States should route broadcast activities via Prasar Bharati: Centre

New Delhi: In an advisory issued to union ministers, state governments, and UT administrators, the Centre asked them not to enter any broadcasting or distribution of broadcasting activity directly.

Kalvi TV, an educational channel launched by the Tamil Nadu government and IPTV run by the Andhra Pradesh government are likely to be affected by the new advisory.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said all content should be routed via Prasar Bharati. Entities who are currently broadcasting content are instructed to extract themselves from the ongoing arrangement by December 31, 2023.

In 2012, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), had suggested that the central and state governments, their companies, undertakings, joint ventures with the private sector, and entities funded by the governments should not run the business of broadcasting.

Entry No. 31 in List I (Union List) of the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India covers "posts and telegraphs, telephones, wireless, broadcasting and other like forms of communication." The advisory stated that only the central government can legislate on such subjects as per Article 246.

The advisory further said the transition to bring all broadcasting under Prasar Bharati will be done through a Memorandum of Understanding to "ensure the continuity of such societal initiatives."

"No Ministry/Department of the Central Government and State/UT Governments and entities related to them shall enter into broadcasting/distribution of broadcasting activities in future. in case Ministries of Central Government, State/UT Government and entities related to them are already broadcasting their content, it shall be done through the Public Broadcaster. In case Ministries of Central Government, State/UT Government and entities related to them are already distributing the broadcasting content, they will be required to extract themselves from the distribution activities," said the advisory.