I&B asks TV channels to speed up licence details.

            The information & broadcasting ministry (MIB or I&B) has asked Indian television channels to give details of their operational status along with the Wireless Planning & Coordination (WPC) licence by 11 June.

            The MIB had earlier issued a notice in this regard on 25 March seeking a reply within 15 days. However, the deadline has been extended as many channels have not replied.

           MIB sources told that this was part of an exercise to review the entire status of issuing licences to TV channels.The ministry had decided to accept fresh applications from 1 April, 2010 and process them as well as the applications already received under the existing provisions contained in the Uplinking and Downlinking Guidelines of 2005.

          It had, however, said that "while considering fresh applications, the Ministry will take into consideration the financial viability of the proposal as also the level of expertise and experience of the personnel who will be charged with the responsibility of running the channels by the promoters."

          I&B minister Ambika Soni had last year written to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) on the increasing number of TV channels in the country and sought to know details like availability of spectrum and the criteria on which licences can be given to ensure only genuine broadcasters get these. Trai had subsequently issued a consultation paper on the issue.

           In its note of 18 January, the MIB had said that “although improved technologies have resulted in better utilisation of the available spectrum and transponder capacities, the spectrum and transponder capacities for satellite TV channels are not unlimited.”

          The total number of TV channels being beamed into Indian homes from India and overseas is around 512 and almost one hundred applications are pending clearance.

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