TV channels can continue ops sans yrly renewal of permission

Broadcasters will no longer have to get renewed the permission to continue to operate if they pay the required annual fee up to 60 days before the due date, a move the government said was in line with its policy of ease of doing business.
The broadcasters, who have been given permission to run their operations, usually for a period of 10 years, can uplink or downlink content without having to obtain "annual renewal", Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said today.
"As part of the government's initiative of ease of doing business, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has completely done away with the process of obtaining an annual renewal for TV channels in the current form," he said.

Naidu said, "Broadcasters who have been given the permission for uplinking or downlinking can continue their operations by simply paying the annual permission fee up to 60 days before the due date, which by itself will be treated as permission for continuation of a channel for a further period of one year."
This decision, the minister said, would benefit a total of 963 channels and teleports.
The I&B ministry, Naidu said, was committed to the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to promote ease of doing business and will continue to take more steps in consultation with stakeholders.

The minister, who was addressing the Economic Editors' Conference here, also lauded the government's decision to demonetise Rs 1000 and Rs 500 notes, saying the Prime Minister wants to realise 'Swachh Bharat' (Clean India), in terms of 'tan', 'man' and 'dhan' (body, mind and wealth).

In a notice posted on its website also, the I&B ministry said, "The matter has been considered at length and it is decided that for all the Broadcasters who have been given permission for Uplinking or Downlinking, usually for a period of 10 years, there shall not be a requirement of obtaining an Annual Renewal."
The payment of annual permission fee 60 days before the due date will by itself be sufficient permission for continuation of a channel for a further period of one year from the due date provided the validity of 10 year permission is available, it added.

The notice added that non-payment of the fee would be considered a violation and attract penal provisions as per the law.