The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has revised the list of mandatory channels that cable operators must broadcast, adding four High-Definition (HD) versions of Doordarshan (DD) channels—DD National, DD News, DD India, and DD Sports. Under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995, the central government has the authority to designate specific Doordarshan and parliamentary channels as mandatory. The ministry has also included two regional general entertainment channels and four news and current affairs services, including Sansad TV1 (Lok Sabha), Sansad TV2 (Rajya Sabha), and their HD versions, along with DD Odia and DD Assam.
The government has issued an advisory directing cable operators to comply with these regulations and appropriately categorize the mandatory channels. Any violation of Section 8 of the Act will result in penalties as per the stipulated rules. The list of compulsory channels has been updated multiple times, with the most recent revision occurring in January 2024. Officials stated that advisories have been issued regularly to ensure compliance, and the latest modifications further expand the list of channels that must be carried by cable networks.
With this update, the total number of mandatory channels has increased to at least 43, including regional services. The ministry reported that as of December 31, there were approximately 850 registered Multi-System Operators (MSOs) and over 80,000 Local Cable Operators (LCOs) in India. The revised directive aims to enhance access to public broadcasting services while ensuring compliance with government regulations across the cable television industry.
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