Centre issues public service broadcast guidelines, to take effect from March 1

The mandated public service content can be aired on smaller time slots any time during the day, except between midnight and 6am, and will be accounted for on a monthly basis, the guidelines said.

Broadcasters in India will have to set aside at least 30 minutes of air time daily for public service programming of national importance and social relevance from March 1 onwards, according to fresh guidelines released on Monday by the information & broadcasting ministry.

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The mandated public service content can be aired on smaller time slots any time during the day, except between midnight and 6am, and will be accounted for on a monthly basis, the guidelines said.

All broadcasters will have to submit a report on the government’s broadcast seva portal by the 7th of the following month, the ministry said, adding that voluntary compliance and self-certification will be the guiding principles.

Private TV channels should run 30 minutes of public service programming as part of their service obligations, the ministry had said on November 9.“Broadcasters shall include a compliance certificate in its annual report,” the guidelines stated.

“Foreign channels downlinking in India (in languages other than those specified in the Eighth schedule of the Indian Constitution) shall be exempt from the obligation of public service broadcasting.”

Public service programming aired during commercial breaks will not be counted in the time limit of 12 minutes for continuous commercial breaks, the ministry said in its advisory. Channels predominantly broadcasting sports, devotional, spiritual and yoga programming will be exempt from furnishing the monthly reports.

“The broadcaster shall keep the record of the content telecast for a period of 90 days,” the advisory added.

“Electronic Media Monitoring Centre, under Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, shall keep the record of the content telecast for a period of 90 days.” Earlier, some broadcasting foundations had pushed back against the rules.

“We recommend that the PSB stipulation be either deleted or explicitly made voluntary for broadcasters and clearly provide for subsidy, tax incentives, CSR write-offs etc to those broadcasters that voluntarily engage in PSB,” the Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation had said in its letter dated November 18.

The themes of public service programming can include education and the spread of literacy; agriculture and rural development; health and family welfare; science and technology; welfare of women; welfare of the weaker sections of the society; protection of environment and of cultural heritage; and national integration, the new rules said.

The central government may from time to time issue general advisories to the channels for telecast of content in national interest, and they will have to air the content, the guidelines said.

The broadcasters are allowed to modulate their content, the ministry said. “. However, it should be done in a manner that the overall objective of the Public Service Broadcasting may be achieved,” the guidelines said.

“The content can be shared between the Broadcasters and could be repeat telecast on one or several TV channels,” they said. “A common e- Platform may be developed as a repository of relevant videos or textual content from various sources for the purpose of Public Service Broadcasting, which may be accessed and used by TV Channels.”

Officials at Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation said they were reviewing the guidelines and will respond accordingly.