India to relax DTH ownership rules
Chris Forrester
India’s Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRAI) is recommending that its current foreign ownership rules for broadcasters be dramatically revised.
TRAI is suggesting to government that the current 20% foreign ownership rules be relaxed, and set instead at 74%. The changes, if authorised, would mean foreign investment and thus ownership of DTH broadcasters, IPTV operators, mobile TV players, digital TV companies, teleports and multi-system operators of cable TV systems, would be raised to 74% ‘non-Indian’ ownership.
Exceptions would be local cable operators (26%) and all-important FM radio operations (also 26%, up from 20%). Another exception is in the provision of news and current affairs TV channels where again ownership stays capped at 26%.
TRAI has submitted its proposals to India’s Information & Broadcasting Ministry.
Chris Forrester
India’s Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRAI) is recommending that its current foreign ownership rules for broadcasters be dramatically revised.
TRAI is suggesting to government that the current 20% foreign ownership rules be relaxed, and set instead at 74%. The changes, if authorised, would mean foreign investment and thus ownership of DTH broadcasters, IPTV operators, mobile TV players, digital TV companies, teleports and multi-system operators of cable TV systems, would be raised to 74% ‘non-Indian’ ownership.
Exceptions would be local cable operators (26%) and all-important FM radio operations (also 26%, up from 20%). Another exception is in the provision of news and current affairs TV channels where again ownership stays capped at 26%.
TRAI has submitted its proposals to India’s Information & Broadcasting Ministry.