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The I&B ministry has cancelled the licence of 15 channels and suspended the license of seven others for up to 30 days for failing to comply with licensing conditions. Most of these are regional channels. The ministry has also issued notices to 38 channels for making changes in their board of directors and shareholding patterns without government permission.
The move comes on the back of West Bengal-based Saradha group companies acquiring TV channels without prior intimation of the I&B ministry in violation of the uplinking and downlinking guidelines.
"We have also issued notices to about 38 channels that have made changes in their shareholding pattern or board of directors without informing the ministry," confirmed I&B secretary U K Varma.
There are 877 general entertainment and news channels that have been given permission to operate by the ministry in last few years. Following the Saradha group scam, the government had issued notices to the 368 companies running these channels to provide information on their ownership and management control and if there were any changes in that. All channels are supposed to comply by the uplinking and downlinking guidelines or face revocation of licenses.
About 22 channels have not responded to notices of which 15 are not operational. The ministry has decided to cancel their licenses while suspending the license of 7 channels that are operational but have chosen to ignore the government's communication. Most of these are regional channels.
Of the total 238 channels about 25 companies have admitted to changing shareholding patterns while nine have made changes in their board of directors. The ministry has issued notices to 32 channels who made changes in their shareholding pattern while 6 has made changes in their board of directors without informing the ministry.
There are an estimated 100 channels that have sought more time to provide information for which the ministry has asked for a self-certification attesting that no changes in management or ownership have been made.
15 TV channels break norms, lose licence - Times Of India
.
The move comes on the back of West Bengal-based Saradha group companies acquiring TV channels without prior intimation of the I&B ministry in violation of the uplinking and downlinking guidelines.
"We have also issued notices to about 38 channels that have made changes in their shareholding pattern or board of directors without informing the ministry," confirmed I&B secretary U K Varma.
There are 877 general entertainment and news channels that have been given permission to operate by the ministry in last few years. Following the Saradha group scam, the government had issued notices to the 368 companies running these channels to provide information on their ownership and management control and if there were any changes in that. All channels are supposed to comply by the uplinking and downlinking guidelines or face revocation of licenses.
About 22 channels have not responded to notices of which 15 are not operational. The ministry has decided to cancel their licenses while suspending the license of 7 channels that are operational but have chosen to ignore the government's communication. Most of these are regional channels.
Of the total 238 channels about 25 companies have admitted to changing shareholding patterns while nine have made changes in their board of directors. The ministry has issued notices to 32 channels who made changes in their shareholding pattern while 6 has made changes in their board of directors without informing the ministry.
There are an estimated 100 channels that have sought more time to provide information for which the ministry has asked for a self-certification attesting that no changes in management or ownership have been made.
15 TV channels break norms, lose licence - Times Of India
.
