41 foreign channels seek entry into India

New Delhi, May 9 (UNI) Forty-one foreign television channels, including three news channels, have sought entry into the Indian skies.

Applications have been received from 41 TV channels from abroad for downlinking permission, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry said today.

Most of the foreign applicants are entertainment channels, the Ministry said.

So far, 173 TV channels have been permitted to uplink from India.

According to the latest Ministry guidelines, these channels can be carried by any cable operator, if the channel has made an application for registration to the government on or before May 11, which is the date from which amendments in the Cable Television Network Rules 1994 and DTH guidelines come into force.

Cable operators can carry the channels for a period of six months from May 11 or till the registration to the channels has been granted or refused, the Ministry said.

The channels uplinking from India will be treated as ''registered'' TV channels and they can be carried or included in the cable service.

The guidelines for downlinking TV channels had been issued on May 11 last year. According to the guidelines, no cable operator or DTH service provider can carry channels that have not been registered after last November.

The amendments to the Cable Television Network Rules 1994 and the DTH guidelines will be notified on May 11.

UNI NAZ/FZ MSJ BD2006