Courtesy: news.oneindia.in
Updated: Wednesday, July 16, 2014, 15:50 [IST]
Updated: Wednesday, July 16, 2014, 15:50 [IST]
New Delhi, July 16: Private FM channels will be allowed to broadcast news only from bulletins of All India Radio, but the policy can be relaxed in future, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday. Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said during Question Hour that private FM channels have so far not been permitted to broadcast news under the existing FM radio policy guidelines. He said under the guidelines approved for FM radio Phase- III, FM channels will be permitted to carry AIR news bulletins in exactly the same format.
To a supplementary, he said presenters of private FM channels will be allowed to read AIR news. Javadekar said the present norm of opening FM channels in cities with population of three lakh is being reviewed and areas with one lakh population would also be allowed to have FM radio channels. In his written reply, Javadekar said "in view of the dynamic nature of news, the policy is reviewed from time to time." He said once news broadcast has been opened up, government can think of further "relaxation" based on the experience it gains on the issue.
Javadekar: Number of cities with FM channels will increase by March 30, 2015
Javadekar said broadcast relating to sporting events, excluding live coverage, live commentaries of sporting events of local nature, information on traffic, weather, announcement on civic amenities, natural calamities will be treated as non-news items "and will, therefore, be permissible." He said the number of cities with FM channels will increase by March 30, 2015 when the Phase-III is rolled out.
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