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Journalism of Courage
NEW DELHI, JAN 22: The Government appears set to allow satellite networks to begin direct-to-home (DTH) transmission, though using an indirect route to do so. Instead of the Information & Broadcasting Ministry recommending this on its own, it has been decided that the first moves will be made by the Group on Telecom (GoT) chaired by External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh. The next meeting of the GoT slated to be held here on January 23 is likely to discuss the issue.
Last week, an order was passed by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), widening the scope of the GoT’s terms of reference to include “a new policy on broadcasting and on direct-to-home telecast”. The earlier terms of reference of the GoT included resolving the problems of the existing licensees in the basic and cellular services, formulating a new Telecom Policy and strengthening the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
I & B Minister Pramod Mahajan, Communications Minister Jagmohan and Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha were includedin the GoT around January 6, soon after which a second notification from the PMO increased the scope of the GoT.
When Mahajan was inducted into the GoT, the official line was that he had been included primarily to sort out issues relating to the allocation of air frequencies, so as to ensure that any solution to the telecom industry’s frequency needs were not detrimental to the interests of TV and radio. Other users of such frequencies — defence forces — were in any case included in one of the GoT’s sub-groups.
The 1997 notification banning DTH was also issued by the Ministry of Communications. The notification banned the transmission in frequency bands 4800 MHz and above, which in effect means from the Ku band. The notification was called The Radio Television and Video Cassette Recorder Sets (Exemption from Licensing Requirements) Rules, 1997.
