22 new channels get I&B ministry nod

With the government giving permission to 22 new channels to downlink in the country, India has now got 458 television channels officially allowed to be carried across cable, direct-to-home and IPTV platforms. Four new channels of National Geographic and three regional news channels of TV 18 group are among the 22 channels that have been given the neccessary permission to broadcast in the country by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B).

After nearly one year of applying for the neccessary permission to downlink four new channels, Fox Channels (India) today got the nod from the I&B ministry to bring in its channels — National Geographic HD, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Adventure and Nat Geo Music — to India. With this, the NGC Network India will have a bouquet of at least six channels, including the National Gegraphic channel and the Fox History & Entertainment channel.

However, its competitior and genre leader Discovery India, that has also applied for permission to launch three new channels, does not figure in the overall list of 22 channels that have been given the nod by the I&B ministry today.