a) Details of the channels and teleports functioning in the country;
b) The details of the free to air channels and teleports in the country at present;
c) Whether the Government has completely abolished the process of obtaining an Annual Renewal for TV channels in the current forms;
d) If so, the details thereof, along with the aims and objective thereto; and
e) The number of channels and teleports likely to be benefit from the said decision?
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BRAODCASTING { COL RAJYAVARDHAN RATHORE (Retd.)}
(a) & (b) Ministry of I & B has granted permission to uplink and downlink 892 Private Satellite TV channels and 81 Teleports in accordance with the Policy Guidelines to uplink and downlink of TV channels as last amended on 05.12.2011. The list of permitted Private Satellite TV channels is available in this Ministry’s website i.e. www.mib.nic.in. and the list of permitted Teleports as on date is enclosed at Annexure “A”.
No information regarding Free to Air teleport is available. However as intimated by TRAI, there are 281 pay channels as on 30.09.2016. A list of such pay channels is available on TRAI’s website under the link: www.trai.gov.in/WriteReadData/List-of-
pay-chanel-03.03.2015.pdf. The channels which are not mentioned in the list may be considered as Free to Air (FTA) channels.
(c) to (e) In conformity with the Policy Guidelines for uplinking and downlinking of TV channels in India Government has decided that the broadcasters which hold valid permission for uplinking and/or downlinking, there shall not require to obtain Renewal Permission from the Ministry. The payment of annual permission fee 60 days before the due date will by itself be sufficient permission for continuation of a channel for a further period of one year from the due date. All the TV channels and Teleports are likely to benefit from this decision provided the validity of 10-year permission is available.
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