No of TV channels has gone up to 788 now: I & B Ministry

The number of TV channels in the country has grown from 130 in 2004 to 788 in 2014 and the sector has witnessed an exponential growth, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry today said.
With the general elections round the corner, the ministry, which has also issued advertisements highlighting its achievements, said the size of the television industry has witnessed an exponential growth from Rs 18,300 crore in 2006 and is expected to be valued at Rs 50,140 crore in 2014.
India now has the third largest TV market with close to 154 million TV households, next only to China and the USA, the ministry said in a statement.

It said several policy initiatives aimed at bringing about a paradigm shift to facilitate a vibrant information order had been undertaken in the last ten years. It said the broadcasting sector had benefitted from a series of these initiatives.
The digitisation process has brought about a paradigm shift in the sector ensuring transparency which subsequently has defined the contours of orderly growth, it said.
It added that its policies initiated to promote the FM component in radio have ensured a vibrant growth of the sector.

"While 245 FM Channels were launched in 85 cities since 2005, in the third phase 839 channels are proposed to be launched in 294 cities. Due to the impetus given by the FM policy, the size of the radio industry has grown from Rs 600 crore in 2006 and is expected to be valued at Rs 1540 crore in 2014," it said and added community radio is also a key thrust area.

The number of operational community radio stations has increased from 64 in 2009 to 163 in 2014, the ministry said.
It said it had taken key initiatives in print media segment as well for films sector.