Question : PENDING APPLICATIONS FOR TV CHANNELS

(a) The number of news, entertainment, religious, sports and other TV channels being run in the country, category-wise;

(b) The details of guidelines laid down for granting licence to TV channels:

(c) The details of applications pending with the Government for permission to operate private TV channels during each of the last three years along with the time by which they are likely to be cleared;

(d) Whether inordinate delay is causing inconvenience to the aspirants of new TV channels to proceed further; and

(e) If so, the details thereof and steps being taken by the Government to streamline the process of giving clearances to the pending applications in a stipulated time frame?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING, [COL RAJYAVARDHAN RATHODE (Retd.)]

(a) Ministry of Information & Broadcasting grants permission for Non-News & Current Affairs and News & Current Affairs TV channels in accordance with the Policy Guidelines for Uplinking/Downlinking of Satellite TV channels. As on date Ministry has permitted 832 TV channels out of which 406 Channels are under News & Current Affairs category and 426 Channels are under Non-news and Current Affairs category. Religious channels & Sports channels are included in the non-news & current affairs category. The iist of permitted channels is available on Ministry`s website i.e. www.mib.nic.in.

(b) Detailed guidelines for Uplinking from & Downlinking TV channels into India are available at www.mib.nic.in.
(c) Yearwise details of applications for TV channels pending for permission during the current calendar year and last three years are as follows:

 
 Year	Pending no. of Applications 2012	36 2013	59 2014	56 2015	27 
 
 Grant of permission to Private TV channels is dependent upon requisite clearances from various Ministries / Departments. After receipt of all clearances, the Ministry takes up the case for grant/rejcction of permission. 
 
 (d) & (e): Ministry is regularly taking up such matters with the concerned Ministries/Departments at various levels for early clearance so that the permission to the TV channels can be granted.