The guidelines for uplinking and downlinking were issued in response to the government’s goal of making India an uplinking hub.
broadcast content of national interest
According to the Centre’s new guidelines, television channels, particularly entertainment channels, must broadcast content of national interest and public importance for 30 minutes. The uplinking and downlinking guidelines were announced in light of the government’s goal of making India an uplinking hub. It also announced a relaxation of compliance requirements for television channels. The guidelines were first issued in 2005 and were last revised in 2011.
According to the new guidelines, at least 30 minutes of telecast content pertaining to “public service and national interest” must be provided every day, with eight themes assigned to channels for content creation. According to the government, the move of airing content of national interest is justified because airwaves are public property that must be used in the best interests of society.
The content for the channels will not be provided by the government. According to I&B Secretary Apurva Chandra, TV channels are free to create and broadcast their own content. Once implemented, he said, the Ministry will monitor the channels for such content, and if anyone is found to be non-compliant, an explanation will be sought.
Officials said the condition applies to all channels except those specifically listed as exempt, and that a detailed advisory will be issued soon. The move to airing content of national interest is expected to allow TV channels from Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal to uplink from India rather than Singapore, which is the preferred uplinking hub for subcontinental channels.
Only 30 of the 897 registered channels are uplinked from India. Broadcast companies will also be permitted to uplink foreign channels from Indian teleports, creating job opportunities and positioning India as a teleport hub for other countries, according to officials. The new guidelines also allow a news agency to obtain permission for a five-year period rather than the current one-year period.
