Mudasir 4K
Contributor
- Joined
- 25 Dec 2012
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The Delhi High Court has asked the
Union government and private sector
DTH platforms to file their response
to Hyderabad-based NGO Media
Watch India's (MWI) PIL against
transmission of channels and value-
added services (VAS) not allowed by
the government.
A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini
and Justice PS Teji has issued
notices to the Ministry of
Information and Broadcasting (MIB)
and the 6 DTH operators and sought
their responses The next hearing has
been scheduled several weeks hence,
on 4 March 2015.
SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS
In its petition, Media Watch India
has alleged that DTH operators are:
(i) Carrying illegal channels without
statutory registration,
(ii) Providing VAS without specific
licence from competent authority,
(iii) Carrying FM radio channels in
violation of FM radio policy and
copyright law,
(iv) Carrying advertisements and
other unsolicited commercial/
promotional messages in violation of
statutory Advertisement Code
enshrined under Rule 7 of Cable
Television Networks Rules, 1994.
GOVT TOO
Media Watch India NGO has also
accused the I&B ministry of turning
a blind eye to the above issues by
the DTH platforms while "Statutory
guidelines are being flouted with
impunity by the private DTH
operators."
BANNED CHANNELS CARRIED
The petition contended that the
licence under DTH Guidelines is
granted only for carriage/
distribution/ re-transmission of
signals/channels of broadcasters
duly registered with the government.
However, DTH platforms were re-
transmitting even un-registered
(banned) TV channels.
UNLICENSED VAS
It also submitted that there is no
other provision in DTH guidelines
which enable the DTH operators to
carry/transmit their own signals/
channels except for Value Added
Services (VAS) which require specific
license from the MIB. DTH platforms
have not applied and procured
licenses for their services.
ABOUT MWI
MWI was also been active in the
past against violations by satellite TV
channels, for excessively loud ads
and shared screen ads which are
explicitly prohibited by the Cable
Act.
Union government and private sector
DTH platforms to file their response
to Hyderabad-based NGO Media
Watch India's (MWI) PIL against
transmission of channels and value-
added services (VAS) not allowed by
the government.
A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini
and Justice PS Teji has issued
notices to the Ministry of
Information and Broadcasting (MIB)
and the 6 DTH operators and sought
their responses The next hearing has
been scheduled several weeks hence,
on 4 March 2015.
SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS
In its petition, Media Watch India
has alleged that DTH operators are:
(i) Carrying illegal channels without
statutory registration,
(ii) Providing VAS without specific
licence from competent authority,
(iii) Carrying FM radio channels in
violation of FM radio policy and
copyright law,
(iv) Carrying advertisements and
other unsolicited commercial/
promotional messages in violation of
statutory Advertisement Code
enshrined under Rule 7 of Cable
Television Networks Rules, 1994.
GOVT TOO
Media Watch India NGO has also
accused the I&B ministry of turning
a blind eye to the above issues by
the DTH platforms while "Statutory
guidelines are being flouted with
impunity by the private DTH
operators."
BANNED CHANNELS CARRIED
The petition contended that the
licence under DTH Guidelines is
granted only for carriage/
distribution/ re-transmission of
signals/channels of broadcasters
duly registered with the government.
However, DTH platforms were re-
transmitting even un-registered
(banned) TV channels.
UNLICENSED VAS
It also submitted that there is no
other provision in DTH guidelines
which enable the DTH operators to
carry/transmit their own signals/
channels except for Value Added
Services (VAS) which require specific
license from the MIB. DTH platforms
have not applied and procured
licenses for their services.
ABOUT MWI
MWI was also been active in the
past against violations by satellite TV
channels, for excessively loud ads
and shared screen ads which are
explicitly prohibited by the Cable
Act.
