The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has said that while 14 satellite news channels were permitted to start operations in 2023, penal actions against 18 defaulters were taken for breach of various regulations in the last five years.
“Under Clause 25 of the Policy Guidelines, 2022, penal actions are taken against broadcasters who violate these guidelines. In the last five years, permission to 18 satellite news channels have been cancelled and transmission of three satellite news channels were suspended for a certain time period,” Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting L. Murugan said in Rajya Sabha (Upper House) last Friday.
The Minister was replying to a query from a fellow parliamentarian in the Upper House who had asked for information on licences/permissions granted to start satellite news channels in the country during the last five years along with associated details.
According to Murugan, permissions to private satellite TV channels are granted as per the policy guidelines of 2022 for uplinking and downlinking of satellite TV channels, which are also amended from time to time.