Question : Licenses to Private TV Channels

a) Whether the Government issues licenses to private TV channels after verification from Ministry of Home Affairs;

b) If so, the details thereof along with the details of operational private TV channels, State/UT-wise;

c) Whether the Government has cancelled any license/s during the last five years and if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor; and;

d) Whether the Government has any mechanism to check the dummy Director/Directors as the license holder of private TV channels and if so, the details thereof and if not the reasons therefor?

THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE; MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING; AND MINISTRY OF HEAVY INDUSTRIES AND PUBLIC ENTERPRISES
{SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR}

(a) to (b) The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting grants permission for uplinking and downlinking of private satellite TV channels to the companies registered in India under Companies Act as per the provisions laid down in extant Policy Guidelines for Uplinking and Downlinking of Television Channels. Security clearance is obtained from Ministry of Home Affairs in respect of the applicant company and its Directors before granting such permission. Total number of permitted channels as on 31.01.2021 is 909. The details of the Permitted TV Channels are available on the Broadcast Seva portal of the Ministry on the link: http://broadcastseva.gov.in/webpage-User-tvchannels.

(c) 205 TV channels have been cancelled since 01.01.2016 due to various reasons viz. surrender by the permission holders, non-payment of annual permission fee, non-operation of channel, etc., the details of which are available at http:// broadcastseva.gov.in/webpage-TV-cancelled.

(d) The companies holding the permission for private satellite TV channels are required to take prior permission of the Ministry before effecting any change in the Board of Directors, which are subjected to security clearance by the Ministry of Home Affairs.