reported news 18.
The New Year’s Date came after several rounds of deliberations, and a final go-ahead to the proposed plan will happen in another meeting, sources told The Indian Express.
The cabinet Ministry had earlier this month approved the ‘Guidelines for Uplinking and Downlinking of Television Channels in India’ under which this new rule was put forward.
It obligated all private channels to run at least 30 minutes programs daily on issues of national interest and social relevance.
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This rule will, however, not be applicable for sports, foreign, and wildlife channels, the ministry added.
While the rest of the rules under the new guidelines came into effect on November 9, the channels were given some time to come up with “national interest” content in relation to their own programs.
The themes of national importance include education and the spread of literacy, health, and family welfare, agriculture and rural development, science and technology, the welfare of women, weaker sections of society, protection of the environment and of cultural heritage, and national integration.
The new guidelines stated, the obligation of public service broadcasting — As airwaves/frequencies are public property and need to be used in the best interest of society, a company/LLP having permission under these guidelines for uplinking a channel and its downlinking in India (other than foreign channels only downlinked in India) may undertake public service broadcasting for a minimum period of 30 minutes in a day on themes of national importance and of social relevance.” Reported News 18.
The central government has released the new guidelines after around 11 years after they were previously issued in 2011, Information and Broadcasting Secretary Apurva Chandra said.
He further said, “We’ve taken the approval of the Union Cabinet, as per the improvement we have considered over the years… we have made multiple improvements in terms of ease of doing business.”
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