The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) has asked private TV channels to submit details of ‘public service’ programmes aired in ‘national interest’ in the month of November as proof of their claims that news channels telecast enough public service content throughout the year. 

The samples have to be submitted by the end of this week, officials from leading news channels have told e4m.

The MIB had then indicated that adherence to this mandate would be “voluntary”.

“We have been asked to show that we indeed run 15 hours of programming in the national interest in a month. Our teams are compiling the details, which will be submitted to the MIB in a day or two,” a TV channel official said, requesting anonymity.

Most channels are planning to include as samples their shows and debates on China and Pakistan. “Of course, these debates are of national interest. Besides, we will include our programmes based on drought, floods, health and science,” said another official from a leading media group.

Based on TV channels' responses, the I&B ministry is supposed to come up with a detailed advisory by next week. Channels may be asked to follow the advisory by January 1, 2023.

India has close to 900 TV channels, including regional, entertainment, sports and devotional genres. The country’s enormous TV universe of 900 million individuals continues to grow and is set to achieve a future scale of 1,300 million on the back of rapid economic growth.

The issue

On November 9, for the first time ever, all private TV channels available in India were mandated to run 30-minute daily programmes of national importance and social relevance as part of their new service obligation. A guideline in this regard was stipulated in the new uplinking-downlinking rules prescribed by the information & broadcasting (I&B) ministry on November 9.

Public service programmes included those related to education and the spread of literacy, agriculture and rural development, health and family welfare, science and technology, welfare of women, the welfare of the weaker sections of society, protection of the environment and cultural heritage, and national integration.

MIB’s response awaited

e4m has sought a response on the matter from MIB secretary Apurva Chandra. His response is awaited.