Stories
IBDF Urges Government to Overhaul Proposed Public Service Content Rules for TV Channels
- •The Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation is requesting changes to the mandatory rule requiring private television channels to broadcast 30 minutes of public service content daily.
- •IBDF secretary general Avinash Pandey argued that a uniform quota would disrupt programming schedules, affect viewer experience, and fail to account for genre differences.
- •The industry body recommends returning to the voluntary approach under the 2022 Uplinking and Downlinking Guidelines instead of enforcing a strict mandate.
- •Pandey highlighted the commercial pressures facing linear television and called for a graduated enforcement mechanism for penalties rather than risking channel renewals.
Key Questions Answered
The Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation (IBDF) is urging the government to delete Rule 26(6) from the revised draft broadcasting authorisation rules. Instead of the mandatory 30-minute daily quota, the IBDF wants a return to the voluntary approach established under the 2022 Uplinking and Downlinking Guidelines.
The IBDF argues that a uniform quota fails to account for differences between news, sports, general entertainment, and niche channels. Secretary General Avinash Pandey noted that mandatory daily quotas could disrupt programming, cause abrupt transitions on entertainment networks, and impact live sports or international feeds.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting notified the revised draft rules on September 2, 2026, proposing a transition from the existing broadcasting permission regime to a new authorisation framework under the Telecommunications Act, 2023.
