Cabinet rejigs IPTV policy

The Government on Thursday approved amendments to the Downlinking Policy to enable broadcasters to provide the content of their registered channels to IPTV...

The Government on Thursday approved amendments to the Downlinking Policy to enable broadcasters to provide the content of their registered channels to IPTV service providers.

Sources said that the proposed guidelines, based on TRAI recommendations, allow the service providers to receive signals directly from the broadcasters without relying on Multi-System Operators. In addition, the service provider will have to transmit the channels in “unaltered” form. The responsibility to ensure that the contents are in accordance with Indian rules would lie with the broadcaster and not the telecom licensee.

Moreover, the service providers will show only those news and current affairs television channels, which have been registered with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and will not ‘produce or provide’ any other broadcast or non-broadcast channel having any element of news and current affairs.

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The telecom licensee would be responsible for compliance of codes like Programme Code and Advertisement Code as provided in the Cable Television Network (Regulation) Act, 1995 and rule thereunder in case content other than from broadcasters is aired.

The guidelines also mandate that the service provider provide commercial interoperability so that a customer deciding to switch over to another service provider or platform can do so at the least cost.

Under the Guidelines, the service providers will have to maintain recordings of programmes and advertisements for a period of 90 days from the date of broadcast and provide access to the Government.

OTHER DECISIONS

• In order to facilitate formulation of social security schemes for the unorganised workers, the Cabinet gave its approval for implementation of the Unorganised Sector Workers’ Social Security Bill, 2008 by making necessary official amendments in the Unorganised Sector Workers’ Social Security Bill, 2007 pending in the Rajya Sabha.

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• The Government also approved complete exemption to the Special Category States (J&K, Himachal Pradesh and North-Eastern states) from payment of deployment charges for Central forces for the period April 2005 to March 2009.

• The Cabinet also approved a proposal for establishment of a National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute and Bioprocessing Unit in Knowledge City at Mohali, with the total estimated cost of Rs 380 crore for over five years.