Indian broadcasting foundation urges removal of cross-media ownership barriers

NEW DELHI: Welcoming the Union Cabinet’s decision on revising guidelines for direct-to-home (DTH) service broadcasters, the Indian Broadcasting Foundation on Thursday urged the government to also remove ross-media ownership restrictions in the sector to help it expand.

“We laud the government’s push to bring a level playing field between DTH and cable TV in terms of license fees. Growth in the DTH sector will help boost India’s television penetration – which is still only at 70%,” it added.

As per revised guidelines, DTH licenses will now be issued for a period of 20 years instead of 10 years, as is the norm now, with a renewal every 10 years.