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Our Bureau

New Delhi , Oct. 20

THE Government has made it mandatory for private sports channels and sports rights management companies to share their television feed of events of national importance held in India or abroad with Prasar Bharati for terrestrial transmission and its free direct-to-home (DTH) broadcasting.

The Cabinet, which cleared the uplinking and downlinking policy, stated that events of national importance would be determined by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry in consultation with the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs, Prasar Bharati and concerned sports channels. However, in the case of cricket, these shall include all matches featuring India and semi-finals and finals of international competitions.

While these norms will apply to future events, in the case of cricket where the broadcasting rights have been obtained, the rights holder "will be obliged to share the feed for all matches featuring India and the finals of international competition."

However, the marketing of the events would be decided through mutual negotiations between the Prasar Bharati and the rights holder. Also a revenue sharing formula of 75:25 in favour of the rights holder without any minimum guarantee/opportunity cost would be applied.

The Cabinet also permitted portfolio investment by foreign institutional investors (FIIs) and non-resident Indians (NRIs) in news channels within the 26 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) cap.

The uplinking policy also permitted television channels and teleports to uplink in the KU band through Indian satellites, subject to the condition that this permission is not used to run or operate DTH without proper licence. Also, channels, which seek uplinking permission, would have to operationalise the channel within a period of one year.

Besides this, foreign news channels and agencies will be granted permission up to one year at a time for temporary uplinking from time-to time through pre-designated teleport, subject to conditions.

"The news/footage so uplinked shall be primarily for usage abroad by the foreign news agency/channel and shall not be broadcast in India without downlinking permission and registration of channel," it said. The Cabinet also approved the downlinking guidelines to regulate those channels that are beamed into India from outside.

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