Third phase of radio licensing soon: Javadekar

The government will soon start auction for new radio channels, as well as permitting private FM channels to broadcast news, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said Thursday.

"The phase III licensing for radio channels will be processed faster, and news will allowed in FM radio soon," he said at a round table on media and entertainment.

Javadekar also said that the government wanted to make national broadcaster Doordarshan the "first choice" of viewers.

He also said that there is a need to addresses the issue of decency in advertisements.

"They show advertisements where a guy uses a deodorant and women start running towards him. The situation is not so bad for women," Javadekar said.

"We can give films A (adult) certification, but not to Doordarshan. But government will not impose any code, they (advertisers) have to evolve a code for themselves and practise self-restraint," he said.